Maxims of the Oracle of Delphi

The maxims of the Oracle at Delphi were made up of very brief quotations (two to five words) full of wisdom and moral values. The subject matter they deal with varies from religious faith, to obedience to law, how to treat friends, how to behave in a just manner, education, country, way of life, happiness, etc. 

These maxims, 147 in total, were inscribed in the frontal columns at the temple of the god Apollo, at the Oracle of Delphi. They were copied on single marble tablets and were transported to all parts of the Ancient Greek World, as the writing on paper or on parchment was not known at the time.

It should be noted that these 147 maxims of Delphi embodied the complete universe of values for the ancient Greeks. The number 147 equals 3 times 7 times 7 (or 3x7x7). The meanings of numbers in the ancient Greek world were quite important. Number 3 represents divine perfection, and in Pythagorean terms completion. . Number 4 represents the whole creation, as there are 4 seasons in a year, 4 winds, 4 directions, 4 elements (fire, water, air and , earth), etc. Number 7 is the combination of 3 and 4, and represents the universe. Also Apollo’s lyre (musical instrument) had 7 strings, there were 7 sages, etc. In Pythagorean terms 7 is a cosmic number with 3 of heaven and 4 of the world. Number 147, being 3x7x7, represented all divine values for all universes (a universe of a universe).

Most of these maxims have been attributed to the seven sages of Ancient Greece: Thales, Pittacos, Bias, Solon, Cleovoulos, Periandros, and Chilon.

These maxims (translated into English) are the following:

1. Follow God.

2. Obey the law.
3. Worship God.
4. Respect your parents.
5. Be overcome by justice.
6. Base your knowledge on learning.
7. Understand after you have heard what has occurred.
8. Know yourself.
9. Intend to get married.
10. Take care to know the right opportunity.
11. Think as a mortal.
12. Act as if you are a stranger.
13. Honor your family.
14. Control yourself.
15. Help your friends.
16. Control your anger.
17. Exercise prudence.
18. Honor divine providence.
19. Do not use an oath.
20. Love friendship.
21. Concentrate on education.
22. Pursue honor.
23. Seek wisdom.
24. Praise the good.
25. Do not accuse anyone.
26. Praise virtue.
27. Practice what is just.
28. Be benevolent to your friends.
29. Guard yourself against your enemies.
30. Exercise nobility of character.
31. Shun evil.
32. Be interested in public affairs.
33. Guard what is yours.
34. Shun what belongs to others.
35. Listen to everyone.
36. Be religiously silent.
37. Do favors for your friends.
38. Nothing in excess.
39. Use time in an economical way.
40. Look toward the future.
41. Hate violent and offensive behavior.
42. Respect those who have taken refuge in holy temples.
43. Be accommodated to all.
44. Educate your sons.
45. When you have, give freely.
46. Fear deceit.
47. Praise everyone.
48. Be a seeker of wisdom.
49. Judge according to divine law.
50. Think first, act later.
51. Shun murder.
52. Wish for things possible.
53. Associate with the wise.
54. Test the character of a person.
55. Give back what you have received.
56. Do not suspect anyone.
57. Exercise knowledge and skills in profession, trade or science.
58. Give what you mean to give.
59. Honor good deeds.
60. Be jealous of no one.
61. Be on your guard.
62. Praise hope.
63. Hate a false accusation.
64. Gain possessions justly.
65. Honor good men.
66. Know the person who judges.
67. Submit tο married life.
68. Believe in good luck.
69. Do not sign a guarantee when obtaining a loan.
70. Speak plainly.
71. Associate with your peers.
72. Govern your expenses.
73. Be happy with what you have.
74. Revere a sense of shame.
75. Fulfill a favor.
76. Pray for happiness.
77. Be fond of fortune.
78. Observe what you have heard.
79. Work for what you can own.
80. Despise strife.
81. Detest disgrace.
82. Restrain your tongue.
83. Guard against violent and offensive behavior.
84. Judge in a just way.
85. Use what you have.
86. Judge without accepting gifts.
87. Accuse someone (only) when he/she is present.
88. Speak (only) when you know.
89. Do not behave in a violent way.
90. Live without sorrow.
91. Behave with gentleness to others.
92. Complete your activities without fear and without shrinking back.
93. Treat everyone with kindness and friendship.
94. Do not curse your sons.
95. Govern your wife.
96. Benefit yourself.
97. Behave with a friendly and courteous manner.
98. Respond in a timely way.
99. Struggle without losing your good reputation.
100. Act without repenting.
101. When you err, repent.
102. Control your eyes.
103. Think without time limits.
104. Act quickly.
105. Guard friendship.
106. Be grateful.
107. Pursue harmonic co-existence.
108. Do not reveal entrusted secrets.
109. Fear rulers (and ruling).
110. Pursue what is profitable.
111. Accept opportunity with pleasure.
112. Do away with enmities.
113. Accept old age.
114. Do not boast about your physical strength.
115. Your words should be words of kindness and respect.
116. Flee enmity.
117. Acquire wealth in a just way.
118. Do not abandon what you have decided to do.
119. Despise evil.
120. Venture into danger with prudence.
121. Do not get tired of learning.
122. Do not leave things undone due to thrift.
123. Admire the oracular responses (i.e. the responses of the holy men or women to questions put to them by anyone).
124. Love the people you feed.
125. Do not oppose somebody absent.
126. Respect the elders.
127. Teach the young.
128. Do not trust wealth.
129. Respect yourself.
130. Do not use insolence to govern.
131. Honor your ancestors by placing flower wreaths on their tombs.
132. Die for your country.
133. Do not be discontented by life.
134. Do not make fun of the dead.
135. Sympathize with the unlucky.
136. Gratify without harming.
137. Grieve for nobody.
138. Beget children from noble ancestry.
139. Make promises to no one.
140. Do not wrong the dead.
141. Be well off as a mortal.
142. Do not trust fortune.
143. As a child, be well behaved.
144. As a teenager, control yourself.
145. As middle-age, be just.
146. As an old man, be sensible.
147. On reaching the end, be without sorrow.

More maxims and quotations are contained in my forthcoming book
'Ancient Greek Wisdom for the 231st Centurey'.