Wider Ancient Witness Archive · 4.2 Greek and Greco-Roman Moral Wisdom Background Archive
Layer 4 — Wider Archive
The Original Phocylides Fragments
This text is included as a comparative, historical, philosophical, ritual, textual, or fragmentary witness. It is not presented as part of the Restored Bible.
The Original Phocylides Fragments
[The genuine sayings of the old poet Phocylides of Miletus, each marked in antiquity by his name; distinct from the later poem circulated under his name. Only a handful survive.]
And this too is of Phocylides: the Lerians are bad — not one, but every one, save Procles; and Procles is a Lerian.
And this too is of Phocylides: a little city set on a height and well governed is stronger than foolish Nineveh.
And this too is of Phocylides: seek a livelihood first, and virtue afterward, when you already have a livelihood.
And this too is of Phocylides: the night is for counsel, but the deeds of the night are best done by day.
And this too is of Phocylides: four are the tribes of women — a dog, a bee, a wild sow, and a long-maned mare; the mare is showy, the sow unruly, the dog ill-tempered, but the bee is a good housekeeper and skilled in work; pray, my friend, for this marriage.
[The rest is lost.]