Delphic maxims

The Delphic maxims are a set of moral precepts that were inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek precinct of Delphi. The three best known maxims – "Know thyself", "Nothing in excess", and "Give a pledge and trouble is at hand" – were prominently located at the entrance to the temple, and were traditionally said to have been authored by the legendary Seven Sages of Greece, or even by Apollo. In fact, they are more likely to have simply been popular proverbs. Each maxim has a long history of interpretation, although the third of the set has received comparatively little attention.
A further 147 maxims, documented by Stobaeus in the 5th century AD, were also located somewhere in the vicinity of the temple. The antiquity and authenticity of these maxims was once in doubt, but recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed that some of the sayings quoted by Stobaeus were current as early as the 3rd century BC.

Entrance maxims

Three maxims are known to have been inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi at least as early as the 5th century BC, and possibly earlier. These inscriptions are routinely referenced and discussed by ancient authors; Plato, for example, mentions them in six of his dialogues. Their exact location is uncertain; they are variously stated to have been on the wall of the pronaos, on a column, on a doorpost, on the temple front, or on the propylaea.
Although the temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the years, the maxims appear to have persisted into the Roman era, at which time, according to Pliny the Elder, they were written in letters of gold.
The maxims are as follows:

No.	Greek	Romanized transliteration	English
001	Γνῶθι σεαυτόν		Know thyself
002	Μηδὲν ἄγαν		Nothing too much
003	Ἐγγύα πάρα δ' Ἄτα		Give a pledge and trouble is at hand

These sayings were traditionally said to have originated with the Seven Sages, a legendary group of philosophers and statesmen who flourished in the 6th century BC. The first known reference to the Seven Sages is in Plato's Protagoras, where they are said to have collectively authored the first two maxims. The names of the sages are given by Plato as Thales, Pittacus, Bias, Solon, Cleobulus, Myson and Chilon; but in the works of later writers, some of these names are dropped and others added in their place. Each of the maxims was often attributed to a particular sage, and some authors, such as Demetrius of Phalerum, assigned additional sayings to the four remaining sages. There was no general agreement over which maxim belonged to which sage, but "Know thyself" was most commonly attributed to Chilon.
Another popular theory held that the maxims were first spoken by the Delphic oracle, and therefore represented the wisdom of the god Apollo. Clearchus of Soli, among others, attempted to reconcile the two accounts by claiming that Chilon, enquiring of the oracle what was best to be learnt, received the answer "Know thyself", and subsequently adopted the maxim as his own. In all likelihood, however, the sayings were simply common proverbs of much earlier date, which gained a new significance from their prominent position on the temple.

First maxim

The first maxim, "know thyself", has been called "by far the most significant of the three maxims, both in ancient and modern times". In its earliest appearances in ancient literature, it was interpreted to mean that one should understand one's limitations and know one's place in the social scale. The first application of the phrase to self-knowledge in the modern sense occurs in Plato's Phaedrus, in which Socrates says that he has no leisure to investigate the truth behind common mythological beliefs while he has not yet discovered the truth about his own nature. Many authors throughout history have considered knowledge of the self to involve knowledge of other people, knowledge of the universe, and/or knowledge of God; consequently, alongside its metaphysical, self-reflexive sense, the maxim has been applied in a host of different ways to problems of science, ethics, and theology.

Second maxim

In ancient Greece, the maxim "nothing too much" was only rarely understood to mean that one should place limits on one's physical appetites, being far more commonly invoked as a reminder to avoid excessive emotion, particularly excessive grief. It was also quoted by ancient authors as a warning against pride, and considering its placement at the entrance to the temple, it may have been intended to convey that "man is not to exalt himself even in his piety"; in other words, that one should not make lavish sacrifices to the gods, but should humbly give what one can spare.
The maxim has been said to have received its "ultimate expression" in Aristotle's theory of ethics, according to which every classical virtue occupies a middle place between the two extremes of excess and deficiency. It is uncertain, however, whether the maxim was a direct influence on Aristotle, as it is not explicitly referenced in his Nicomachean Ethics. Several other phrases of similar import were current among Greek writers, such as "The half is more than the whole" and "Due measure is best", both of which are found in Hesiod's Works and Days.
Interest in "nothing too much" dropped off during the medieval era, but it was frequently cited in the literature of the 16th and 17th centuries. From this time onward, the rule of moderation enjoined by the maxim has been more frequently applied to physical pleasures than to emotional states. In John Milton's Paradise Lost, for example, the archangel Michael advises Adam to "observe the rule of not too much... in what thou eat'st and drink'st, seeking from thence due nourishment, not gluttonous delight".
Some authors, such as 16th-century humanist Sperone Speroni, have criticized the maxim for its apparent endorsement of mediocrity. Such criticism may be traced back as far as Pindar, who claimed that the philosophers of his day were excessive in their praise of the Delphic saying. Similarly, 20th‑century essayist Paul Elmer More has argued that a too-rigorous adherence to the principle of moderation may have been the downfall of ancient Greek civilization.

Third maxim

The third maxim, "give a pledge and trouble is at hand", has been variously interpreted. The Greek word ἐγγύα, here translated "pledge", can mean either surety given for a loan; a binding oath given during a marriage ceremony; or a strong affirmation of any kind. Accordingly, the maxim may be a warning against any one of these things.
The correct interpretation of the maxim was being debated as early as the 1st century BC, when Diodorus Siculus discussed the question in his Bibliotheca historica. In Plutarch's Septem sapientium convivium, the ambiguity of the phrase is said to have "kept many from marrying, and many from trusting, and some even from speaking". Diogenes Laërtius also makes reference to the maxim in his account of the life of Pyrrho, the founder of Pyrrhonism. Exploring the origins of the Pyrrhonean doctrine of philosophical skepticism, Diogenes claims that the Delphic maxims are skeptical in nature, and interprets the third maxim to mean: "Trouble attends him who affirms anything in strong terms and confidently".
Analysing the various appearances of the maxim in Greek literature, Eliza Wilkins finds the opinion of the ancient authors on the meaning of ἐγγύα split between the two rival interpretations of "commit yourself emphatically" and "become surety". Among Latin authors, however, the maxim is universally interpreted in the latter sense, as advice against giving surety.

147 maxims of Stobaeus

In the 5th-century anthology of Stobaeus, there is a list of a further 147 maxims attributed to the Seven Sages of Greece.

No.	Greek	Romanized transliteration	English
001	Ἕπου θεῷ		Follow the gods
002	Νόμῳ πείθου		Obey the law
003	Θεοὺς σέβου		Worship the gods
004	Γονεῖς αἰδοῦ		Respect your parents
005	Ἡττῶ ὑπὸ δικαίου		Be overcome by justice
006	Γνῶθι μαθών		Know what you have learned
007	Ἀκούσας νόει		Perceive what you have heard
008	Σαυτὸν ἴσθι		Be yourself
009	Γαμεῖν μέλλε		Intend to get married
010	Καιρὸν γνῶθι		Know your opportunity
011	Φρόνει θνητά		Think as a mortal
012	Ξένος ὢν ἴσθι		If you are a stranger act like one
013	Ἑστίαν τίμα		Honour the hearth
014	Ἄρχε σεαυτοῦ		Control yourself
015	Φίλοις βοήθει		Help your friends
016	Θυμοῦ κράτει		Control anger
017	Φρόνησιν ἄσκει		Exercise prudence
018	Πρόνοιαν τίμα		Honour providence
019	Ὅρκῳ μὴ χρῶ		Do not use an oath
020	Φιλίαν ἀγάπα		Love friendship
021	Παιδείας ἀντέχου		Cling to discipline
022	Δόξαν δίωκε		Pursue honour
023	Σοφίαν ζήλου		Long for wisdom
024	Καλὸν εὖ λέγε		Praise the good
025	Ψέγε μηδένα		Find fault with no one
026	Ἐπαίνει ἀρετήν		Praise virtue
027	Πρᾶττε δίκαια		Practice what is just
028	Φίλοις εὐνόει		Be kind to your friends
029	Ἐχθροὺς ἀμύνου		Watch out for your enemies
030	Εὐγένειαν ἄσκει		Exercise nobility of character
031	Κακίας ἀπέχου		Shun evil
032	Κοινὸς γίνου		Be sociable
033	Ἴδια φύλαττε		Guard what is yours
034	Ἀλλοτρίων ἀπέχου		Shun what belongs to others
035	Ἄκουε πάντα		Listen to everyone
036	Εὔφημος ἴσθι		Be silent
037	Φίλῳ χαρίζου		Do a favour for a friend
038	Μηδὲν ἄγαν		Nothing to excess
039	Χρόνου φείδου		Use time sparingly
040	Ὅρα τὸ μέλλον		Foresee the future
041	Ὕβριν μίσει		Despise insolence
042	Ἱκέτας αἰδοῦ		Have respect for suppliants
043	Πᾶσιν ἁρμόζου		Be accommodated in everything
044	Υἱοὺς παίδευε		Educate your sons
045	Ἔχων χαρίζου		Give what you have
046	Δόλον φοβοῦ		Fear deceit
047	Εὐλόγει πάντας		Speak well of everyone
048	Φιλόσοφος γίνου		Be a seeker of wisdom
049	Ὅσια κρῖνε		Choose what is divine
050	Γνοὺς πρᾶττε		Act when you know
051	Φόνου ἀπέχου		Shun murder
052	Εὔχου δυνατά		Pray for things possible
053	Σοφοῖς χρῶ		Consult the wise
054	Ἦθος δοκίμαζε		Test the character
055	Λαβὼν ἀπόδος		Give back what you have received
056	Ὑφορῶ μηδένα		Look down on no one
057	Τέχνῃ χρῶ		Use your skill
058	Ὃ μέλλεις, δός		Do what you mean to do
059	Εὐεργεσίας τίμα		Honour a benefaction
060	Φθόνει μηδενί		Be jealous of no one
061	Φυλακῇ πρόσεχε		Be on your guard
062	Ἐλπίδα αἴνει		Praise hope
063	Διαβολὴν μίσει		Despise a slanderer
064	Δικαίως κτῶ		Gain possessions justly
065	Ἀγαθοὺς τίμα		Honour good men
066	Κριτὴν γνῶθι		Know the judge
067	Γάμους κράτει		Master wedding-feasts
068	Τύχην νόμιζε		Recognize fortune
069	Ἐγγύην φεῦγε		Flee a pledge
070	Ἁπλῶς διαλέγου		Speak plainly
071	Ὁμοίοις χρῶ		Associate with your peers
072	Δαπανῶν ἄρχου		Govern your expenses
073	Κτώμενος ἥδου		Be happy with what you have
074	Αἰσχύνην σέβου		Revere a sense of shame
075	Χάριν ἐκτέλει		Fulfill a favour
076	Εὐτυχίαν εὔχου		Pray for happiness
077	Τύχην στέργε		Be fond of fortune
078	Ἀκούων ὅρα		Observe what you have heard
079	Ἐργάζου κτητά		Work for what you can own
080	Ἔριν μίσει		Despise strife
081	Ὄνειδος ἔχθαιρε		Detest disgrace
082	Γλῶτταν ἴσχε		Restrain the tongue
083	Ὕβριν ἀμύνου		Keep yourself from insolence
084	Κρῖνε δίκαια		Make just judgements
085	Χρῶ χρήμασιν		Use what you have
086	Ἀδωροδόκητος δίκαζε		Judge incorruptibly
087	Αἰτιῶ παρόντα		Accuse one who is present
088	Λέγε εἰδώς		Tell when you know
089	Βίας μὴ ἔχου		Do not depend on strength
090	Ἀλύπως βίου		Live without sorrow
091	Ὁμίλει πρᾴως		Live together meekly
092	Πέρας ἐπιτέλει μὴ ἀποδειλιῶν		Finish the race without shrinking back
093	Φιλοφρόνει πᾶσιν		Deal kindly with everyone
094	Υἱοῖς μὴ καταρῶ		Do not curse your sons
095	Γυναικὸς ἄρχε		Rule your wife
096	Σεαυτὸν εὖ ποίει		Benefit yourself
097	Εὐπροσήγορος γίνου		Be courteous
098	Ἀποκρίνου ἐν καιρῷ		Give a timely response
099	Πόνει μετ’ εὐκλείας		Struggle with glory
100	Πρᾶττε ἀμετανοήτως		Act without repenting
101	Ἁμαρτάνων μετανόει		Repent of sins
102	Ὀφθαλμοῦ κράτει		Control the eye
103	Βουλεύου χρόνῳ		Give a timely counsel
104	Πρᾶττε συντόμως		Act quickly
105	Φιλίαν φύλαττε		Guard friendship
106	Εὐγνώμων γίνου		Be grateful
107	Ὁμόνοιαν δίωκε		Pursue harmony
108	Ἄρρητον κρύπτε		Keep deeply the top secret
109	Τὸ κρατοῦν φοβοῦ		Fear ruling
110	Τὸ συμφέρον θηρῶ		Pursue what is profitable
111	Καιρὸν προσδέχου		Accept due measure
112	Ἔχθρας διάλυε		Do away with enmities
113	Γῆρας προσδέχου		Accept old age
114	Ἐπὶ ῥώμῃ μὴ καυχῶ		Do not boast in might
115	Εὐφημίαν ἄσκει		Exercise silence
116	Ἀπέχθειαν φεῦγε		Flee enmity
117	Πλούτει δικαίως		Acquire wealth justly
118	Δόξαν μὴ λεῖπε		Do not abandon honour
119	Κακίαν μίσει		Despise evil
120	Κινδύνευε φρονίμως		Venture into danger prudently
121	Μανθάνων μὴ κάμνε		Do not tire of learning
122	Φειδόμενος μὴ λεῖπε		Do not stop to be thrifty
123	Χρησμοὺς θαύμαζε		Admire oracles
124	Οὓς τρέφεις, ἀγάπα		Love whom you rear
125	Ἀπόντι μὴ μάχου		Do not oppose someone absent
126	Πρεσβύτερον αἰδοῦ		Respect an elder
127	Νεώτερον δίδασκε		Teach a youngster
128	Πλούτῳ ἀπίστει		Do not trust wealth
129	Σεαυτὸν αἰδοῦ		Respect yourself
130	Μὴ ἄρχε ὑβρίζειν		Do not begin to be insolent
131	Προγόνους στεφάνου		Crown your ancestors
132	Θνῆσκε ὑπὲρ πατρίδος		Die for your country
133	Τῷ βίῳ μὴ ἄχθου		Do not be discontented by life
134	Ἐπὶ νεκρῷ μὴ γέλα		Do not make fun of the dead
135	Ἀτυχοῦντι συνάχθου		Share the load of the unfortunate
136	Χαρίζου ἀβλαβῶς		Gratify without harming
137	Μὴ ἐπὶ παντὶ λυποῦ		Grieve for no one
138	Ἐξ εὐγενῶν γέννα		Beget from noble routes
139	Ἐπαγγέλλου μηδενί		Make promises to no one
140	Φθιμένους μὴ ἀδίκει		Do not wrong the dead
141	Εὖ πάσχε ὡς θνητός		Be well off as a mortal
142	Τύχῃ μὴ πίστευε		Do not trust fortune
143	Παῖς ὢν κόσμιος ἴσθι		As a child be well-behaved
144	Ἡβῶν ἐγκρατής		As a youth—self-disciplined
145	Μέσος δίκαιος		As of middle-aged—just
146	Πρεσβύτης εὔλογος		As an old man—sensible
147	Τελευτῶν ἄλυπος		On reaching the end—without sorrow