Horace Quotes

The good refrain from sin from the pure love of virtue.

Good character improves every aspect of a person’s life.

Virtue is the desire of things honourable and the power of attaining them.

Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.

The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.

There is no real excellence in all of this world which can be separated from right living.

To do nothing evil is good; to wish nothing evil is better.

Character must be kept bright as well as clean.

The rewards of integrity are immeasurable. One is the indescribable inner peace and serenity that come from knowing we are doing what is right; another is an absence of the guilt and anxiety that accompany sin. Another reward of integrity is the confidence it can give us in approaching God. When virtue garnishes our thoughts unceasingly, our confidence is strong in the presence of God.

Virtue does not come from wealth, but wealth, and every other good thing which men have comes from virtue.

Character is in turn the enduring source of virtue. It stands by itself and excites admiration in others. It is not obedience to authority, and while it is often consistent with and reinforced by religious belief, it is not piety.

Ye must leave righteous ways behind, not to speak of unrighteous ways.

Righteousness alone can exalt them [America] as a nation. Reader! Whoever thou art, remember this, and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself and encourage it in others.

Virtue and decency are so nearly related that it is difficult to separate them from each other but in our imagination.

There is no greater wealth than Virtue,And no greater loss than to forget it.

The happiness of man, as well as his dignity, consists in virtue.

The whole of virtue consists in its practice.

There is a very good thing about hating evil. If you hate evil, that's all you will hate

Life is the reward of virtue. And happiness is the goal and reward of life.

Piety and virtue are not only delightful for the present, but they leave peace and contentment behind them.

Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! Virtue is at hand.

The Master said, "Wealth and honor are things that all people desire, and yet unless they are acquired in the proper way I will not abide them. Poverty and disgrace are things that all people hate, and yet unless they are avoided in the proper way I will not despise them. If the gentleman abandons ren, how can he be worthy of that name? The gentleman does not violate ren even for the amount of time required to eat a meal. Even in times of urgency or distress, he does not depart from it."

Ethics without virtue is an illusion. What is the highest purpose of ethics? It is to make a person good, that is virtuous.

One who has accumulated virtue will certainly also possess eloquence; but he who has eloquence doe not necessarily possess virtue.