The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus: A Roman Slave

By Publius Syrus and Ruth Ambrose

The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, A Roman Slave is a collection of proverbs and aphorisms pulled from the many mimes and plays of Publius Syrus. Enslaved by the Romans in his youth, this witty man went on to conquer the Roman stage. These maxims, believed to have been collected in the 1st century AD, are all that remain of the great p

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mockingbird Press
• Release date: May 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781684930555

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The Moral Sayings

of

Publius Syrus,

a

Roman Slave

Edited By

D. Lyman, Jun., A. M.

Copyright © 2022 Mockingbird Press

All rights reserved. The original works are in the public domain to the best of publisher’s knowledge. The publisher makes no claim to the original writings. However, the compilation, construction, cover design, trademarks, derivations, foreword, descriptions, added work, etc., of this edition are copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law, or where content is specifically noted as being reproduced under a Creative Commons license.

Cover, Roman Capriccio, The Colosseum and Other Monuments, Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1735

Cover Design by Mathew Johnson, © Copyright 2022, Mockingbird Press

Interior Design by Daria Lacy

Foreword by Ruth Ambrose, Copyright © 2022 Mockingbird Press

Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication Data

Syrus, Publius, author; with Lyman, D., editor; and Ambrose, Ruth, foreword by The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus / Publius Syrus; with D. Lyman & Ruth Ambrose

Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-68493-053-1

Hardback ISBN-13: 978-1-68493-054-8

Ebook ISBN-13: 978-1-68493-055-5

1. Literary Collections—Ancient & Classical. 2. Philosophy & Religion—Philosophy—Philosophical Traditions & Schools of Thought—Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy 3. Biography, Literature & Literary Studies, Ancient, Classical, and Medieval Texts, Ancient Sagas and Epics, Ancient Greek and Roman Literature, I. Publius Syrus. II. D. Lyman. III. Ruth Ambrose. IV. The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, a Roman Slave.

LCO003000 / QDHA / DBSG

Type Set in Century Schoolbook / Franklin Gothic Demi

Mockingbird Press, Augusta, GA

[e-mail]

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Sketch of the Life of Syrus

The Sayings of Publius Syrus

Foreword

The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, A Roman Slave is a collection of proverbs and aphorisms pulled from the many mimes and plays of Publius Syrus. Enslaved by the Romans in his youth, this witty man went on to conquer the Roman stage. These maxims, believed to have been collected in the 1st century AD, are all that remain of the great playwright’s work.

Born in Syria in the 1st century BC, Publius Syrus was enslaved and brought to Rome by an army officer after the Romans conquered his native country. It was in Rome that he was given the name of Syrus, for his place of origin. He was then around 12 years old.

This soldier had a patron who was delighted with the boy and requested that the soldier give Syrus to him. The soldier complied. Syrus’ new master found the boy witty and bright, and was often entertained with his commentary. With such promise, the master provided Syrus with an education and later freed him. Syrus was immensely grateful and remained friends with his former master for the rest of his life. He took the surname Publius, which was probably the surname of his master.

Newly free, Syrus traveled to Italy and began composing mimes—comical farces often used to represent the failings and eccentricities of the higher classes, and the vulgar language and solecisms of the lower. This combination of humor and moralism was widely popular among the Romans of the time, and Syrus earned great acclaim as a poet and actor.

When Caesar was re-elected as Dictator, he planned days of games and performances to entertain his subjects. Syrus was invited to perform, among many other writers and actors. When he arrived back in Rome, he challenged the other poets to a battle of wits, where he beat them all. He went on to dominate the Roman stage for the rest of his life.

None of the great master’s plays have survived the ensuing centuries. But fortunately, many of his pithy maxims were collected from his plays, probably in the 1st century AD, and gathered into a single volume. This collection was translated from the Latin and first published in 1856.

Included among the 1,087 proverbs are some that appear to be the foundation—or at least an early version—of sayings we still use today.

For example, #1086 states, When the dog is too old you cannot get him used to the collar. Could this be the source of today’s You can’t teach an old dog new tricks? And #1076 advises, If you gain new friends, don’t forget the old ones. This is quite similar to Make new friends but keep the old.

There are many more sayings that have not become part of our common lexicon but are still worth considering.

#47 - The plainer the table, the more wholesome the food.

#58 - When the tree has fallen, anyone can cut wood.

#91 - He who boasts of a favor bestowed, would