The Delphic Maxims: 147 Ancient Rules for a Happy Life

by Warbler Press

Know yourself, the most famous of the Delphic Maxims, was carved into the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in the sixth century B.C. This precept and others on the famous list of 147 maxims speak to us across time with candor and insight about fundamental experiences—love, friendship, work—and about daily matters such as debt, reward, gossip, and goals.The Stoics—for whom the Delphic Maxims were as familiar as the ABCs are to us—based their philosophy on the idea that right living leads to happiness. The pithy, practical “commandments” that formed their thinking cut straight to heart of the matter, telling us how to be fulfilled, content, at ease with others and ourselves—in short, how to be happy.Both canny and comforting, the Delphic Maxims offer centuries-year-old wisdom for navigating the pitfalls of our nature and making the most of our lives.This edition is based on a compilation of historical and authoritative English translations and scholarly commentary.

Genres: Philosophy

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2020

Reviews

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very much a no-fuss edition of the Delphic Maxims, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Plenty has been written about people's interpretations, but I wanted something simplistic that I could meditate on for myself.

I would, however, have preferred a lengthier introduction with more historical information and context. Nevertheless, I largely bought this book for the maxims themselves, so it's not the end of the world.