h( sofi/a tw~n (Ellhnw~n

The Wisdom of the Greeks

 

mhde\n a)/gan Nothing too much.

Plutarch tells us that this saying was inscribed upon the Delphic oracle. This is also mentioned by Plato in the Protagoras where it is cited as an example of laconic philosophical brevity.

 

 

gnw~qi seauto/n Know yourself.

As this mosaic in the Terme Museum in Rome shows, this saying, also originally from the oracle at Delphi, was a favorite in the ancient world. There is a discussion of its meaning in Plato's Charmides.