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[Thus] the people pay for the mad folly of their princes who, evilly minded, pervert judgement and give sentence crookedly.

— Hesiod Works and Days (-700)

Ὄφρ᾽ ἀποτείσῃ
δῆμος ἀτασθαλίας βασιλέων, οἳ λυγρὰ νοεῦντες
ἄλλῃ παρκλίνωσι δίκας σκολιῶς ἐνέποντες.

Original text (Ancient Greek)

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More quotes by Hesiod

He harms himself who does harm to another, and the evil plan is most harmful to the planner.

Works and Days (-700)

Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.

Works and Days (-700)

Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.

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For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and, again, nothing worse than a bad one.

Works and Days (-700)

Do not get a name either as lavish or as churlish; as a friend of rogues or as a slanderer of good men.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Hesiod (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.