If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and… — Herodotus

If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.

In the original Greek

εἰ ἐθέλοι κατεσπουδάσθαι αἰεὶ μηδὲ ἐς παιγνίην τὸ μέρος ἑωυτὸν ἀνιέναι, λάθοι ἂν ἤτοι μανεὶς ἢ ὅ γε ἀπόπληκτος γενόμενος: τὰ ἐγὼ ἐπιστάμενος μέρος ἑκατέρῳ νέμω.’ ταῦτα μὲν τοὺς φίλους ἀμείψατο.

Histories · 430 BC
★ 1.2
Provenance
Current citation
Herodotus. The Histories, translated by Robin Waterfield. Oxford University Press, 2008, bk. 2, ch. 173.
Original citation
Herodotus. Ἱστορίαι [Histories]. c. 430 BC, bk. 2, ch. 173.