Hard work and discipline
Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.
— Horace (65 BC–8 BC), Horace, Satires, Book I, satire 9, line 59 (English translation as given on Wikiquote)

Hard work and discipline

What it means

Horace observes that life gives nothing to mortals without great effort. Anything worth having has to be worked for.

About the author

Horace — Roman lyric poet (65–8 BC).

Source and verification

Source
Horace, Satires, Book I, satire 9, line 59 (English translation as given on Wikiquote)
Reference
Horace on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Public domain: an ancient work.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

More on hard work and discipline

“In the morning, when thou art sluggish at rousing thee, let this thought be present; ‘I am rising to a man’s work.’”

Marcus Aurelius

“Work first and then rest. Work first, and then gaze, but do not use golden ploughshares, nor bind ledgers in enamel.”

John Ruskin

“A man may write at any time, if he will set himself doggedly.”

Samuel Johnson