“Badness you can get easily, in quantity: the road is smooth, and it lies close by. But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it, and rough at first. But when you come to the top, then it is easy, even though it is hard.”

Source: Works and Days (c. 700 BC), line 287.

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Hesiod61

Greek poet

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