"Ὁ δὲ λογοποιὸς Αἴσωπος, ἐτύγχανε γὰρ εἰς Σάρδεις μετάπεμπτος γεγονὼς ὑπὸ Κροίσου καὶ τιμώμενος, ἠχθέσθη τῷ Σόλωνι μηδεμιᾶς τυχόντι φιλανθρωπίας· καὶ προτρέπων αὐτόν, "Ὦ Σόλων," ἔφη, "τοῖς βασιλεῦσι δεῖ ὡς ἥκιστα ἢ ὡς ἥδιστα ὁμιλεῖν." καὶ ὁ Σόλων, "Μὰ Δί᾿," εἶπεν, "ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἥκιστα ἢ ὡς ἄριστα.""
— Parallel Lives

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

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Ὡς ἥκιστα ἢ ὡς ἥδιστα. Latin: Aut quam minime, aut quam jucundissime. "As briefly, or as pleasantly as possible." Originally said of the kind of speech to be used with kings and great personages, it equally applies to the mode in which bad news should be communicated. See Historiarum variarum Chiliades, 631: Procul a Jove, etc. (King, no. 1,985)