Gnome

gnōmē, gnōmic verseGnōmē, in Greek, literally ‘expression of opinion’, is used to describe the pithy expression of an acknowledged truth. The most famous gnomai are those inscribed on the temple at Delphi, gnōthi sauton (‘know thyself’) and mēden agan (‘nothing in excess’). They are frequent in the poetry of Hesiod and Euripides. Gnomic poetry, usually written in elegiacs and embodying popular wisdom, can be traced back to Phocylidēs and Theognis in the mid-sixth century BC.

An aphorism, a short statement of proverbial truth. Composers of such verse are known as gnomic poets.