Pittacus

Pittacus (mid-seventh century—c.570 BC) of Mytilenē in Lesbos, statesman, included among the Seven Sages. He commanded the Mytilenaeans in a war against Athens for the possession of Sigeum at the mouth of the Hellespont, and killed in single combat the Athenian general and great athlete Phrynon. He appears by name in the poetry of his younger contemporary Alcaeus; the latter savagely attacks him as a former comrade-in-arms in overthrowing tyranny at Mytilene, who has now broken with his old friends. The political struggles of the city remain unclear, but the citizens elected Pittacus aisymnetēs (‘dictator’) for ten years to restore order. He did not alter the constitution, but reformed the laws. After his period of office Pittacus laid down the dictatorship and retired to live quietly. Many sayings were attributed to him. His answer to the question ‘What is best?’ was ‘To do the present thing well’. One of his sayings, ‘It is hard to be good’, was the starting point of a poem by Simonidēs discussed in Plato's Protagoras.

Quotes:

"That state is best ordered when the wicked have no command, and the good have."

"The measure of a man is what he does with power."