Speak as Though the Gods Were Listening

Macrobius, Saturnalia 1.7.6

“I don’t think that anyone here is ignorant of that holy philosophical precept, that we should speak with people as though the gods were listening; we should speak with the gods as though people were listening. The second part of this precept makes it clear that we should not seek from the gods anything which we would be ashamed to admit to other people.”

nec horum quemquam inscium credo sancti illius praecepti philosophiae, sic loquendum esse cum hominibus, tamquam dii audiant; sic loquendum cum diis, tamquam homines audiant: cuius secunda pars sancit ne quid a dis petamus quod velle nos indecorum sit hominibus confiteri.