Virtus

"Another problem of diet. — The means by which Julius Caesar defended himself against sickliness and headaches: tremendous marches, the most frugal way of life, uninterrupted sojourn in the open air, continuous exertion — these are, in general, the universal rules of preservation and protection against the extreme vulnerability of that subtle machine, working under the highest pressure, which we call genius."

"When you find an unwillingness to rise early in the morning make this short speech to yourself: ‘I am getting up now to do the business of a man; and am I out of humor for going about that for the sake of which I was sent into the world? Was I designed for nothing but to keep warm beneath the counterpane?"

"The higher man is distinguished from the lower by his fearlessness and his readiness to challenge misfortune."

"Who does not want to be tested and does not look for a dangerous task? For the strong man inaction is torture. There is only one sight able to command the attention even of a god, and it is that of a strong man battling with bad luck, especially if he has himself challenged it."

"And he leapt himself at the fighting driver’s corpse
with the rushing lunge of a lion struck in the chest
as he lays waste pens of cattle—
his own lordly courage about to be his death."