Sumerian aphorisms

5000 years old.

In a city that has no watch dogs, the fox is the overseer

Flatter a young man, he’ll give you anything;

Throw a scrap to a dog, he’ll wag his tail.

A sweet word is everybody’s friend.

If you take the field of an enemy, the enemy will come and take your field.

Conceiving is nice; pregnancy is irksome.

For a man’s pleasure, there is marriage;

On thinking it over, there is divorce.