A white thread stretched across small wooden pegs, bending where one peg is pulled out of line.

Original artwork, not a still

Sententiae

Publilius Syrus

The bow too tensely strung is easily broken.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A bow kept too tightly strung breaks easily, and the image implies that constant strain destroys whatever is stretched. Without some slack, what could have flexed instead fractures. As an aphorism it favours moderation, easing tension before it becomes damage.

Context reviewed

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