Gnome
A short, pithy statement of a general truth — the classical Greek ancestor of the modern aphorism.
In classical rhetoric, a gnome (from the Greek gnōmē, meaning judgement or opinion) is a compact, memorable statement of a general truth. It is the direct ancestor of what modern readers call an aphorism or maxim, and gnomic poetry — verse built out of such statements — was a recognised genre in ancient Greek and Old English literature alike.
A gnome is distinguished by its confident, almost impersonal tone. It does not argue. It pronounces. 'Character is destiny,' attributed to Heraclitus, is a gnome. So is much of the Book of Proverbs and the surviving fragments of the Greek poet Theognis. The form assumes that certain truths about human life are stable enough to be stated as if they were facts of nature.
For contemporary readers, the value of the term is diagnostic. When a quotation sounds oddly weighty, as though it were carved rather than spoken, it is usually because it is behaving as a gnome — compressing a whole worldview into a single line and inviting the reader to accept it without argument. That compression is the source of both its power and its danger.
“Character is destiny.”
Keep reading the glossary
A short, sharp statement that compresses a truth or observation into a single line.
A short rule for conduct, usually stated as a general principle.
A traditional saying that expresses a generally accepted truth — almost always anonymous.
An authoritative pronouncement — a saying with the weight of a verdict.