κρεῖττον τὸ μὴ ζῆν ἐστιν ἢ ζῆν ἀθλίως → death is better than a life of misery, it is better not to live at all than to live in misery
from the same as σάρδιος; sardine (λίθος being implied), i.e. a gem, so called: sardine.
