Hadot stresses the role of maxims, usually pithy and memorable, in the life of the philosophers of the various schools. These were sometimes collected as "apophthegmata", sayings, proverbs. (often of the founders or celebrated members of the school). The maxims were meant to be memorized and meditated upon, and to be used to strengthen and clarify the mind in stressful or puzzling situations. The hope was that memorization and meditation would make the maxims ready for use in such situations.
A useful comparison is, of course, this.
Also, here is an example from Orthodoxy, a list of maxims for Christian living by Fr. Thomas Hopko.
Ask yourself: Are there aphophthegmata in your life? If so, what are they? How do they help you?
