Euripides

"Abwechslung in allem ist süß."

"Die Übung ist in allem beste Lehrerin den Sterblichen."

"Die Zeit entlarvt den Bösen."

"Du zählst im Elend keinen Freund."

"Ein guter Mann wird stets das Bessre wählen."

"Ein vorsichtiger ist besser als ein waghalsiger Heerführer."

"Nichts ist schrecklich, was notwendig ist."

"Ob einem reiche Totengabe wird zuteil, das ist nur eitle Prahlerei der Lebenden."

"Sei bei mir, in Maßen zwar, doch verlasse mich nicht."

"Wie dem Adler der Himmel offen steht, so ist dem tüchtigen Mann die ganze Welt das Vaterland."

"ἁγὼ οὔτινι θύω πλὴν ἐμοὶ, θεοῖσι δ᾽ οὔ, καὶ τῇ μεγίστῃ γαστρὶ τῇδε δαιμόνων."

"I care for riches, to make gifts To friends, or lead a sick man back to health With ease and plenty. Else small aid is wealth For daily gladness; once a man be done With hunger, rich and poor are all as one."

"On behalf of all those dead who learned their hatred of women long ago, for those who hate them now, for those unborn who shall live to hate them yet, I now declare my firm conviction: neither earth nor ocean produces a creature as savage and monstrous as woman."

"λόγος γάρ ἐστιν οὐκ ἐμός, σοφὸν δ᾽ ἔπος, δεινῆς ἀνάγκης οὐδὲν ἰσχύειν πλέον."

"Man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe."

"Who can decide a plea or judge a speech until he has heard plainly from both sides?"

"Leave no stone unturned."

"Ares hates those who hesitate."

"Yet do I hold that mortal foolish who strives against the stress of necessity."

"O lady, nobility is thine, and thy form is the reflection of thy nature!"

"Authority is never without hate."

"Thou didst bring me forth for all the Greeks in common, not for thyself alone."

"A coward turns away, but a brave man's choice is danger."

"There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change."

"Slight not what's near through aiming at what's far."

"For naught is there more sweet unto an aged sire than a daughter's love."

"Naught is more hostile to a city than a despot; where he is, there are in the first place no laws common to all, but one man is tyrant, in whose keeping and in his alone the law resides, and in that case equality is at an end."

"Helen: What happened in my heart, to make me leave my home And my own land, to follow where a stranger led? Rail at the goddess; be more resolute than Zeus, Who holds power over all other divinities But is himself the slave of love. Show Aphrodite Your indignation; me, pardon and sympathy. Hecabe: No; Paris was an extremely handsome man – one look, And your appetite became your Aphrodite. Why, Men's lawless lusts are all called love – it's a confusion Easily made."

"Οὔποτε φήσω γάμον εὐφραίνειν πλέον ἢ λυπεῖν."

"Ἐχθρὰ γὰρ ἡ 'πιοῦσα μητρυιὰ τέκνοις τοῖς πρόσθ᾽, ἐχίδνης οὐδὲν ἠπιωτέρα."

"Εἰ δ᾽ Ὀρφέως μοι γλῶσσα καὶ μέλος παρῆν, ὥστ᾽ ἢ κόρην Δήμητρος ἢ κείνης πόσιν ὕμνοισι κηλήσαντά σ᾽ ἐξ Ἅιδου λαβεῖν, κατῆλθον ἄν, καί μ᾽ οὔθ᾽ ὁ Πλούτωνος κύων οὔθ᾽ οὑπὶ κώπῃ ψυχοπομπὸς ἂν Χάρων ἔσχον, πρὶν ἐς φῶς σὸν καταστῆσαι βίον."

"Οὐ γάρ τι πρῶτος οὐδὲ λοίσθιος βροτῶν γυναικὸς ἐσθλῆς ἤμπλακες: γίγνωσκε δὲ ὡς πᾶσιν ἡμῖν κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται."

"Κούφα σοι χθὼν ἐπάνωθε πέσοι."

"Μάτην ἄρ᾽ οἱ γέροντες εὔχονται θανεῖν, γῆρας ψέγοντες καὶ μακρὸν χρόνον βίου: ἢν δ᾽ ἐγγὺς ἔλθῃ θάνατος, οὐδεὶς βούλεται θνῄσκειν, τὸ γῆρας δ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ἔστ᾽ αὐτοῖς βαρύ."

"Κακῶς ἀκούειν οὐ μέλει θανόντι μοι."

"Βροτοῖς ἅπασι κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται, κοὐκ ἔστι θνητῶν ὅστις ἐξεπίσταται τὴν αὔριον μέλλουσαν εἰ βιώσεται: τὸ τῆς τύχης γὰρ ἀφανὲς οἷ προβήσεται, κἄστ᾽ οὐ διδακτὸν οὐδ᾽ ἁλίσκεται τέχνῃ."

"Τὸν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν βίον λογίζου σόν, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα τῆς τύχης."

"Ἐγὼ καὶ διὰ μούσας καὶ μετάρσιος ᾖξα, καὶ πλείστων ἁψάμενος λόγων κρεῖσσον οὐδὲν Ἀνάγκας."

"Χρόνος μαλάξει, νῦν δ᾽ ἔθ᾽ ἡβάσκει, κακόν."

"Ἥπερ μεγίστη γίγνεται σωτηρία, ὅταν γυνὴ πρὸς ἄνδρα μὴ διχοστατῇ."

"Νέα γὰρ φροντὶς οὐκ ἀλγεῖν φιλεῖ."

"Παλαιὰ καινῶν λείπεται κηδευμάτων."

"Ἀπωλόμεσθ᾽ ἄρ᾽, εἰ κακὸν προσοίσομεν νέον παλαιῷ, πρὶν τόδ᾽ ἐξηντληκέναι."

"Τῶν γὰρ μετρίων πρῶτα μὲν εἰπεῖν τοὔνομα νικᾷ, χρῆσθαί τε μακρῷ λῷστα βροτοῖσιν."

"Τὰ δ᾽ ὑπερβάλλοντ᾽ οὐδένα καιρὸν δύναται θνητοῖς, μείζους δ᾽ ἄτας, ὅταν ὀργισθῇ δαίμων οἴκοις, ἀπέδωκεν."

"Καίτοι τάδε μὲν κέρδος ἀκεῖσθαι μολπαῖσι βροτούς."

"Χρὴ δὲ ξένον μὲν κάρτα προσχωρεῖν πόλει."

"Πάντων δ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἔμψυχα καὶ γνώμην ἔχει γυναῖκές ἐσμεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν: ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερβολῇ πόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώματος [...] κἀν τῷδ᾽ ἀγὼν μέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν ἢ χρηστόν."

"Ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾿ ἀσπίδα στῆναι θέλοιμ᾿ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ."

"Κρεῖσσον δέ μοι νῦν πρός σ᾽ ἀπεχθέσθαι, γύναι, ἢ μαλθακισθένθ᾽ ὕστερον μεταστένειν."

"Γυνὴ γὰρ ὀξύθυμος, ὡς δ᾽ αὔτως ἀνήρ, ῥᾴων φυλάσσειν ἢ σιωπηλὸς σοφή."

"Φεῦ φεῦ, βροτοῖς ἔρωτες ὡς κακὸν μέγα."

"Πρὸς δὲ καὶ πεφύκαμεν γυναῖκες, ἐς μὲν ἔσθλ᾽ ἀμηχανώταται, κακῶν δὲ πάντων τέκτονες σοφώταται."

"Ἄνω ποταμῶν ἱερῶν χώρονσι παγαί."

"Δεινή τις ὀργὴ καὶ δυσίατος πέλει, ὅταν φίλοι φίλοισι συμβάλωσ᾽ ἔριν."

"Χρῆν τἄρ᾽ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν βροτοὺς παῖδας τεκνοῦσθαι, θῆλυ δ᾽ οὐκ εἶναι γένος: χοὔτως ἂν οὐκ ἦν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις κακόν."

"Ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις ἄδικος ὢν σοφὸς λέγειν πέφυκε, πλείστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνει."

"Κακοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δῶρ᾽ ὄνησιν οὐκ ἔχει."

"Ἔρωτες ὑπὲρ μὲν ἄγαν ἐλθόντες οὐκ εὐδοξίαν οὐδ᾽ ἀρετὰν παρέδωκαν ἀνδράσιν."

"Στέργοι δέ με σωφροσύνα, δώρημα κάλλιστον θεῶν."

"Ὦ πατρίς, ὦ δώματα, μὴ δῆτ᾽ ἄπολις γενοίμαν τὸν ἀμηχανίας ἔχουσα δυσπέρατον αἰῶ, οἰκτρότατόν <γ᾽> ἀχέων."

"Μό- χθων δ᾽ οὐκ ἄλλος ὕπερθεν ἢ γᾶς πατρίας στέρεσθαι."

"Οὐ γὰρ γελᾶσθαι τλητὸν ἐξ ἐχθρῶν."

"Γυνὴ δὲ θῆλυ κἀπὶ δακρύοις ἔφυ."

"Πείθειν δῶρα καὶ θεοὺς λόγος."

"Χρυσὸς δὲ κρείσσων μυρίων λόγων βροτοῖς."

"Καὶ μανθάνω μὲν οἷα τολμήσω κακά, θυμὸς δὲ κρείσσων τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων, ὅσπερ μεγίστων αἴτιος κακῶν βροτοῖς."

"θνητῶν γὰρ οὐδείς ἐστιν εὐδαίμων ἀνήρ."

"Χαλεπὰ γὰρ βροτοῖς ὁμογενῆ μιά- σματ᾽, ἕπεται δ᾽ ἅμ᾽ αὐτοφόνταις ξυνῳ- δὰ θεόθεν πίτνοντ᾽ ἐπὶ δόμοις ἄχη."

"Τῶν δ᾽ ἀδοκήτων πόρον ηὗρε θεός."

"Τίς δ᾽ οὐ σεμνὸς ἀχθεινὸς βροτῶν."

"Πᾶς δ᾽ ὀδυνηρὸς βίος ἀνθρώπων κοὐκ ἔστι πόνων ἀνάπαυσις."

"Μοχθεῖν δὲ βροτοῖσιν ἀνάγκη."

"Τὸ γὰρ ὀρθοῦσθαι γνώμην ὀδυνᾷ, τὸ δὲ μαινόμενον κακόν: ἀλλὰ κρατεῖ μὴ γιγνώσκοντ᾽ ἀπολέσθαι."

"Χρῆν γὰρ μετρίας εἰς ἀλλήλους φιλίας θνητοὺς ἀνακίρνασθαι καὶ μὴ πρὸς ἄκρον μυελὸν ψυχῆς."

"Οὕτω τὸ λίαν ἧσσον ἐπαινῶ τοῦ μηδὲν ἄγαν."

"Ὅταν γὰρ αἰσχρὰ τοῖσιν ἐσθλοῖσιν δοκῇ, ἦ κάρτα δόξει τοῖς κακοῖς γ᾽ εἶναι καλά."

"Μισῶ δὲ καὶ τὰς σώφρονας μὲν ἐν λόγοις, λάθρᾳ δὲ τόλμας οὐ καλὰς κεκτημένας."

"Mόνον δὲ τοῦτό φασ᾽ ἁμιλλᾶσθαι βίῳ, γνώμην δικαίαν κἀγαθήν ὅτῳ παρῇ."

"Τὸ σῶφρον ὡς ἁπανταχοῦ καλὸν καὶ δόξαν ἐσθλὴν ἐν βροτοῖς καρπίζεται."

"Κἀν βροτοῖς αἱ δεύτεραί πως φροντίδες σοφώτεραι."

"Ἐν σοφοῖσι γὰρ τάδ᾽ ἐστὶ θνητῶν, λανθάνειν τὰ μὴ καλά."

"Εἰσὶν δ᾽ ἐπῳδαὶ καὶ λόγοι θελκτήριοι."

"Ὀνάσθαι, μὴ μαθεῖν, βούλου, τέκνον."

"Τοι κάλ᾽ ἐν πολλοῖσι κάλλιον λέγειν."

"Ἡ γλῶσσ᾽ ὀμώμοχ᾽, ἡ δὲ φρὴν ἀνώμοτος."

"Ἁμαρτεῖν εἰκὸς ἀνθρώπους, τέκνον."

"Πρὸς τὰς τύχας γὰρ τὰς φρένας κεκτήμεθα."

"Δεινὸν σοφιστὴν εἶπας, ὅστις εὖ φρονεῖν τοὺς μὴ φρονοῦντας δυνατός ἐστ᾽ ἀναγκάσαι."

"Ὅταν δὲ σὺ στένῃς, ἡμᾶς παρόντας χρή σε νουθετεῖν φίλα· ἐπικουρίαι γὰρ αἵδε τοῖς φίλοις καλαί."

"— Δεινὸν οἱ πολλοί, κακούργους ὅταν ἔχωσι προστάτας. — Ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν χρηστοὺς λάβωσι, χρηστὰ βουλεύουσ᾽ ἀεί."

"Ὅταν γὰρ ἡδὺς τοῖς λόγοις, φρονῶν κακῶς πείθῃ τὸ πλῆθος, τῇ πόλει κακὸν μέγα."

"Ἓν μὲν μέγιστον, οὐκ ἔχει παρρησίαν."

"Ἁπλοῦς ὁ μῦθος τῆς ἀληθείας ἔφυ, κοὐ ποικίλων δεῖ τἄνδιχ᾽ ἑρμηνευμάτων"

"But cleverness is not wisdom, nor is the thinking on things unfit for mortals."

"Dionysus: He who believes needs no explanation. Pentheus: What's the worth in believing worthless things? Dionysus: Much worth, but not worth telling you, it seems."

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish."

"Slow but sure moves the might of the gods."

"χρηστοῖσι δούλοις συμφορὰ τὰ δεσποτῶν."

"Humility, a sense of reverence before the sons of heaven — of all the prizes that a mortal man might win, these, I say, are wisest; these are best."

"The company of just and righteous men is better than wealth and a rich estate."

"κακὸν γυναῖκα πρὸς νέαν ζεῦξαι νέον· μακρὰ γὰρ ἰσχὺς μᾶλλον ἀρσένων μένει, θήλεια δ' ἥβη θᾶσσον ἐκλείπει δέμας."

"A bad beginning makes a bad ending."

"Time will explain it all. He is a talker, and needs no questioning before he speaks."

"Φεῦ φεῦ, παλαιὸς αἶνος ὡς καλῶς ἔχει· γέροντες οὐδέν ἐσμεν ἄλλο πλὴν ψόφος καὶ σχῆμ', ὀνείρων δ᾽ ἕρπομεν μιμήματα· νοῦς δ᾽ οὐκ ἔνεστιν, οἰόμεσθα δ᾽ εὐ φρονεῖν."

"The nobly born must nobly meet his fate."

"Waste not fresh tears over old griefs."

"Ἡδύ τοι σωθέντα μεμνῆσθαι πόνων."

"ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς ἔρωτα πίπτουσιν βροτῶν ἐσθλῶν ὅταν τύχωσι τῶν ἐρωμένων οὐκ ἔσθ' ὁποίας λείπεται τῆς ἡδονῆς."

"Woman is woman's natural ally."

"Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife."

"Ignorance of one's misfortunes is clear gain."

"Events will take their course, it is no good of being angry at them; he is happiest who wisely turns them to the best account."

"Φησίν τις εἶναι δῆτ᾽ ἐν οὐρανῷ θεούς; οὐκ εἰσίν, οὐκ εἴσ᾽, εἴ τις ἀνθρώπων θέλει μὴ τῷ παλαιῷ μῶρος ὢν χρῆσθαι λόγῳ. σκέψασθε δ᾽ αὐτοί, μὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις γνώμην ἔχοντες. φήμ᾽ ἐγὼ τυραννίδα κτείνειν τε πλείστους κτημάτων τ᾿ ἀποστερεῖν ὅρκους τε παραβαίνοντας ἐκπορθεῖν πόλεις· καὶ ταῦτα δρῶντες μᾶλλόν εἰσ᾽ εὐδαίμονες. τῶν εὐσεβούντων ἡσυχῇ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν. πόλεις τε μικρὰς οἶδα τιμώσας θεούς, αἳ μειζόνων κλύουσι δυσσεβεστέρων λόγχης ἀριθμῷ πλείονος κρατούμεναι. οἶμαι δ᾽ ἂν ὑμᾶς, εἴ τις ἀργὸς ὢν θεοῖς εὔχοιτο καὶ μὴ χειρὶ συλλέγοι βίον, μαθεῖν ἂν ὡς οὐκ εἰσίν. αἱ δ᾽ εὐπραξίαι τὰ θεῖα πυργοῦσ᾽ αἱ κακαί τε συμφοραί."

"Try first thyself, and after call in God; For to the worker God himself lends aid."

"Toil, says the proverb, is the sire of fame."

"A bad ending follows a bad beginning."

"Cowards do not count in battle; they are there, but not in it."

"A woman should be good for everything at home, but abroad good for nothing."

"Silver and gold are not the only coin; virtue too passes current all over the world."

"Every man is like the company he is wont to keep."

"Ὦ φιλόζωοι βροτοὶ, οἱ τὴν ἐπιστείχουσαν ἡμέραν ἰδεῖν οὕτως ἔρως βροτοῖσιν ἐγκεῖται βίου"

"Τίς δ᾽ οἶδεν εἰ ζῆν τοῦθ᾽ ὁ κέκληται θανεῖν, τὸ ζῆν δὲ θνῄσκειν ἐστί"

"Whoso neglects learning in his youth, loses the past and is dead for the future."

"The gods visit the sins of the fathers upon the children."

"Πᾶσιν γὰρ εὖ φρονοῦσι συμμαχεῖ τύχη."

""Η τοῖσιν εὐφρονοῦσι συμμαχεῖ τύχη."

"Where two discourse, if the one's anger rise, The man who lets the contest fall is wise."

"When good men die their goodness does not perish, But lives though they are gone. As for the bad, All that was theirs dies and is buried with them."

"ἡ γὰρ σιωπὴ τοῖς σοφοῖσ ἀπόκρισις."

"Σοφὸς ἦν τις, ὃς τὸ θεῖον εἰσηγήσατο."

"Most cunning doctrine did he introduce, The truth concealing under speech untrue. The place he spoke of as the God's abode Was that whereby he could affright men most,— The place from which, he knew, both terrors came And easements unto men of toilsome life— To wit the vault above, wherein do dwell The lightnings, he beheld, and awesome claps Of thunder, and the starry face of heaven, Fair-spangled by that cunning craftsman Time,— Whence, too, the meteor's glowing mass doth speed And liquid rain descends upon the earth."

"I begin by taking. I shall find scholars later to demonstrate my perfect right."

"Account no man happy till he dies."

"Circumstances rule men and not men circumstances."

"Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad."

"Sophocles said that he drew men as they ought to be; Euripides, as they are."

"I could not bear Euripides at college. I now read my recantation. He has faults undoubtedly. But what a poet! The Medea, the Alcestis, the Troades, the Bacchæ, are alone sufficient to place him in the very first rank."

"The Orestes is one of the very finest plays in the Greek language. Among those of Euripides, I should place it next to the Medea and the Bacchæ. It has some very real faults; but it possesses that strong human interest which neither Æschylus nor Sophocles,—poets in many respects far superior to Euripides,—ever gave to their dramas."

"The Bacchæ is a most glorious play. I doubt whether it be not superior to the Medea. It is often very obscure; and I am not sure that I fully understand its general scope. But, as a piece of language, it is hardly equalled in the world. And, whether it was intended to encourage or to discourage fanaticism, the picture of fanatical excitement which it exhibits has never been rivalled."