All Quotes

"Εἴπερ κακὸν φέροι τις, αἰσχύνης ἄτερ ἔστω· μόνον γὰρ κέρδος ἐν τεθνηκόσι· κακῶν δὲ κᾀσχρῶν οὔτιν᾽ εὐκλείαν ἐρεῖς."

"I pray the gods will give me some relief And end this weary job. One long full year I've been lying here, on this rooftop, The palace of the sons of Atreus, Resting on my arms, just like a dog. I've come to know the night sky, every star, The powers we see glittering in the sky, Bringing winter and summer to us all, As the constellations rise and sink."

"βοῦς ἐπὶ γλώσσῃ μέγας βέβηκεν."

"Ὡς ἑκὼν ἐγὼ μαθοῦσιν αὐδῶ κοὐ μαθοῦσι λήθομαι."

"Τελεῖται δ' ἐς τὸ πεπρωμένον· οὔθ' ὑποκαίων οὔτ' ἐπιλείβων οὔτε δακρύων ἀπύρων ἱερῶν ὀργὰς ἀτενεῖς παραθέλξει."

"τὸν φρονεῖν βροτοὺς ὁδώ- σαντα, τὸν πάθει μάθος θέντα κυρίως ἔχειν. στάζει δ᾽ ἔν θ᾽ ὕπνῳ πρὸ καρδίας μνησιπήμων πόνος: καὶ παρ᾽ ἄ- κοντας ἦλθε σωφρονεῖν. δαιμόνων δέ που χάρις βίαιος σέλμα σεμνὸν ἡμένων."

"Then he put on The harness of Necessity."

"Least said is soonest mended."

"Δίκα δὲ τοῖς μὲν παθοῦ- σιν μαθεῖν ἐπιῤῥέπει· τὸ μέλλον."

"But Justice with her shining eyes Lights the smoke-begrimed and mean Dwelling; honours those who prize Honour; searches far to find All whose hearts and hands are clean; Passes with averted gaze Golden palaces which hide Evil armed in insolence; Power and riches close combined, Falsely stamped with all men’s praise, Win from her no reverence."

"Εὐάγγελος μέν, ὥσπερ ἡ παροιμία, ἕως γένοιτο μητρὸς εὐφρόνης πάρα."

"Ὄξος τ' ἄλειφά τ' ἐγχέας ταὐτῷ κύτει διχοστατοῦντ' ἂν οὐ φίλως † προσεννέποις."

"She [Helen] brought to Ilium her dowry, destruction."

"Πιθανὸς ἄγαν ὁ θῆλυς ὅρος ἐπινέμεται ταχύπορος· ἀλλὰ ταχύμορον γυναικογήρυτον ὄλλυται κλέος."

"Πάλαι τὸ σιγᾶν φάρμακον βλάβης ἔχω."

"Dangerous is a people's voice charged with wrath."

"I think the slain care little if they sleep or rise again."

"ἀεὶ γὰρ ἥβη τοῖς γέρουσιν εὐμαθεῖν."

"δίχα δ' ἄλλων μονόφρων εἰμί"

"Τὸ δυσσεβὲς γὰρ ἔργον μετὰ μὲν πλείονα τίκτει, σφετέρᾳ δ' εἰκότα γέννᾳ."

"Glances whose gentle fire Bestowed both wound and balm;"

"Φιλεῖ δὲ τίκτειν Ὕβρις μὲν παλαιὰ νεά- ζουσαν ἐν κακοῖς βροτῶν Ὕβριν τότ' ἢ τόθ', ὅτε τὸ κύριον μόλῃ."

"Τῷ δυσπραγοῦντί τ' ἐπιστενάχειν πᾶς τις ἑτοῖμος· δῆγμα δὲ λύπης οὐδὲν ἐφ' ἧπαρ προσικνεῖται· καὶ ξυγχαίρουσιν ὁμοιοπρεπεῖς, ἀγέλαστα πρόσωπα βιαζόμενοι."

"Παύροις γὰρ ἀνδρῶν ἐστι συγγενὲς τόδε, φίλον τὸν εὐτυχοῦντ' ἄνευ φθόνων σέβειν."

"Now, dearest husband, come, step from your chariot. But do not set to earth, my lord, the conquering foot That trod down Troy. Servants, do as you have been bidden; Make haste, carpet his way with crimson tapestries, Spread silk before your master’s feet; Justice herself Shall lead him to a home he never hoped to see."

"Δύσφρων γὰρ ἰὸς καρδίαν προσήμενος ἄχθος διπλοίζει τῷ πεπαμένῳ νόσον· τοῖς τ' αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ πήμασιν βαρύνεται καὶ τὸν θυραῖον ὄλβον εἰσορῶν στένει."

"God’s best gift Is a mind free from folly"

"Ὀλβίσαι δὲ χρὴ βίον τελευτήσαντ' ἐν εὐεστοῖ φίλῃ."

"Ὁ δ' ἀφθόνητός γ' οὐκ ἐπίζηλος πέλει."

"Τὸν κρατοῦντα μαλθακῶς θεὸς πρόσωθεν εὐμενῶς προσδέρκεται."

"Ἑκὼν γὰρ οὐδεὶς δουλίῳ χρῆται ζυγῷ."

"Prophets find bad news useful. Why, the primary aim Of all their wordy wisdom is to make men gape."

"CHORUS: Courage and destiny in you Are proudly matched. CASSANDRA: The happy never hear such praise. CHORUS: Yet a brave death lends brightness to mortality."

"Ἰὼ βρότεια πράγματ'· εὐτυχοῦντα μὲν σκιᾷ τις ἂν πρέψειεν· εἰ δὲ δυστυχοῖ, βολαῖς ὑγρώσσων σπόγγος ὤλεσεν γραφήν."

"Of fortune no man tastes his fill. While pointing envy notes his store, And tongues extol his happiness, Man surfeited will hunger still. For who grows weary of success, Or turns good fortune from his door Bidding her trouble him no more?"

"Τὸ μὲν εὖ πράσσειν ἀκόρεστον ἔφυ πᾶσι βροτοῖσιν."

"Oh me, I have been struck a mortal blow right inside."

"Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny."

"Σάφ' εἰδότας χρὴ τῶνδε θυμοῦσθαι πέρι· τὸ γὰρ τοπάζειν τοῦ σάφ' εἰδέναι δίχα."

"Clytemnestra: He collapsed, snorting his life away, spitting great gobs of blood all over me, drenching me in showers of his dark blood. And I rejoiced—just as the fecund earth rejoices when the heavens send spring rains"

"Γνώσῃ διδαχθεὶς ὀψὲ γοῦν τὸ σωφρονεῖν."

"Ἡ δέ τοι κύκνου δίκην τὸν ὕστατον μέλψασα θανάσιμον γόον κεῖται † φιλήτως τοῦδ'."

"Zeus, first cause, prime mover; for what thing without Zeus is done among mortals?"

"Πρὸς κέντρα μὴ λάκτιζε."

"I know how men in exile feed on dreams of hope."

"Old as you are, you shall be taught some wisdom yet."

"Kόμπασον θαρσῶν, ἀλέκτωρ ὥστε θηλείας πέλας."

"Time was, when one creed ruled the people’s mind: Reverence for royal power Unquestioned, firm as love could bind. Now reverence has resigned Her faith; fear has his hour. Success is now men’s god, men’s more than god."

"Good fortune is a god among men, and more than a god."

"Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as for him enslaved by another's might."