ARISTOPHANES QUOTES II
Greek comic dramatist (450 B.C. - 388 B.C.)
The old are in a second childhood.
ARISTOPHANES
The Clouds
Full of wiles, full of guile, at all times, in all ways, are the children of Men.
ARISTOPHANES
The Birds
What serious airs the rascal puts on! Look! His legs are already shrieking "oh! oh!" They are asking for shackles and wedges.
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
Look at the orators in our republics; as long as they are poor, both state and people can only praise their uprightness; but once they are fattened on the public funds, they conceive a hatred for justice, plan intrigues against the people and attack the democracy.
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
It is the compelling power of great thoughts and ideas to engender phrases of equal size.
ARISTOPHANES
The Frogs
Poverty, the most fearful monster that ever drew breath.
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
Let each man exercise the art he knows.
ARISTOPHANES
The Wasps
Evil events from evil causes spring,
And what you suffer flows from what you've done.
ARISTOPHANES
The Clouds
A man should be able to stand up under any disaster for his country's good.
ARISTOPHANES
The Congresswomen
How can I study from below, that which is above?
ARISTOPHANES
The Clouds
Today things are better than yesterday.
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
Mix and knead together all the state business as you do for your sausages. To win the people, always cook them some savory that pleases them.
ARISTOPHANES
The Knights
The love of wine is a good man's failing.
ARISTOPHANES
The Wasps
Wealth--the most excellent of all gods.
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
Do not bandy words with your father, nor treat him as a dotard, nor reproach the old man, who has cherished you, with his age.
ARISTOPHANES
The Clouds
An ancient tradition declares that every idiot blunder we pass into law will sooner or later redound to Athens' profit.
ARISTOPHANES
The Congresswomen
Is this doing you harm, that we shower blessings on all men?
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
Does it seem that everything is extravagance in the world, or rather madness, when you watch the way things go? A crowd of rogues enjoy blessings they have won by sheer injustice, while more honest folks are miserable and die of hunger.
ARISTOPHANES
Plutus
If a man owes me money, I never seem to forget. But if I do the owing, I somehow never remember.
ARISTOPHANES
The Clouds