Quotes from Aristophanes

Haven't you sometimes seen a cloud that looked like a centaur?Or a leopard perhaps? Or a wolf? Or a bull?

This is what extremely grieves us, that a man who never foughtShould contrive our fees to pilfer, one who for his native landNever to this day had oar, or lance, or blister in his hand.

Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.

Man, though he be gray-headed when he comes back, soon gets a young wife. But a woman?s time is short within which she can expect to obtain a husband. If she allows it to slip away, no one cares to marry her. She sits at home, speculating on the probability of her marriage.

Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war . . .

Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master, At which the audience never fail to laugh

You have all the characteristics of a popular politician a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner.

Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.

Open your mind before your mouth

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.

To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.

By words the mind is winged.

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.

Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life.

Y]ou possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, crossgrained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing.

High thoughts must have high language.

You [demagogues] are like the fishers for eels; in still waters they catch nothing, but if they thoroughly stir up the slime, their fishing is good; in the same way it's only in troublous times that you line your pockets.

Let each man exercise the art he knows.

It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls

Y]ou [man] are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with [woman=] me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.

There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed. She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.

How can I study from below, that which is above?

Under every stone lurks a politician.

A man can learn wisdom even from a foe