Aristophanes > Quotes

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

“Open your mind before your mouth”
― Aristophanes

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

“To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.”
― Aristophanes, The Knights

“By words the mind is winged.”
― Aristophanes

“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

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

“High thoughts must have high language.”
― Aristophanes, The Frogs and Other Plays

“[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.”
― Aristophanes, The Knights

“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.”
― Aristophanes, The Knights

“Let each man exercise the art he knows.”
― Aristophanes

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

“[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.”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

“What matters that I was born a woman, if I can cure your misfortunes? I pay my share of tolls and taxes, by giving men to the State. But you, you miserable greybeards, you contribute nothing to the public charges; on the contrary, you have wasted the treasure of our forefathers, as it was called, the treasure amassed in the days of the Persian Wars. You pay nothing at all in return; and into the bargain you endanger our lives and liberties by your mistakes. Have you one word to say for yourselves?... Ah! don't irritate me, you there, or I'll lay my slipper across your jaws; and it's pretty heavy.”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

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

“Under every stone lurks a politician.”
― Aristophanes

“How can I study from below, that which is above?”
― Aristophanes, Clouds

“A man can learn wisdom even from a foe”
― Aristophanes

“Even if you persuade me, you won’t persuade me.”
― Aristophanes

“Magistrate: May I die a thousand deaths ere I obey one who wears a veil!

Lysistrata: If that's all that troubles you, here take my veil, wrap it round your head, and hold your tounge. Then take this basket; put on a girdle, card wool, munch beans. The War shall be women's business.”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

“Calonice: My dear Lysistrata, just what is this matter you've summoned us women to consider.What's up? Something big?

Lysistrata: Very big.

Calonice: (interested) Is it stout too?

Lysistrata: (smiling) Yes, indeed -- both big and stout.

Calonice: What? And the women still haven't come?

Lysistrata: It's not what you suppose; they'd come soon enough for that.”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

“That man is sharp who can say what he wants in a minimum of words.”
― Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae

“Magistrate: What do you propose to do then, pray?

Lysistrata: You ask me that! Why, we propose to administer the treasury ourselves

Magistrate: You do?

Lysistrata: What is there in that a surprise to you? Do we not administer the budget of household expenses?

Magistrate: But that is not the same thing.

Lysistrata: How so – not the same thing?

Magistrate: It is the treasury supplies the expenses of the War.

Lysistrata: That's our first principle – no War!”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

“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; and this lesson saves their children, their homes, and their properties.”
― Aristophanes, Birds

“Chorus of old men: How true the saying: 'Tis impossible to live with the baggages, impossible to live without 'em.”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

“One’s country is wherever one does well.”
― Aristophanes, Plutus

“Lysistrata: To seize the treasury; no more money, no more war.”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata

“Politics, these days, is no occupation
for an educated man, a man of character.
Ignorance and total lousiness are better.”
― Aristophanes, The Knights

“Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right.”
― Aristophanes, Acharnians/Knights

“MAGISTRATE
Don't men grow old?

LYSISTRATA
Not like women. When a man comes home
Though he's grey as grief he can always get a girl.
There's no second spring for a woman. None.
She can't recall it, nobody wants her, however
She squanders her time on the promise of oracles,
It's no use...”
― Aristophanes, Lysistrata