Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote 120 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPoet
age deeds looks
If I am young, then you should look not to age but to deeds.
errors evil common
To err is common to all mankind, but having erred he is no longer reckless nor unblest who haven fallen into evil seeks a cure, nor remains unmoved.
taught
What is to be taught I learn; what is to be discovered I seek; what is to be prayed for I sought from the gods.
Wisdom is a dreadful thing when it brings no knowledge to its possessor.
lying fruit
False words do not bring forth fruit.
leadership future-leaders great-leader
What you can't enforce, do not command.
wise knives doctors
A wise doctor does not mutter incantations over a sore that needs the knife.
doe reverence mortals
Reverence does not die with mortals, nor does it perish whether they live or die.
enemy mockery sweetest
Isn't it the sweetest mockery to mock our enemies?
water oath
The oaths of a woman I inscribe on water.
men sick disease
There are some who praise a man free from disease; to me no man who is poor seems free from disease but to be constantly sick.
gratitude flow deceiver
Alas, how quickly the gratitude owed to the dead flows off, how quick to be proved a deceiver.
justice harm
There is a time when even justice brings harm.
men evil fortune
There is no greater evil for men than the constraint of fortune.