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
gratitude giving birth
Gratitude to gratitude always gives birth.
unjust fraud secure
Things gained through unjust fraud are never secure.
kindness real acceptance
One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.
grief worry causes
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.
men good-man tasks
It is the task of a good man to help those in misfortune.
wickedness foolishness
Foolishness is indeed the sister of wickedness.
children men age
A man growing old becomes a child again.
speaking-well speech terrible
It is terrible to speak well and be wrong.
grief sadness sorrow
If it were possible to heal sorrow by weeping and to raise the dead with tears, gold were less prized than grief.
sight darkness deeds
No more shall ye behold such sights of woe, deeds I have suffered and myself have wrought; henceforward quenched in darkness shall ye see those ye should ne'er have seen; now blind to those whom, when I saw, I vainly yearned to know.
eye men justice
The golden eye of justice sees, and requites the unjust man.
littles antigone eternity
We have only a little time to please the living. But all eternity to love the dead.
strength hands
Thoughts are mightier than strength of hand.
reality suffering desire
I have no desire to suffer twice, in reality and then in retrospect.