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
breathing call greek-poet happiness man
When a man has lost all happiness, he's not alive. Call him a breathing corpse.
among ancient call cannot good greek-poet life man men mortals saying thoroughly understand
There is an ancient saying among men that you cannot thoroughly understand the life of mortals before the man has died, then only can you call it good or bad.
greek-poet man nature
All is disgust when a man leaves his own nature and does what is unfit.
war men good-man
War never takes a wicked man by chance, the good man always.
hope men noble-man
Each say following another, either hastening or putting off our death--what pleasure does it bring? I count that man worthless whois cheered by empty hopes. No, a noble man must either live or die well.
reason plant mankind
The gods plant reason in mankind, of all good gifts the highest.
path common mankind
To err from the right path is common to mankind.
men demise he-man
Fortune raises up and fortune brings low both the man who fares well and the one who fares badly; and there is no prophet of the future for mortal men.
life men he-man
You cannot know a man's life before the man has died, then only can you call it good or bad.
life men old-man
Nobody loves life like an old man.
wisdom men wisest-man
It is no weakness for the wisest man to learn when he is wrong.
heart men noble-man
When he endures nothing but endless miseries-- What pleasure is there in living the day after day, Edging slowly back and forth toward death? Anyone who warms their heart with the glow Of flickering hope is worth nothing at all. The noble man should either live with honor or die with honor. That's all there is to be said.
mankind
It is hope that maintains most of mankind.
fear men he-man
To the man who is afraid everything rustles.