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
action knowledge save trial
Knowledge must come through action; you can have no test, which is not fanciful; save by trial
cheating fail honor prefer win
I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating
brevity goes greek-poet wisdom
Much wisdom often goes with brevity of speech.
certainty learns though until
One learns by doing the thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try
bad brings loves messenger news none
None loves the messenger who brings bad news.
crosses driven none path power stormy threaten white wonderful wonders
Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than the power that crosses the white sea, driven by the stormy wind, making a path under surges that threaten to engulf him...
dreadful greek-poet knowledge truth
How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there's no help in the truth.
death wants
For death is not the worst, but when one wants to die and is not able even to have that.
shalt
If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: 'Thou shalt not ration justice.'
greek-poet men nor prophet waits
Men may know many things by seeing; but no prophet can see before the event, nor what end waits for him.
arts dead greek-poet whoever
Whoever neglects the arts when he is young has lost the past and is dead to the future.
becomes educates greek-poet whose
For those whose wit becomes the mother of villainy, those it educates to be evil in all things.
greek-poet
It's a terrible thing to speak well and be wrong.
cure greek-poet heavier ill
Hush! Check those words. Do not cure ill with ill and make your pain still heavier than it is.