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Quote by Sophocles

“It has been hard, I know, my daughters, but one word alone wipes out all of the hardships: love.”

Quote by Sophocles

Author

Sophocles, born in 498 BC and died in 406 BC, was a renowned Greek tragic playwright. He is one of the three greatest tragic poets of ancient Greece, alongside Aeschylus and Euripides. Sophocles' works profoundly revealed the complexity of human nature and social contradictions, exerting a profound influence on subsequent drama. more

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“Love, unconquerable, Waster of rich men, keeper Of warm lights and all-night vigil In the soft face of a girl: Sea-wanderer, forest-visitor! Even the pure immortals cannot escape you, And mortal man, in his one day's dusk, Trembles before your glory.”

Source: The Oedipus Cycle: An English Version

“No greater evil can a man endure Than a bad wife, nor find a greater good Than one both good and wise; and each man speaks As judging by the experience of his life.”

Men Evil Speak Marriage Greater Wise Wife Judging Endure Greater Good

Book:The Tragedies of Sophocles: A New Trans., with a Biographical Essay, and an Appendix of Rhymed Choral Odes and Lyrical Dialogues

Source: The Tragedies of Sophocles: A New Trans., with a Biographical Essay, and an Appendix of Rhymed Choral Odes and Lyrical Dialogues

“Ah, race of mortal men, How as a thing of nought I count ye, though ye live; For who is there of men That more of blessing knows, Than just a little while To seem to prosper well, And, having seemed, to fall?”

Knows Men Wells Littles Seems Fall Race Blessing Mortals

Book:Sophocles Tragedies and Fragments

Source: Sophocles Tragedies and Fragments

“Surely there never was so evil a thing as money, which maketh cities into ruinous heaps, and banisheth men from their houses, and turneth their thoughts from good unto evil.”

Men Evil House Money Cities

Author:Sophocles

“We should not speak of one that prospers well As happy, till his life have run its course, And reached its goal. An evil spirit's gift In shortest time has oft laid low the state Of one full rich in great prosperity, When the change comes, and so the Gods appoint.”

Should Wells States Running Spirit Courses Evil Speak Goal Rich Lows Prosperity Evil Spirits

Book:The Tragedies of Sophocles. A new translation, with a biographical essay by E. H. Plumptre

Source: The Tragedies of Sophocles. A new translation, with a biographical essay by E. H. Plumptre

“Many are the things that man seeing must understand. Not seeing, how shall he know what lies in the hand of time to come?”

Knows Men Hands Lying Seeing

Author:Sophocles

“The soul that has conceived one wickedness can nurse no good thereafter.”

Soul Evil Nurse Wickedness

Author:Sophocles

“Man's highest blessedness, In wisdom chiefly stands; And in the things that touch upon the Gods, 'Tis best in word or deed To shun unholy pride; Great words of boasting bring great punishments, And so to grey-haired age Teach wisdom at the last.”

Men Wisdom Age Lasts Teach Pride Highest Deeds Punishment Grey Boast Blessedness

Book:The Tragedies of Sophocles. A new translation, with a biographical essay by E. H. Plumptre

Source: The Tragedies of Sophocles. A new translation, with a biographical essay by E. H. Plumptre

“The wise form right judgment of the present from what is past.”

Wisdom Past Form Wise Judgment

Author:Sophocles

“When an oath is taken ... the mind is more attentive; for it guards against two things, the reproach of friends and offence against the gods.”

Mind Two Taken Two Things Oath Reproach Offence

Book:Sophocles: Fragments

Source: Sophocles: Fragments