Classics ~ Sayings ~ Euripides

EURIPIDES

                                            γίγνωσκε δὲ

ὡς πᾶσιν ἡμῖν κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται.

But know that to die is a debt we all must pay.

Alcestis 418

ἐμνημόνευσε δ' ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος κακὸς

παλαιὰ νείκη· πῶς ἂν οὖν εἴη σοφός;

Like a base mortal he remembered old quarrels; how then could he be wise?

Andromache 1164

ἡδύ τοι σωθέντα μεμνῆσθαι πόνων.

Sweet is the remembrance of troubles when you are in safety.

Andromeda 10, 2 [Fragment]

Ἄρης στυγεῖ μέλλοντας.

Ares [god of war] hates those who hesitate.

Heracleidae 722

ἄφιλον τὸ δυστυχές.

Misfortune is friendless.

Hercules Furens 561

ἡ γλῶσσ' ὀμώμοχ', ἡ δὲ φρὴν ἀνώμοτος.

The tongue has sworn it, but the mind is unsworn.

Hippolytus 612

σοφὴν δὲ μισῶ. μὴ γὰρ ἔν γ' ἐμοῖς δόμοις

εἴη φρονοῦσα πλείον' ἢ γυναῖκα χρή.

I hate a clever woman. May there never be in my house a woman knowing more than a woman ought.

Hippolytus 640

φεῦ, χρῆν βροτοῖσι τῶν φίλων τεκμήριον

σαφές τι κεῖσθαι καὶ διάγνωσιν φρενῶν,
ὅστις τ' ἀληθής ἐστιν ὅς τε μὴ φίλος.

Ah, mortals should have some reliable test established for their friends, some way to discern their hearts, to tell who is a true friend and who is not.

Hippolytus 925

φεῦ τῆς βροτείας – ποῖ προβήσεται; – φρενός.

τί τέρμα τόλμης καὶ θράσους γενήσεται;

Ah, the heart of man – how far will it go? What limit will there be to brazenness and arrogance?

Hippolytus 936

ἥπερ μεγίστη γίγνεται σωτηρία,

ὅταν γυνὴ πρὸς ἄνδρα μὴ διχοστατῇ.

This very thing proves to be the saving [of a marriage], when a wife stands not at variance with her husband.

Medea 14

νῦν δ' ἐχθρὰ πάντα, καὶ νοσεῖ τὰ φίλτατα.

But now all is enmity, and diseased are the dearest ties.

Medea 16

                                    ἄρτι γιγνῶσκεις τόδε,

ὡς πᾶς τις αὑτὸν τοῦ πέλας μᾶλλον φιλεῖ;

Only now do you learn this, that each man loves himself more than his neighbour?

Medea 85

                      πείθειν δῶρα καὶ θεοὺς λόγος·

χρυσὸς δὲ κρείσσων μυρίων λόγων βροτοῖς.

They say that gifts persuade even the gods, and gold is more to mortals than ten thousand words.

Medea 964

κούφως φέρειν χρὴ θνητὸν ὄντα συμφοράς.

A mortal must bear calamities with meekness.

Medea 1018

ὁ δ' ὄλβος οὐ βέβαιος, ἀλλ' ἐφήμερος.

Happiness is not steadfast but transient.

Phoenissae 558

εἷς ἀνὴρ οὐ πάνθ' ὁρᾷ.

One man does not see everything.

Phoenissae 745

καὶ τοῦτ' ἐμοὶ τἀνδρεῖον, ἡ προμηθία.

And to my mind this too is a manly quality, namely, foresight.

Suppliants 510

οὐ ταὐτόν, ὦ παῖ, τῷ βλέπειν τὸ κατθανεῖν·
τὸ μὲν γὰρ οὐδέν, τῷ δ' ἔνεισιν ἐλπίδες.

My child, to die is not the same as to be alive: the one is nothing, but in the other there are hopes.

Trojan Women 632

ὦ βάρβαρ' ἐξευρόντες Ἕλληνες κακά,

τί τόνδε παῖδα κτείνετ' οὐδὲν αἴτιον;

O Greeks, devisers of barbaric deeds, why do you kill this boy, guilty in nothing?

Trojan Women 764

οὐκ ἔστ' ἐραστὴς ὅστις οὐκ ἀεὶ φιλεῖ.

He is not a lover who does not love forever.

Trojan Women 1051

μάντις γ' ἄριστος ὅστις εἰκάζει καλῶς.

He is the best diviner who conjectures well.

[ Fragment ]

οὐκ αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲν τῶν ἀναγκαίων βροτοῖς.

What is necessary [or: natural] for mortals is never disgraceful.

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