Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes, son of Philippus, of the deme Kydathenaion, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete. These, together with fragments of some of his other plays, provide the only real examples of a genre of comic drama known as Old Comedy, and are used to define it...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPoet
wealth excellent
Wealth--the most excellent of all gods.
habit crabs walks
You cannot make a crab walk straight.
truth-is foe
The truth is forced upon us, very quickly, by a foe.
country men able
A man should be able to stand up under any disaster for his country's good.
thinking break-off trying
If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to start again.
clever wine mind
Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
stupid ignorance forever
Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.
life wise wisdom
Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life.
teacher crabs teach
You cannot teach a crab to walk straight.
long people justice
Look at the orators in our republics; as long as they are poor, both state and people can only praise their uprightness; but once they are fattened on the public funds, they conceive a hatred for justice, plan intrigues against the people and attack the democracy.
no-friends ending-hunger world-hunger
Hunger knows no friend but its feeder.
men humanity may
A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.
men grieving hands
This is what extremely grieves us, that a man who never fought Should contrive our fees to pilfer, on who for his native land Never to this day had oar, or lance, or blister in his hand.
clever wine successful
When men drink, then they are rich and successful and win lawsuits and are happy and help their friends. Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.