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
father son ornaments
What greater ornament to a son than a father's glory, or to a father than a son's honorable conduct?
life men goal
Of no mortal say, 'That man is happy,' till vexed by no grievous ill he pass Life's goal.
driven broads
A broad-backed ox can be driven straight on his road even by a small goad.
children pride tyrants
The tyrant is a child of pride.
pride proud tongue
Zeus detests above all the boasts of a proud tongue.
fall gambling dice
The dice of Zeus always fall luckily.
light speech second-best
Not to be born surpasses thought and speech. The second best is to have seen the light and then go back quickly whence we came
men nobility dies
Let a man nobly live or nobly die.
hands mourning weeping
Now let the weeping cease; Let no one mourn again. These things are in the hands of God.
men wonder stranger
Many the wonders but nothing walks stranger than man.
winning missing acting
I would rather miss the mark acting well than win the day acting basely.
thinking knowing not-knowing
Not knowing anything is the sweetest life.
antigone
There is no happiness where there is no wisdom.
impossible madness astronomy
Astronomy? Impossible to understand and madness to investigate.