Top 453 Quotes & Sayings by Sophocles - Page 6

All our mortal lives are set in danger and perplexity: one day to prosper, and the next -- who knows? When all is well, then look for rocks ahead.

Henceforth ye may thieve with better knowledge whence lucre should be won, and learn that it is not well to love gain from every source. For thou wilt find that ill-gotten pelf brings more men to ruin than to weal.

Success is the reward for toil.

There is no happiness where there is no wisdom.

Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.

How dreadful it is when the right judge judges wrong!

To the man who is afraid everything rustles.

Whoe'er imagines prudence all his own, Or deems that he hath powers to speak and judge Such as none other hath, when they are known, They are found shallow.

No oath can be too binding for a lover.

The ideal condition would be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct; but since we are all likely to go astray, The reasonable thing is to learn from those who can teach

I was born to join in love, not hate - that is my nature.

Troubles hurt the most when they prove self-inflicted.

Truth is always straightforward.

There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; No wisdom but in submission to the gods. Big words are always punished, And proud men in old age learn to be wise.

As sight is in the eye, so is the mind in the soul!

Nobody likes the man who brings bad news.

Rather throw away that which is dearest to you, your own life, than turn away a good friend.

Success is dependant on effort.

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?

And if my present actions strike you as foolish, let's just say I've been accused of folly by a fool.

Men's minds are given to change in hate and friendship.

Hope has often caused the love of gain to ruin men.

What is to be taught I learn; what is to be discovered I seek; what is to be prayed for I sought from the gods.

Oh death, death, why do you never come to me thus summoned always day by day?

Look how men live, always precariously balanced between good and bad fortune.

If they are just, they are better than clever.

To know that all is well, even if late will come to know it, is at least some gain.

A fool cannot be an actor, though an actor may act a fool's part.

It is a painful thing to look at your own trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has made it.

When you can prove me wrong, then call me blind.

Sleep, ignorant of pain, sleep, ignorant of grief, may you come to us blowing softly, kindly, kindly come king.

The man from whom the joys of life have departed is living no more, but should be counted with the dead.

In a just cause it is right to be confident.

Let be the future: mind the present need and leave the rest to whom the rest concerns ... present tasks claim our care: the ordering of the future rests where it should rest.

The eyes of men love to pluck the blossoms from the faded flowers they turn away.

We must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day had been.

To err is common to all mankind, but having erred he is no longer reckless nor unblest who haven fallen into evil seeks a cure, nor remains unmoved.

If you are out of trouble, watch for danger.

Show me the man who keeps his house in hand, He's fit for public authority.

To err from the right path is common to mankind.

A man who deals in fairness with his own, he can make manifest justice in the state.

An enemy's gift is ruinous and no gift.

Enemies gifts are no gifts and do no good.

Best of children, sisters arm-in-arm, we must bear what the gods give us to bear-- don't fire up your hearts with so much grief. No reason to blame the pass you've come to now.

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

It is not righteousness to outrage

One's own escape from troubles makes one glad; but bringing friends to trouble is hard grief.

You clearly hate to yield, but you will regret it when your anger has passed. Such natures are justly the hardest for themselves to bear.

For the gods, though slow to see, see well, whenever a man casting aside worship turns folly.

The sleep of a sick man has keen eyes. It is a sleep unsleeping.

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

What men have seen they know. . . .

Trouble brings trouble upon trouble.

To many men much-wandering hope comes as a boon, but to many others it is the deception of vain desires.

Count no mortal fortunate till he has departed this life free from pain.

In darkness one may be ashamed of what one does, without the shame of disgrace.

It made our hair stand up in panic fear.

Even the stout of heart shrink when they see the approach of death.

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

Nothing so evil as money ever grew to be current among men. This lays cities low, this drives men from their homes, this trains and warps honest souls till they set themselves to works of shame; this still teaches folk to practise villainies, and to know every godless deed. But all the men who wrought this thing for hire have made it sure that, soon or late, they shall pay the price.