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Aristophanes Quotes

27 Quotes By Aristophanes For A Broader Horizon

Famous As: Comic Playwright of Ancient Athens and a Poet of Old Attic Comedy.

Born On: 446 AD

Died On: 386 AD

Born In: Athens, Greece

Died At Age: -60

Aristophanes, also known as the father of comedy, was a Greek playwright, known for his humor which he inculcated in his plays. Only few of his 40 plays have been retrieved which eventually created a genre of its own known as ‘Old Comedy’. His notable works include The Clouds, The Wasps, The Birds, Lysistrata, The Frogs and The Poet and the Women. Compared to his contemporaries, his work depicted the lives of the people of ancient Athens more realistically. Comic Drama was a popular genre during his era but it was only due to Aristophanes that the Old Comedy genre truly bloomed. His criticism for primary figures in Athens in terms of religion, politics and arts, gave an impression of opposition of new radical thoughts which were prevalent in Ancient Greece. In the later years somehow, there seemed a gradual decline in the following of Old Comedy due to advent of New Comedy with realistic plots. We have collected Aristophanes’ most famous quotes from his writings. Browse through some of these quotes from this genius from Ancient Greece.

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Writers

Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.

Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.
Aristophanes

Open your mind before your mouth
Aristophanes

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
Me I
Aristophanes

By words the mind is winged.
Aristophanes

To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.

To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.
Aristophanes

Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life.

Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life.
Life
Aristophanes

High thoughts must have high language.
Aristophanes

Let each man exercise the art he knows.
Art
Aristophanes

Love is merely the name for the desire and pursuit of the whole.

Love is merely the name for the desire and pursuit of the whole.
Love
Aristophanes

[Y]ou possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, crossgrained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing.

[Y]ou possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, crossgrained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing.
You Nature
Aristophanes

It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls

It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls
Friends
Aristophanes

[Y]ou [man] are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with [woman=] me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.

[Y]ou [man] are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with [woman=] me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
You Me War
Aristophanes

A man can learn wisdom even from a foe
Aristophanes

Under every stone lurks a politician.
Aristophanes

How can I study from below, that which is above?

How can I study from below, that which is above?
I
Aristophanes

Chorus of old men: How true the saying: 'Tis impossible to live with the baggages, impossible to live without 'em.

Chorus of old men: How true the saying: 'Tis impossible to live with the baggages, impossible to live without 'em.
Aristophanes

Even if you persuade me, you won’t persuade me.

Even if you persuade me, you won’t persuade me.
You Me
Aristophanes

Under every rock lurks a politician.
Aristophanes

Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right.

Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right.
Aristophanes

Lysistrata: To seize the treasury; no more money, no more war.

Lysistrata: To seize the treasury; no more money, no more war.
War Money
Aristophanes

Shrines! Shrines! Surely you don't believe in the gods. What's your argument? Where's your proof?

Shrines! Shrines! Surely you don't believe in the gods. What's your argument? Where's your proof?
You Believe
Aristophanes

Politics, these days, is no occupation
for an educated man, a man of character.
Ignorance and total lousiness are better.

Politics, these days, is no occupation for an educated man, a man of character. Ignorance and total lousiness are better.
Aristophanes

Lysistrata: "Calonice, it's more than I can bear, I am hot all over with blushes for our sex. Men say we're slippery rogues--" Calonice: "And aren't they right?
I
Aristophanes

Need a poet who can really write. Nowadays it seems like ‘many are gone, and those that live are bad’.12

Need a poet who can really write. Nowadays it seems like ‘many are gone, and those that live are bad’.12
Like Need
Aristophanes

Chorus of women: […] Oh! my good, gallant Lysistrata, and all my friends, be ever like a bundle of nettles; never let you anger slacken; the wind of fortune blown our way.

Chorus of women: […] Oh! my good, gallant Lysistrata, and all my friends, be ever like a bundle of nettles; never let you anger slacken; the wind of fortune blown our way.
You Never Friends Like
Aristophanes

MEN Ah cursed drab, what have you brought this water for? WOMEN What is your fire for then, you smelly corpse? Yourself to burn?

MEN Ah cursed drab, what have you brought this water for? WOMEN What is your fire for then, you smelly corpse? Yourself to burn?
You Yourself Women
Aristophanes