Euripides
Euripides (480-406 B.C.), was the greatest of the three Greek dramatists. The two others are Aeschylus and Sophocles. This famous Greek tragic dramatist was born at Salamis, of wealthy parents. He was first trained as an athlete, and then devoted himself to painting, and eventually to poetry. He brought out his first play at the age of 25, and is reported to have written 80 plays, of which only 18 are extant, besides fragment of others. Of these plays the "Alcestes," "Bacchæ," "Iphigenia at Aulis," "Electra," and "Medea" may be mentioned. He won the tragic prize five times. Tinged with pessimism, he is nevertheless less severe than his great predecessors Sophocles and Aeschylus, surpassing them in tenderness and artistic expression, but falling short of them in strength and loftiness of dramatic conception. Sophocles, it is said, represented men as they ought to be, and Euripides as they are. He has been called the Sophist of tragic poets.Wisdom & Quotes
- A large army is always disorderly.
- The first requisite to happiness is to be born in a famous city.
- Do we, holding that the gods exist, deceive ourselves with unsubstantial dreams and lies, while random careless chance and change alone control the world?
- Much effort, much prosperity.
- Who does not detest a haughty Man?
- If your life at night is good, you think you have everything.
- Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.
- The Lucky person passes for a genius.
- Those whom God wishes to destroy, He first makes mad.
- Money's the wise man's religion.
- Money is far more persuasive than logical arguments.
- To persevere, trusting in what hopes he has, is courage in a man. The coward despairs.
- Reason can wrestle and overthrow terror.
- The gods visit the sins of the fathers upon the Children.
- Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.
- God hates violence. He has ordained that all men fairly possess their Property, not seize it.
- There is no wind that always blows a storm.
- Those who are held wise among men, and who Search for the reason of things, are those who bring the most sorrow on themselves.
- Woman is woman's natural ally.
- Love is all in all to women.
- Women are but women - tears are their portion.
- To the worker, God himself lends aid.
- Youth is the best time to be rich and the best time to be poor.
Protagoras