Euripides (480–406 BCE) was an Athenian tragic playwright who wrote 92 plays, 18 of which have survived. This corpus is the largest number of surviving plays among the great Athenian playwrights, including Aeschylus and Sophocles. Euripides’s tragedies like Medea, The Bacchae, and Alcestis were immensely influential on generations of playwrights and remain popular to this day.
Euripides was born probably near Athens. Not much is known about his early life except that when he was twenty, he started submitting his tragedies to theater contests. Euripides was an iconoclast in his life and his literary work. He is the archetype for the estranged artist. He played no role in public life and wrote in isolation in a 10-chambered cave, which was rediscovered by archaeologists in 1997.
Euripides was also innovative in the way he expanded the range of drama. His plays depict subjects and perspectives never represented before on stage. For instance, The Troades shows war for its casualties, Trojan Women, not its warriors. In his best-known tragedy, Medea (431 BCE,) a princess murders her sons to even the score on the husband who left her to marry another princess.
At a time when other playwrights focused on more powerful, triumphant characters, Euripides exposed the gods as small-minded and indifferent. He portrayed mythical heroes like regular people—with their human struggles and emotional conflicts. He also represented the downtrodden in society, particularly women and slaves. His discourses were less structured and resembled normal speech.
Euripides was exiled to Macedonia for some unknown reason. His vast popularity came only after his death, when, since the fourth century, his plays outshone those of the other great Athenian playwrights.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Euripides
Tragedy isn’t getting something or failing to get it, it’s losing something you already have.
—Euripides
Of all the evils that infest a state, a tyrant is the greatest; his sole will commands the laws, and lords it over them.
—Euripides
Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.
—Euripides
Topics: Success, Reputation
One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.
—Euripides
Topics: Friends and Friendship, Family, Friendship
Events will take their course, it is no good of being angry at them; he is happiest who wisely turns them to the best account.
—Euripides
Topics: Events, Attitude
Waste no tears over the griefs of yesterday.
—Euripides
Topics: Sorrow
Among mortals second thoughts are wisest.
—Euripides
Topics: Wisdom
Slight not what’s near, while aiming at what’s far.
—Euripides
When good men die their goodness does not perish,
But lives though they are gone. As for the bad,
All that was theirs dies and is buried with them.
—Euripides
When the anger of the gods is incurred, wealth or power only bring more devastating punishment.
—Euripides
Topics: Wealth
Since luck’s a nine days’s wonder, wait their end.
—Euripides
Topics: Luck
Time will discover everything to posterity; it is a babbler, and speaks even when no question is put.
—Euripides
Topics: Time
But this is slavery, not to speak ones thought.
—Euripides
What we look for does not come to pass;
God finds a way for what none foresaw.
—Euripides
Topics: Foresight
Love must not touch the marrow of the soul. Our affections must be breakable chains that we can cast them off or tighten them.
—Euripides
Topics: Romance
Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.
—Euripides
Topics: Past and Present, Sorrow, Bereavement
Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.
—Euripides
Topics: Chance
Judge a tree from its fruit; not from the leaves.
—Euripides
To have found you is a dear happiness; and to be Apollo’s son is beyond all my hopes; but there is something I want to say to you alone. Come; this is a private matter between us two – anything you tell me shall be as secret as the grave.
—Euripides
New faces have more authority than accustomed ones.
—Euripides
Topics: One liners
Those who are held wise among men, and who search for the reason of things, are those who bring the most sorrow upon themselves.
—Euripides
Topics: Sorrow
Try first thyself, and after call in God, for to the worker God himself lends aid.
—Euripides
Topics: God
I hate it in friends when they come too late to help.
—Euripides
Topics: Friends and Friendship
When roused to rage the maddening populace storms, their fury-like a rolling flame, bursts forth unquenchable; but give its violence ways, it spends itself, and as its force abates, learns to obey and yields it to your will.
—Euripides
Do not plan for ventures before finishing what’s at hand.
—Euripides
Topics: Planning
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