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. Aside from his writings, his chief interests were philosophy and science.
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. In more recent times he has influenced English and German drama, and most conspicuously such French dramatists as Pierre Corneille and Jean-Baptiste Racine.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Euripides
Real friendship is shown in times of trouble; prosperity is full of friends.
—Euripides
Topics: Friendship
Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head.
—Euripides
Topics: Soldiers
Of all things upon earth that bleed and grow, a herb most bruised is woman.
—Euripides
Topics: Women
So with slight efforts, how should one obtain great results? It is foolish even to desire it.
—Euripides
Topics: Effort
Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.
—Euripides
Topics: Chance, Prudence
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
Topics: Secrets
Do not consider painful what is good for you.
—Euripides
Topics: Discipline
There is the sky, which is all men’s together.
—Euripides
Topics: Help, Cooperation
How base a thing it is when a man will struggle with necessity! We have to die.
—Euripides
Topics: Acceptance, Necessity
This is courage in a man: to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends.
—Euripides
Topics: Endurance, Courage, Resolve, Perseverance, Difficulty
When the anger of the gods is incurred, wealth or power only bring more devastating punishment.
—Euripides
Topics: Wealth
Death is a debt we all must pay.
—Euripides
Topics: Death
Unblessed is the son who does not honor his parents; but if reverent and obedient to them, he will receive the same from his own children.
—Euripides
Topics: Parents
No one who lives in error is free.
—Euripides
Topics: Freedom
Sufficiency’s enough for men of sense.
—Euripides
Topics: Gratitude, Blessings, Appreciation
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
A bad ending follows a bad beginning.
—Euripides
Topics: Beginning
Authority is never without hate.
—Euripides
Topics: Hate, Control, Authority, One liners
He is not a lover who does not love forever.
—Euripides
Topics: Romance, Love
Time will explain it all. He is a talker, and needs no questioning before he speaks.
—Euripides
Topics: Time, Time Management
Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad.
—Euripides
Topics: Wishes, Insanity, One liners, Anger
Ignorance of one’s misfortunes is clear gain.
—Euripides
Topics: Ignorance
Time will unveil all things to posterity; it is a chatterer and speaks to those who do not question it.
—Euripides
Topics: Posterity
The good and the wise lead quiet lives.
—Euripides
Topics: Solitude
Youth holds no society with grief.
—Euripides
Topics: Youth
Let a man accept his destiny. No pity and no tears.
—Euripides
Topics: Acceptance
The greatest pleasure of life is love.
—Euripides
Topics: Love, Pleasure
It is said that gifts persuade even the gods.
—Euripides
Topics: Gift
Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.
—Euripides
Topics: Success, Reputation
Friends show their love in times of trouble…
—Euripides
Topics: Trouble, Friends and Friendship
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