Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Euripides (Ancient Greek Dramatist)

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

The greatest pleasure of life is love.
Euripides
Topics: Love, Pleasure

Slight not what’s near through aiming at what’s far.
Euripides
Topics: Blessings, Live-now, Goals, Gratitude, Appreciation

Noble fathers have noble children.
Euripides
Topics: Father, Family, Fathers

Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.
Euripides
Topics: Sorrow, Grief, Bereavement, Tears, Live-now, Past and Present

I love the old way best, the simple way of poison, where we too are strong as men.
Euripides
Topics: Murder

There is as much confusion in the world of the gods as in ours.
Euripides
Topics: Opportunities, Reality

Among mortals second thoughts are wisest.
Euripides
Topics: Wisdom

Cleverness is not wisdom.
Euripides
Topics: Intelligence, Cleverness, Wisdom

Wealth stays with us a little moment if at all: only our characters are steadfast, not our gold.
Euripides
Topics: Wealth, Character

Often a noble face hides filthy ways.
Euripides
Topics: Hypocrisy

The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.
Euripides
Topics: Balance

When the anger of the gods is incurred, wealth or power only bring more devastating punishment.
Euripides
Topics: Wealth

To generous souls every task is noble.
Euripides
Topics: Generosity

The man who glories in his luck may be overthrown by destiny.
Euripides
Topics: Luck, Fortune

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

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.
Euripides
Topics: Fools, One liners, Stupidity

There is the sky, which is all men’s together.
Euripides
Topics: Cooperation, Help

To a father waxing old nothing is dearer than a daughter.—Sons have spirits of higher pitch, but less inclined to sweet, endearing fondness.
Euripides
Topics: Father, Fathers, Family

Forgive, son; men are men; they needs must err.
Euripides
Topics: Forgiveness

It was my tongue that swore; my heart is unsworn.
Euripides
Topics: Dedication, Commitment

The good and the wise lead quiet lives.
Euripides
Topics: Solitude

Do not plan for ventures before finishing what’s at hand.
Euripides
Topics: Planning

Of all things upon earth that bleed and grow, a herb most bruised is woman.
Euripides
Topics: Women

Try first thyself, and after call in God, for to the worker God himself lends aid.
Euripides
Topics: God

Let a man accept his destiny. No pity and no tears.
Euripides
Topics: Acceptance

Reason can wrestle and overthrow terror.
Euripides
Topics: Logic

No one is happy all his life long.
Euripides
Topics: Forgiveness, Realistic Expectations

People that seem so glorious are all show; underneath they are like everyone else.
Euripides
Topics: Appearance

Mankind … possesses two supreme blessings. First of these is the goddess Demeter, or Earth whichever name you choose to call her by. It was she who gave to man his nourishment of grain. But after her there came the son of Semele, who matched her present by inventing liquid wine as his gift to man. For filled with that good gift, suffering mankind forgets its grief; from it comes sleep; with it oblivion of the troubles of the day. There is no other medicine for misery.
Euripides
Topics: Wine

Impudence is the worst of all human diseases.
Euripides
Topics: Respect

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