Aristophanes

open mind mouth

“Open your mind before your mouth”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

beaker wine wet mind clever

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

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

win people cook savoury please populism

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

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

man exercise art know autonomy

“Let each man exercise the art he knows.”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

stone lurk politician

“Under every stone lurks a politician.”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

beast woman panther

“There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed. She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

politics occupation educated character ignorance lousiness

“Politics, these days, is no occupation

for an educated man, a man of character.

Ignorance and total lousiness are better.”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

country does well

“One’s country is wherever one does well.”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

politics honest man igoramus rogue

“Politics these days in no occupation for an honest man ... neither educated nor honest, he has to be an ignoramus & a rogue.”

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

ignorance cure stupidity forever

"Ignorance can be cured, but stupidity is forever"

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

wise people live law abolshed legal

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

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

children luxury manners authority tyrannize teacher

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

popular politician horrible voice breeding vulgar manner

"Characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

teach crab walk straight

"You cannot teach a crab to walk straight."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

old age second childhood

"Old age is second childhood."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

impossible women poet live without

"These impossible women! How they do get around us! The poet was right: can't live with them, or without them!"

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

plunder lie arse essential climb high

"To plunder, to lie, to show your arse, are three essentials for climbing high."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

salary public fund personal interest politician

"You vote yourselves salaries out of the public funds and care only for your own personal interests; hence the state limps along."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

man homeland prosper

"A man's homeland is wherever he prospers."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

povery fearful monster

"Poverty, the most fearful monster that ever drew breath."

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)

generals numerous good

"Ah! the Generals! they are numerous, but not good for much!"

― Aristophanes (446-386BC)