Play by Euripides. It is in GB Volume 5. Newsletter post: https://www.readgreatbooks.info/p/great-books-ep-81-euripides-the-suppliants
The Suppliants
Metadata
- Author: Euripides
- Full Title: The Suppliants
- Category:articles
- URL: https://readwise.io/reader/document_raw_content/214352615
People in the play
Aethra, Theseus, Adrastus, Chorus of Argive Mothers, Herald (from Thebes), Messenger, Evadne, Iphis, Children (of slain Argive heroes), Athena
Highlights
- for honours rendered to the dead are a credit to the living. (View Highlight)
- Sorrow’s charm doth drive me wild, insatiate, painful, endless, even as the trickling stream that gushes from some steep rock’s face; (View Highlight)
- Ad. I was carried away by the clamour of younger men. Th. Thou didst favour courage instead of discretion. (View Highlight)
- And ‘tis wise in the rich to see the poor man’s poverty, and in the poor man to turn ambitious eyes toward the rich, that so he may himself indulge a longing for property; (View Highlight)
- they whom fortune frowns not on, should gaze on misery’s presentment; (View Highlight)
- who maketh songs should take a pleasure in their making; for if it be not so with him, he will in no wise avail to gladden others, if himself have sorrow in his home; (View Highlight)
- For there are who say, there is more bad than good in human nature, to the which I hold a contrary view, that good o’er bad predominates in man, for if it were not so, we should not exist. (View Highlight)
- And where sight fails us and our knowledge is not sure, the seer foretells by gazing on the flame, by reading signs in folds of entrails, or by divination from the flight of birds. (View Highlight)
- Are we not then too proud, when heaven hath made such preparation for our life, not to be content therewith? (View Highlight)
- But our presumption seeks to lord it over heaven, and in the pride of our hearts we think we are wiser than the gods. (View Highlight)
- For there are three ranks of citizens; the rich, a useless set, that ever crave for more; the poor and destitute, fearful folk, that cherish envy more than is right, and shoot out grievous stings against the men who have aught, beguiled as they are by the eloquence of vicious leaders; while the class that is midmost of the three preserveth cities, observing such order as the state ordains. (View Highlight)
- for this it is that holds men’s states together—strict observance of the laws. (View Highlight)
- But states, whose policy is dark and cautious, have their sight darkened by their carefulness. (View Highlight)
- But I require the whole city’s sanction also, which my mere wish will ensure; still by communicating the proposal to them I shall find the people better disposed. (View Highlight)
- for a wretched son is he who rewards not his parents by service; for, when he hath conferred on them the best he hath, he in his turn from his own sons receives all such service as he gave to them. (View Highlight)
- For pious toil is a fair ornament to cities, and carries with it a grace that never wastes away. (View Highlight)
- For this city is not ruled by one man, but is free. The people rule in succession year by year, allowing no preference to wealth, but the poor man shares equally with the rich. (View Highlight)
- whence I come, is ruled by one man only, not by the mob; none there puffs up the citizens with specious words, and for his own advantage twists them this way or that, one moment dear to them and lavish of his favours, the next a bane toall; (View Highlight)
- Verily the better sort count it no healthy sign when the worthless man obtains a reputation by beguiling with words the populace, though aforetime he was naught. (View Highlight)
- and how much better peace is for mankind than war —peace, the Muses’ chiefest friend, the foe of sorrow, whose joy is in glad throngs of children, and its delight in prosperity. (View Highlight)
- But when the laws are written down, rich and poor alike have equal justice, and it is open to the weaker to use the same language to the prosperous when he is reviled by him, and the weaker prevails over the stronger if he have justice on his side. (View Highlight)
- where the people are absolute rulers of the land, they rejoice in having a reserve of youthful citizens, while a king counts this a hostile element, and strives to slay the leading men, all such as he deems discreet, for he feareth for his power. (View Highlight)
- May my life end if ever my children are to be wedded by violence! (View Highlight)
- Let the dead now be buried in the earth, and each element return to the place from whence it came to the body, the breath to the air, the body to the ground; for in no wise did we get it for our own, but to live our life in, and after that its mother earth must take it back again. (View Highlight)
- Fortune lives a dainty life; to her the wretched pays his court and homage to win her smile; her likewise doth the prosperous man extol, for fear the favouring gale may leave him. (View Highlight)
- Methinks I should not have suffered excessively, had I never borne the marriage- yoke; but now I have my sorrow full in view, the loss of children dear. (View Highlight)
- for when a man is face to face with the foe, he scarce can see even that which ‘tis his bounden duty to observe. (View Highlight)
- Short is the span of life, so ‘twere best to run its course as lightly as we may, from trouble free. (View Highlight)
- for noble nurture carries honour with it, and every man, when once he hath practised virtue, scorns the name of villain. (View Highlight)
- Courage may be learnt, for even a babe doth learn to speak and hear things it cannot comprehend; and whatso’er a child hath learnt, this it is his wont to treasure up till he is old. So train up your children in a virtuous way. (View Highlight)
- Now if we had a second spell of youth and age, this double term of life would let us then correct each previous slip. (View Highlight)