Aristophanes
Greek poet and playwright of the Old Comedy, also known as the Father of Comedy and the Prince of Ancient Comedy.
Unjust Cause: This art is worth more than ten thousand staters, that one should choose the worse cause, and nevertheless be victorious.
(tr. Hickie 1853, vol. 1, Perseus)
Demosthenes: Do you dare to accuse wine of clouding the reason? Quote me more marvellous effects than those of wine. Look! when a man drinks, he is rich, everything he touches succeeds, he gains lawsuits, is happy and helps his friends. Come, bring hither quick a flagon of wine, that I may soak my brain and get an ingenious idea.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Philokleon: Let each man exercise the art he knows.
(tr. Rogers 1909, p. 110)
Sosias: The love of wine is a good man's failing.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Lysistrata: O women, if we would compel the men to bow to Peace, [...] We must refrain from every depth of love.... Why do you turn your backs? Where are you going? Why do you bite your lips and shake your heads? Why are your faces blanched? Why do you weep?
(tr. Lindsay 1925, Perseus)
Pisthetaerus: By words the mind is winged. (tr. unknown, seen in Airpower Journal 1990, and in Macmillan Dictionary of Political Quotations 1993, Google Books Search)
Philosophy: Why, you Precocious Pederast! You Palpable Pervert!
Sophistry: Pelt me with roses!
Philosophy: You Toadstool! O Cesspool!
Sophistry: Wreath my hairs with lilies!
Philosophy: Why, you Parricide!
Sophistry: Shower me with gold! Look, don't you see I welcome your abuse?
Philosophy: Welcome it, monster? In my day we would have cringed with shame.
Sophistry: Whereas now we're flattered. Times change. The vices of your age are stylish today.
(heavily rewritten and embellished tr. Arrowsmith 1962, p. 70)
[Choir of] Men: There is no beast, no rush of fire, like woman so untamed. She calmly goes her way where even panthers would be shamed.
[Choir of] Women: And yet you are fool enough, it seems, to dare to war with me, when for your faithful ally you might win me easily.
(tr. Lindsay 1925, Perseus)
Informer: My friend, I am asking you for wings, not for words.
Pisthetaerus: It's just my words that gives you wings.
Informer: And how can you give a man wings with your words?
Pisthetaerus: They all start this way. [...]
Informer: So that words give wings?
Pisthetaerus: Undoubtedly; words give wings to the mind and make a man soar to heaven. Thus I hope that my wise words will give you wings to fly to some less degrading trade.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Praxagora: Woman is adept at getting money for herself and will not easily let herself be deceived; she understands deceit too well herself.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Chorus [leader]: Come now, ye men, in nature darkling, like to the race of leaves, of little might, figures of clay, shadowy feeble tribes, wingless creatures of a day, miserable mortals, dream-like men.
(tr. Hickie 1853, vol. 1, p. 338)
Blepsidemus: There is no honest man! not one, that can resist the attraction of gold!
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Leader of the Chorus: Let's see. What shall our city be called? [...]
Euelpides: Some name borrowed from the clouds, from these lofty regions in which we dwell — in short, some well-known name.
Pisthetaerus: Do you like Nephelococcygia?
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Epops: A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.
(tr. in Goldstein-Jackson 1983, p. 163)
Epops: Yet, certainly, the wise learn many things from their enemies; for caution preserves all things. From a friend you could not learn this, but your foe immediately obliges you to learn it. For example, the states have learned from enemies, and not from friends, to build lofty walls, and to possess ships of war. And this lesson preserves children, house, and possessions.
Chorus [leader]: It is useful, as it appears to me, to hear their arguments first; for one might learn some wisdom even from one's foes.
(tr. Hickie 1853, vol. 1, p. 322; l. 375 identical in SEA 1838, p. 236, and in Bartlett 1968, p. 91 or Archive.org)
Just Discourse: Do not bandy words with your father, nor treat him as a dotard, nor reproach the old man, who has cherished you, with his age.
(tr. Athen. 1912, vol. 1, p. 359)
Strepsiades: ‘Tis the Whirlwind, that has driven out Zeus and is King now.
(tr. Athen. 1912, vol. 1, p. 350)
Leader of the Chorus: Weak mortals, chained to the earth, creatures of clay as frail as the foliage of the woods, you unfortunate race, whose life is but darkness, as unreal as a shadow, the illusion of a dream.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Chremylus: [Wealth], the most excellent of all the gods.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Chorus [of Birds]: Full of wiles, full of guile, at all times, in all ways, are the children of Men.
(tr. in Bartlett 1968, p. 91 or Archive.org)