Aristophanes
Greek poet and playwright of the Old Comedy, also known as the Father of Comedy and the Prince of Ancient Comedy.
Poet: “Straton wanders among the Scythian nomads, but has no linen garment. He is sad at only wearing an animal's pelt and no tunic.” Do you get what I mean?
Pisthetaerus: I understand that you want me to offer you a tunic. Hi! you (To the acolyte.) take off yours; we must help the poet.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.
?schylus: High thoughts must have high language.
(rewritten and embellished tr. Fitts 1955, p. 108)
Demosthenes: A demagogue must be neither an educated nor an honest man; he has to be an ignoramus and a rogue.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Demosthenes [to the Sausage-Seller]: Mix and knead together all the state business as you do for your sausages. To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them. Besides, you possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, crossgrained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
Epops: You're mistaken: men of sense often learn from their enemies. Prudence is the best safeguard. This principle cannot be learned from a friend, but an enemy extorts it immediately. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war. And this lesson saves their children, their homes, and their properties.
Chorus [leader]: It appears then that it will be better for us to hear what they have to say first; for one may learn something at times even from one's enemies.
(tr. Anon. 1812 rev. in Ramage 1864, p. 45)
Old age is second childhood.
Agathon: One must not try to trick misfortune, but resign oneself to it with good grace.
(tr. Athen. 1912, vol. 2, p. 278)
(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)
Chremylus: [Wealth], the most excellent of all the gods.
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
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)
Strepsiades: ‘Tis the Whirlwind, that has driven out Zeus and is King now.
(tr. Athen. 1912, vol. 1, p. 350)
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)
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)
Epops: A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.
(tr. in Goldstein-Jackson 1983, p. 163)
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)
Blepsidemus: There is no honest man! not one, that can resist the attraction of gold!
(tr. O'Neill 1938, Perseus)
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)
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)
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)