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Surely you do not believe in the gods. What’s your argument? Where’s your proof?

Aristophanes

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

Character Politician Voice
It often happens that less depends upon the valor of an army than the skill of the leader.
ARISTOPHANES

Army Leadership Skill
Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war.
ARISTOPHANES

Friendship Wall War
Love is merely the name for the desire and pursuit of the whole.
ARISTOPHANES

Desire Love Names Philosophy Pursuit
An ancient tradition declares that every idiot blunder we pass into law will sooner or later redound to Athens’ profit.
ARISTOPHANES

Idiot Law
When men drink, then they are rich and successful and win lawsuits and are happy and help their friends. Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.
ARISTOPHANES

Alcohol Clever Friendship Rich Successful Wine
An actor should refine public taste.
ARISTOPHANES

Actors Taste
Children have a master to teach them, grown-ups have the poets.
ARISTOPHANES

Children Learning Poet
Tis not for us to warn a wilful sinner; We stay him not, but let him run his course, Till by misfortunes rous’d, his conscience wakes, And prompts him to appease th’ offended gods.
ARISTOPHANES

Courses Fortune God Running Wake
Words give wings to the mind and make a man soar to heaven.
ARISTOPHANES

Men Mindset Wings
Ignorance can be cured, but stupidity is forever.
ARISTOPHANES

Forever Ignorance One Liner Stupidity
Look at the orators in our republics; as long as they are poor, both state and people can only praise their uprightness; but once they are fattened on the public funds, they conceive a hatred for justice, plan intrigues against the people and attack the democracy.
ARISTOPHANES

Justice Long Ourselves People
First listen, my friend, and then you may shriek and bluster.
ARISTOPHANES

Friendship Listening
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.
ARISTOPHANES

Character Government Language Nature Need Voice
Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right. I shall not please, but I shall say what is true.
ARISTOPHANES

Comedy Right True
Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life.
ARISTOPHANES

Leadership Life People Wisdom Wise

Surely you do not believe in the gods. What’s your argument? Where’s your proof?

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Surely you do not believe in the gods. What’s your argument? Where’s your proof?

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