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A fox is subtlety itself.

Aristophanes

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

Idiot Law
Woman is adept at getting money for herself and will not easily let herself be deceived; she understands deceit too well herself.
ARISTOPHANES

Deceit Deceived Money
Evil events from evil causes spring.
ARISTOPHANES

Evil Result Spring
Thou shouldst not decide until thou hast heard what both have to say.
ARISTOPHANES

Ethics Fairness Justice
Open your mind before your mouth.
ARISTOPHANES

Mind Mouths Yourself
Prayers without wine are perfectly pointless.
ARISTOPHANES

Pointless Prayer Religious Wine
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
Ah! the Generals! they are numerous, but not good for much!
ARISTOPHANES

Goodness War
Old age is second childhood.
ARISTOPHANES

Age Childhood Old Age One Liner
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
You can’t have anything else to say: you’ve poured out every drop of what you know.
ARISTOPHANES

Knowledge Yourself
Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right. I shall not please, but I shall say what is true.
ARISTOPHANES

Comedy Right True
I saw a cavalry captain buy vegetable soup on horseback. He carried the whole mess home in his helmet.
ARISTOPHANES

Food Home Myself Vegetables
Women, you overheated dipsomaniacs, never passing up a chance to wangle a drink, a great boon to bartenders but a bane to us–not to mention our crockery and our woolens!
ARISTOPHANES

Chance Drink Women
To invoke solely the weaker arguments and yet triumph is an art worth more than a hundred thousand drachmae.
ARISTOPHANES

Argument Art Success

A fox is subtlety itself.

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A fox is subtlety itself.

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