Sophocles Quotes on Man (34 Quotes)

A city which belongs to just one man is no true city

A man, though wise, should never be ashamed of learning more, and must unbend his mind.

Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness; and reverence towards the Gods must be inviolate. Great words of prideful men are ever punished with great blows, and, in old age, teach the chastened to be wise.

In time you will know this well: For time, and time alone, will show the just man, though scoundrels are discovered in a day.

Marvels are many, but man is the greatest.

A word does not frighten the man who, in acting, feels no fear.

Men may know many things by seeing; but no prophet can see before the event, nor what end waits for him.

Fortune raises up and fortune brings low both the man who fares well and the one who fares badly; and there is no prophet of the future for mortal men.

Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man.

Man is not constituted to take pleasure in the same things always.

Every man can see things far off but is blind to what is near.

To a man who is afraid everything rustles.

But this is a true saying among men: the gifts of enemies are no gifts and profitless.

A state is not a state if it belongs to one man.

There are some who praise a man free from disease; to me no man who is poor seems free from disease but to be constantly sick.

When a man has lost all happiness, he's not alive. Call him a breathing corpse.

Though a man be wise it is no shame for him to live and learn

Men of perverse opinion do not know the excellence of what is in their hands, till someone dash it from them.

Men should pledge themselves to nothing; for reflection makes a liar of their resolution.

There is an ancient saying, famous among men, that thou shouldst not judge fully of a man's life before he dieth, whether it should be called blest or wretched.

Now I see that going out into the testing ground of men it is the tongue and not the deed that wins the day.

Whoever thinks that he alone has speech, or possesses speech or mind above others, when unfolded such men are seen to be empty.

Even a poor man can receive honors.

It is a base thing for a man among the people not to obey those in command. Never in a state can the laws be well administered when fear does not stand firm.

A fearful man is always hearing things.

The ideal condition would be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct but since we are all likely to go astray, The reasonable thing is to learn from those who can teach

A wise man does not chatter with one whose mind is sick.

Time alone reveals the just man; but you might discern a bad man in a single day.

Reason is God's crowning gift to man.

Nobody loves life like an old man.

Ignorant men don't know what good they hold in their hands until they've flung it away.

Men of ill judgment ignore the good that lies within their hands, till they have lost it.

There is an ancient saying among men that you cannot thoroughly understand the life of mortals before the man has died, then only can you call it good or bad.

All is disgust when a man leaves his own nature and does what is unfit.