35 Menander Quotes From the Great Dramatist

Oluniyi Akande
Dec 12, 2023 By Oluniyi Akande
Originally Published on Aug 31, 2022
Edited by Ashima Jain
Fact-checked by Tehil David
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Menander had won prizes at the Lenaia festival.

Menander was a Greek dramatist, poet, and illustrative of the new comedy of Athens.

Menander was born around 342/41 BC in Kephisia, Athens. The Greek comic dramatist studied at Theophrastus at the Lyceum.

Menander, a Greek dramatist, and poet, had written 108 comedies. He was the representative of the New Comedy of Athens. He developed his interest in comic drama from his uncle Alexis, who had also written comedies.

He had also won prizes eight times at the Lenaia festival. During the middle ages, much of his work was lost, and during the 20th century, much of his work was discovered, although only one play, 'Dyskolos', was completely discovered. His father, Diopeithes, was an Athenian general and governor of the Thracian Chersonese.

The famous Greek dramatist Menander has said and written about many things such as divinity, intellect, blessings, humans, self-control, and comedy. His work has made influenced and also helped in the development of European comedy. Here are 35 famous quotes given to the world by the Greek poet Menander.

Menander's Famous Inspirational Quotes

The Greek poet Menander has given many inspirational quotes that not only inspired people of that time but also continue to do in this generation. As he believed that inspiration is a foundation of creativity and that a creative person can be helpful in bringing change to the world.

Here are some inspirational quotes from the writer of 108 comedies.

"He who labors diligently need never despair for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor."

"Silence is often advantageous."

"Know thyself is a good saying, but not in all situations. In many it is better to say Know others."

"Know thyself means this, that you get acquainted with what you know, and what you can do."

"Even God lends a hand to honest boldness."

"Hope saves a person in the midst of misfortunes."

Menander's Famous Quotes About Life

The Greek comedy poet Menander had a lot to say about life as its earliest occurrences and fragments. He highlighted that life is the part of survival that develops, responds, performs, assesses, and changes through growing.

He even imitates Euripides in his intense reflection of practical life, in his study of emotions, and even in his affection for ethical adages. Here are some famous quotes about the life given by poet Menander.

"We live, not as we wish to, but as we can."

"Man must be prepared for every event of life, for there is nothing that is durable."

"Never ask the Gods for life set free from grief, but ask for courage that endureth long."

"Being mortal, never pray for an untroubled life. Rather, ask the God to give you an enduring heart."

(Menander is known as the representative of the New Comedy of Athens.)

Menander's Famous Quotes About Wisdom

Menander, the Greek poet of comedies, had said many things about wisdom, believing that a person's intellect is a stronger weapon. He also said that wisdom is an experience of life that helps a person deal with positive and negative aspects coming along in the journey. Here are some of his quotes about wisdom.

"There is but one genuine love potion - consideration."

"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom."

"By associating with wise people you will become wise yourself."

"The man who runs may fight again."

"It is not hoary hairs that bring wisdom; some have an old head on young shoulders."

"Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado."

"Nothing is more useful than silence."

"Conscience is a God to all mortals."

"The sword the body wounds, sharp words the mind."

Menander's Famous Quotes About Human

The Greek poet of 342 BC, Menander, had also said about humans and things revolved around them. He mentioned that humans had allowed the expansion of progressive tools, language, and culture. They are social beings with fragments of various relationships in a wide diversity. Here are some of his quotes regarding humans.

"Art is man's refuge from adversity"

"If you want to live your whole life free from pain you must become either a god or else a corpse. Consider other men's troubles and that will comfort you"

"There is no such cozy combination as man and wife."

"The character of a man is known from his conversations."

"The man who cannot blush, and who has no feelings of fear, has reached the acme of impudence."

"Bad company corrupts good character."

- 'Thais'

"To live is not to live for one's self; let us help one another."

"The good man makes others good."

“When a poor man's wronged, he becomes a very difficult customer. To start with, he gets a lot of sympathy: and then he takes his bad treatment not just as an injury, but as a personal insult.”

Menander's Famous Quotes About Evil

Menander is a student of Theophrastus. He wrote many quotes about evil too. He believes that evil, along with goodness, is a journey of life. Evil helps humans to evolve.

Here are some quotes about evil by Menander.

"It must be that evil communications corrupt good dispositions."

"Everything is destroyed by its own particular vice: the destructive power resides within. Rust destroys iron, moths destroy clothes, the worm eats away the wood; but greatest of all evils is envy, impious habitant of corrupt souls, which ever was, is, and shall be a consuming disease."

"The chief beginning of evil is goodness in excess."

"Marriage, if one will face the truth, is an evil, but a necessary evil."

Menander's Famous Quotes About Experience

The Greek poet Menander, a famous writer of antiquity, has said some phrases about the experience. He believed that experience is the course through which mindful human beings observe the world around them. He also highlighted that the experience is the main focus of several small parts of philosophy, like the philosophy of insight and the philosophy of mind.

Here are some quotes from Menander about experience.

"No man alive can say, This shall not happen to me."

"The school of hard knocks is an accelerated curriculum."

"Nothing has happened to you unless you make much of it."

"A rich man owns so many goods he has no place to shit".

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menander

https://minimalistquotes.com/quotes-by/menander/

https://fixquotes.com/authors/menander.htm

https://inspiration.rightattitudes.com/authors/menander/

https://www.azquotes.com/author/64254-Menander?p=2

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Written by Oluniyi Akande

Doctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

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Oluniyi AkandeDoctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

With an accomplished background as a Veterinarian, SEO content writer, and public speaker, Oluniyi brings a wealth of skills and experience to his work. Holding a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan, he provides exceptional consulting services to pet owners, animal farms, and agricultural establishments. Oluniyi's impressive writing career spans over five years, during which he has produced over 5000 high-quality short- and long-form pieces of content. His versatility shines through as he tackles a diverse array of topics, including pets, real estate, sports, games, technology, landscaping, healthcare, cosmetics, personal loans, debt management, construction, and agriculture.

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Fact-checked by Tehil David

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature, Master of Arts specializing in Philosophy and Religious Studies

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Tehil DavidBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature, Master of Arts specializing in Philosophy and Religious Studies

Tehil David Singh is a fact checker with a Bachelor's degree in English literature from St.Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, and a Master's degree in Philosophy, and Religion from Madurai Kamaraj University. He has a passion for writing and hopes to become a story writer in the future. Tehil has previously interned in content writing and has been a content creator for the last three years. In his personal life, he enjoys singing, songwriting, performing, and writing stories.

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