110+ Sophocles Quotes On Fate, Truth And Death

Sophocles was a Greek tragedian poet from the 5th century BC. He is the second of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived, the other two being Aeschylus and Euripides. He is best known for his plays Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Electra. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Sophocles on life, love, fate.

Top 10 Sophocles Quotes

1. Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.
2. Silence has many beauties.
3. The dice of Zeus always fall luckily.
4. Always desire to learn something useful
5. All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.
6. Children are the anchors of a mother's life.
7. There is nothing more hateful than bad advice.
8. What greater wound is there than a false friend?
9. Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.
10. Things gained through unjust fraud are never secure.

Sophocles Image Quotes

Silence has many beauties. — Sophocles

The dice of Zeus always fall luckily. — Sophocles

Always desire to learn something useful — Sophocles

Children are the anchors of a mother's life. — Sophocles

There is nothing more hateful than bad advice. — Sophocles

What greater wound is there than a false friend? — Sophocles

Sophocles Short Quotes

• To never have been born may be the greatest boon of all.
• There is no success without hardship.
• There is no witness so terrible and no accuser so powerful as conscience which dwells within us.
• Zeus detests above all the boasts of a proud tongue.
• Time, which sees all things, has found you out.
• Without labor nothing prospers.
• Bear up, my child, bear up; Zeus who oversees and directs all things is still mighty in heaven.
• Kindness gives birth to kindness.
• If we always helped one another, no one would need luck.
• One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.

Sophocles Quotes About Life

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love. — Sophocles

Kindness is ever the begetter of kindness. — Sophocles

Kindness it is that brings forth kindness always. — Sophocles

No man loves life like him that's growing old. — Sophocles

Better to die, and sleepThe never-waking sleep, than linger onAnd dare to live when the soul's life is gone. — Sophocles

He who throws away a friend is as bad as he who throws away his life. — Sophocles

Not knowing anything is the sweetest life. — Sophocles

Best to live lightly, unthinkingly. — Sophocles

For to cast away a virtuous friend, I call as bad as to cast away one's own life, which one loves best. — Sophocles

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life That word is love. — Sophocles

Sophocles Quotes About Love

Love, unconquerable, Waster of rich men, keeper Of warm lights and all-night vigil In the soft face of a girl: Sea-wanderer, forest-visitor! Even the pure immortals cannot escape you, And mortal man, in his one day's dusk, Trembles before your glory. — Sophocles

They are not wise, then, who stand forth to buffet against Love; for Love rules the gods as he will, and me. — Sophocles

The eyes of men love to pluck the blossoms from the faded flowers they turn away. — Sophocles

For no one loves the bearer of bad tidings. — Sophocles

Whoever gets up and comes to grips with Love like a boxer is a fool. — Sophocles

I well believe it, to unwilling ears;None love the messenger who brings bad news. — Sophocles

War loves to seek its victims in the young. — Sophocles

None loves the messenger who brings bad news. — Sophocles

One word Frees us of all the weight and pain of life That word is love. — Sophocles

Desire looks clear from the eyes of a lovely bride: power as strong as the founded world — Sophocles

Sophocles Quotes About Fate

Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it. — Sophocles

Dreadful is the mysterious power of fate; there is no deliverance from it by wealth or by war, by walled city or dark, seabeaten ships. — Sophocles

Yet I pity the poor wretch, though he's my enemy. He's yoked to an evil delusion, but the same fate could be mine. I see clearly: we who live are all phantoms, fleeing shadows. — Sophocles

It is God's giving if we laugh or weep. — Sophocles

If you try to cure evil with evil you will add more pain to your fate. — Sophocles

What fate can be worse than to know we have no one but ourselves to blame for our misfortunes! — Sophocles

Sophocles Quotes About Truth

Truth is always straightforward. — Sophocles

Truth is always the strongest argument. — Sophocles

Truth hates delay. (Veritas odit moras.) — Sophocles

What people believe prevails over the truth. — Sophocles

It is the merit of a general to impart good news, and to conceal the truth. — Sophocles

Truly, to tell lies is not honorable; but when the truth entails tremendous ruin, to speak dishonorably is pardonable. — Sophocles

How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there's no help in the truth. — Sophocles

How dreadful the knowledge of the truth can be When there’s no help in truth. — Sophocles

The truth is ever best. — Sophocles

The truth is what I cherish and that's my strength — Sophocles

Sophocles Quotes About Death

For the wretched one night is like a thousand; for someone faring well death is just one more night. — Sophocles

Even the stout of heart shrink when they see the approach of death. — Sophocles

Each say following another, either hastening or putting off our death--what pleasure does it bring? I count that man worthless whois cheered by empty hopes. No, a noble man must either live or die well. — Sophocles

For the dead there are no more toils. — Sophocles

For death is not the worst, but when one wants to die and is not able even to have that. — Sophocles

Death is not the worst thing; rather, when one who craves death cannot attain even that wish. — Sophocles

Oh death, death, why do you never come to me thus summoned always day by day? — Sophocles

Even the bold will fly when they see Death drawing in close enough to end their life. — Sophocles

Let every man in mankind's frailtyConsider his last day; and let nonePresume on his good fortune until he findLife, at his death, a memory without pain. — Sophocles

Not even old age knows how to love death. — Sophocles

Sophocles Quotes About Wisdom

A short saying often contains much wisdom. — Sophocles

Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness. — Sophocles

The kind of man who always thinks that he is right, that his opinions, his pronouncements, are the final word, when once exposed shows nothing there. But a wise man has much to learn without a loss of dignity. — Sophocles

It is no weakness for the wisest man to learn when he is wrong. — Sophocles

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

Let men be wise by instinct if they can, but when this fails be wise by good advice. — Sophocles

Man's highest blessedness, In wisdom chiefly stands; And in the things that touch upon the Gods, 'Tis best in word or deed To shun unholy pride; Great words of boasting bring great punishments, And so to grey-haired age Teach wisdom at the last. — Sophocles

If you were to offer a thirsty man all wisdom, you would not please him more than if you gave him a drink. — Sophocles

Much wisdom often goes with fewest words. — Sophocles

There is no happiness where there is no wisdom;No wisdom but in submission to the gods.Big words are always punished,And proud men in old age learn to be wise. — Sophocles

Sophocles Quotes About Pain

It is a painful thing to look at your own trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has made it. — Sophocles

You must remember that no one lives a life free from pain and suffering. — Sophocles

Sleep, thou patron of mankind, Great physician of the mind Who does nor pain nor sorrow know, Sweetest balm of every woe. — Sophocles

One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love. — Sophocles

Count no mortal fortunate till he has departed this life free from pain. — Sophocles

Sleep, ignorant of pain, sleep, ignorant of grief, may you come to us blowing softly, kindly, kindly come king. — Sophocles

Sophocles Famous Quotes And Sayings

Silence has many beauties. — Sophocles

The dice of Zeus always fall luckily. — Sophocles

Always desire to learn something useful — Sophocles

Children are the anchors of a mother's life. — Sophocles

There is nothing more hateful than bad advice. — Sophocles

What greater wound is there than a false friend? — Sophocles

Money is the worst currency that ever grew among mankind. This sacks cities, this drives men from their homes, this teaches and corrupts the worthiest minds to turn base deeds. — Sophocles

All concerns of men go wrong when they wish to cure evil with evil. — Sophocles

There is no sense in crying over spilt milk. Why bewail what is done and cannot be recalled? — Sophocles

Laziness is the mother of all evils. — Sophocles

A human being is only breath and shadow. — Sophocles

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

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

Opinions have greater power than strength of hands. — Sophocles

Chance never helps those who do not help themselves. — Sophocles

Trust dies but mistrust blossoms. — Sophocles

I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating. — Sophocles

Kindness begets kindness evermore. — Sophocles

No treaty is ever an impediment to a cheat. — Sophocles

I recommend...bread, meat, vegetables, and beer. — Sophocles

Quick decisions are unsafe decisions. — Sophocles

Foolishness is indeed the sister of wickedness. — Sophocles

Much speech is one thing, well-timed speech is another. — Sophocles

A lie never lives to be old. — Sophocles

Whom Jupiter would destroy he first drives mad. — Sophocles

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

Who feels no ills, should, therefore, fear them; and when fortune smiles, be doubly cautious, lest destruction come remorseless on him, and he fall unpitied. — Sophocles

Don't you know that silence supports the accuser's charge? — Sophocles

If you have done terrible things, you must endure terrible things; for thus the sacred light of injustice shines bright. — Sophocles

Do nothing secretly; for Time sees and hears all things, and discloses all. — Sophocles

It is terrible to speak well and be wrong. — Sophocles

No enemy is worse than bad advice. — Sophocles

Hide nothing, for time, which sees all and hears all, exposes all. — Sophocles

Despair often breeds disease. — Sophocles

In a just cause the weak will beat the strong. — Sophocles

It is the task of a good man to help those in misfortune. — Sophocles

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

If my body is enslaved, still my mind is free. — Sophocles

Heaven never helps the men who will not act. — Sophocles

Dark, dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud, wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud. — Sophocles

A man growing old becomes a child again. — Sophocles

To be doing good deeds is man's most glorious task. — Sophocles

Remember, nothing succeeds without toil. — Sophocles

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

Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted. — Sophocles

For God hates utterly the bray of bragging tongues. — Sophocles

Isn't it the sweetest mockery to mock our enemies? — Sophocles

The soul that has conceived one wickedness can nurse no good thereafter. — Sophocles

I have no desire to suffer twice, in reality and then in retrospect. — Sophocles

What you cannot enforce, do not command. — Sophocles

For most men friendship is a faithless harbor. — Sophocles

It's impossible to speak what it is not noble to do. — Sophocles

To live without evil belongs only to the gods. — Sophocles

To him who is in fear everything rustles. — Sophocles

Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver. — Sophocles

A fearful man is always hearing things. — Sophocles

There is no greater evil than anarchy. — Sophocles

No speech can stain what is noble by nature. — Sophocles

The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities. — Sophocles

Alas, how quickly the gratitude owed to the dead flows off, how quick to be proved a deceiver. — Sophocles

How sweet for those faring badly to forget their misfortunes even for a short time. — Sophocles

Heaven never helps the man who will not help himself — Sophocles

You win the victory when you yield to friends. — Sophocles

Be a thrifty steward of thy goods. — Sophocles

Show me the man who keeps his house in hand, He's fit for public authority. — Sophocles

How dreadful it is when the right judge judges wrong! — Sophocles

We must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day had been. — Sophocles

The golden eye of justice sees, and requites the unjust man. — Sophocles

Afterthought makes the first resolve a liar. — Sophocles

Silence is an ornament for women. — Sophocles

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 — Sophocles

All a man's affairs become diseased when he wishes to cure evils by evils. — Sophocles

Nobody likes the man who brings bad news. — Sophocles

To me no profitable speech sounds ill. — Sophocles

Life Lessons by Sophocles

1. Sophocles teaches us to accept our fate, no matter how difficult it may be, and to remain humble and grateful for the blessings we have.
2. He also encourages us to strive for greatness, to be courageous and to never give up in the face of adversity.
3. Finally, Sophocles reminds us to be mindful of our actions and words, as they can have lasting consequences.