Menander Quotes
Menander was an ancient Greek playwright known for his comedies about everyday life in Athens. His surviving fragments and quotations reveal a sharp observer of human behavior who could compress a moral truth into a single line. His themes -- hard work, character, the company you keep -- remain as relevant now as they were over two thousand years ago.
These quotes are useful for essays on classical literature, social media posts with a timeless feel, speeches about character, or classroom discussions. Browse through and find the lines that still hold up.
-
“Culture makes all men gentle.”
-
“He who labors diligently need never despair; for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor.”
-
“Bad company corrupts good character.”
-
“We live, not as we wish to, but as we can.”
-
“Marriage, if one will face the truth, is an evil, but a necessary evil.”
-
“The spoken word is man's physician in grief. For this alone has soothing charms for the soul.”
-
“Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado.”
-
“Old men are children for the second time.”
-
“The character of a man is known from his conversations.”
-
“When at a loss about something, go and take counsel by yourself. For in the midst of shouting, the advantageous course is not to be seen, but as one reasons with oneself, it shines out clear.”
-
“The sword the body wounds, sharp words the mind.”
-
“Whom the gods love dies young.”
-
“A thing hard to track is Fortune.”
-
“The Truth, sometimes not sought for, comes forth to the light.”
-
“I call a fig a fig, a spade a spade.”
-
“Intelligence, if it is clever in the direction of the better, is responsible for the greatest benefits of all.”
-
“Even God lends a hand to honest boldness.”
-
“Riches cover a multitude of woes.”
-
“Know thyself' is a good saying, but not in all situations. In many it is better to say 'know others.”