Cratinus

Cratinus (Greek: Κρατῖνος, Kratînos; 519 BC – 422 BC) was an Athenian poet and playwright of the Old Comedy. None of his plays has survived intact, but many fragments and quotations from his plays are known.

Quotes

Greek text cited from R. Kassel, C. Austin, Poetae Comici Graeci, vol. IV Aristophon–Crobylus (Berlin-New York, 1983).
Translations cited from J. M. Edmonds, The Fragments of Attic Comedy, vol. I (Leiden, 1957).

• οἷον σοφιστῶν σμῆνος ἀνεδιφήσατε.
  • Oh what a swarm of sophists you've poked up!
  • Frg. 2 K.-A., Archilochoi ("The Archilochuses")

• νικῷ μὲν ὁ τῇδε πόλει λέγων τὸ λῷστον.
  • May he who counsels Athens best be first!
  • Frg. 52 K.-A., Dionysoi ("The Dionysuses")

• ὑμῶν εἷς μὲν ἕκαστος ἀλώπηξ δωροδοκεῖται.
  • Ye take, each one of you, the fox's bribe.
  • Frg. 135 K.-A., Nomoi ("The Laws")
  • A parody of Solon, frg. 11.5 IEG (tr. J. M. Edmonds, 1957):
    • ὑμέων δ᾿ εἷς μὲν ἕκαστος ἀλώπεκος ἴχνεσι βαίνει.
    • Ye go, each one of you, the fox's gait.

• ὕδωρ δὲ πίνων οὐδὲν ἂν τέκοις σοφόν.
  • No water-drinker's work is worth a penny.
  • Frg. 203 K.-A., Pytine ("The Wineflask")

• τὴν μουσικὴν ἀκορέστους ἐπιφέρειν ὀργὰς βροτοῖς σώφροσιν.
  • Music, which if wise men let it never tires of humouring them.
  • Frg. 248 K.-A., Cheirones ("The Chirons"); original phrasing not preserved.

• μακάριος ἦν ὁ πρὸ τοῦ βίος βροτοῖσιν
  πρὸς τὰ νῦν, ὃν εἶχον ἄνδρες
  ἀγανόφρονες ἡδυλόγῳ σοφίᾳ
  βροτῶν περισσοκαλεῖς.
  • Happy beyond the days that are
      Were the days when mankind was young,
        When men were taught
        To be gentle of thought.
    By an art that of human things is fairest far,
      The art that is sweet of tongue.
  • Frg. 256 K.-A., Cheirones ("The Chirons")