50 Aeschylus Quotes Celebrating Truth and Wisdom

This Aeschylus quotes collection will make you wiser and change the way you think.

An ancient Greek playwright who is often recognized as the father of tragedy (a form of drama involving disastrous events), Aeschylus was the earliest of the great Greek tragedians and the first European dramatist whose plays were preserved.

Said to have been born in about 525 BC to a noble and wealthy Athenian family, Aeschylus grew up through many exciting events in the history of Athens.

During his youth, the city underwent many constitutional reforms and he himself took part in Athens’ first struggles against the invading Persians.

Aeschylus wrote an estimated seventy to ninety plays but only seven survived, the best known being “The Oresteia” trilogy which is generally acclaimed by modern critics and scholars.

Aeschylus’s plays, which were rich with moral authority, won him many awards and left a big mark in Greek history.

In his honor, below is our collection of wise and thought-provoking Aeschylus quotes.

Don’t forget to also read our collection of Confucius quotes about life, love and wisdom.

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration.

Our inspirational quotes category page has all of our motivational quotes for all the different areas of life.

Aeschylus quotes celebrating truth and wisdom

1. ”Wisdom comes through suffering.” – Aeschylus

You will also enjoy our article on Euripides quotes.

2. ”The one knowing what is profitable, and not the man knowing many things, is wise.” – Aeschylus

3. ”The words of truth are simple.” – Aeschylus

4. ”It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.” – Aeschylus

5. ”Words are the physicians of a mind diseased” – Aeschylus

6. ”Memory is the mother of all wisdom” – Aeschylus

7. ”The truth Has to be melted out of our stubborn lives By suffering. Nothing speaks the truth, Nothing tells us how things really are, Nothing forces us to know What we do not want to know Except pain. And this is how the gods declare their love.” – Aeschylus

8. ”Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” – Aeschylus

9. ”There is advantage in the wisdom won from pain.” – Aeschylus

10. ”Self-will in the man who does not reckon wisely is by itself the weakest of all things.” – Aeschylus

Thought-provoking Aeschylus quotes

11. ”There is no sickness worse for me than words that to be kind must lie.” – Aeschylus

12. ”Those who would learn must suffer. In our own despair, against our will, wisdom comes to us.” – Aeschylus

13. ”Don’t try to make intelligent decisions when your brain is hyped.” – Aeschylus

14. “There is no sickness worse for me than words that to be kind must lie.” – Aeschylus

15. ”For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune.” – Aeschylus

16. ”Search well and be wise, nor believe that self-willed pride will ever be better than good counsel.” – Aeschylus

17. ”In war, truth is the first casualty.” – Aeschylus

18. ”We should know what is true before we break our rage.” – Aeschylus

19. ”Be it mine to draw from wisdom’s fount, pure as it flows, that calm of soul which virtue only knows.” – Aeschylus

20. “Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.” – Aeschylus

Aeschylus quotes on suffering and experience

21. ”Who acts, shall endure. So speaks the voice of the age-old wisdom.” – Aeschylus

22. ”The reward of suffering is experience.” – Aeschylus

23. ”It is easy when we are in prosperity to give advice to the afflicted.” – Aeschylus

24. ”It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” – Aeschylus

25. ”When one is willing and eager, the Gods join in.” – Aeschylus

26. ”He who goes unenvied shall not be admired.” – Aeschylus

27. ”God loves to help him who strives to help himself.” – Aeschylus

28. ”The man who does ill must suffer ill.” – Aeschylus

29. ”Time brings all things to pass.” – Aeschylus

30. ”Time as he grows old teaches all things.” – Aeschylus

Aeschylus quotes that will make you wiser

31. ”From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.” – Aeschylus

32. ”To learn is to be young, however old.” – Aeschylus

33. ”A prosperous fool is a grievous burden.” – Aeschylus

34. ”Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.” – Aeschylus

35. ”Obedience is the mother of success, and success the parent of salvation.” – Aeschylus

36. ”Words are doctors for the diseased temper.” – Aeschylus

37. ”God’s mouth knows not how to speak falsehood, but he brings to pass every word.” – Aeschylus

38. ”Pride has always gone before a fall.” – Aeschylus

39. ”God always strives together with those who strive.” – Aeschylus

40. ”There are times when fear is good. It must keep its watchful place at the heart’s controls.” – Aeschylus

Other inspirational Aeschylus quotes

41. ”From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.” – Aeschylus

42. ”I have learned to hate all traitors, and there is no disease that I spit on more than treachery.” – Aeschylus

43. ”And one who is just of his own free will shall not lack for happiness; and he will never come to utter ruin.” – Aeschylus

44. ”Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as for him enslaved by another’s might.” – Aeschylus

45. ”Since long I’ve held silence a remedy for harm.” – Aeschylus

46. ”Willingly no one chooses the yoke of slavery.” – Aeschylus

47. ”Better to die on your feet than live on your knees.” – Aeschylus

48. ”There are times when fear is good. It must keep its watchful place at the heart’s controls. Aeschylus

49. ”Who apart from the gods is without pain for his whole lifetime’s length?” – Aeschylus

50. ”I would rather be ignorant than knowledgeable of evils.” – Aeschylus

Also check out these Medusa quotes about the unique guardian from Greek mythology.

Which of these Aeschylus quotes was your favorite?

Aeschylus is one of the best-known Athenian tragic poets and the earliest playwright in any language whose plays survive today.

His plays depicted the hard choices men have to make, and what happens as a result.

Aeschylus has much to tell us about contemporary matters.

Some of his works are still relevant to our current political systems and help us remember the very values that make us human.

Which of these Aeschylus quotes was your favorite?

Do you have any other quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.