Alexis

Alexis (Ancient Greek: Ἄλεξις, Álexis; fl. 350s – 288 BC) was a Greek poet of Middle Comedy.

Quotes

• ἅπαντα τὰ ζητούμεν᾿ ἐξευρίσκεται,
  ἂν μὴ προαποστῇς μηδὲ τὸν πόνον φύγῃς.
  ὅπου γὰρ εὑρήκασιν ἄνθρωποί τινες
  μέρος τι τῶν θείων, τοσούτῳ τῷ τόπῳ
  ἀπέχοντες, ἄστρων ἐπιτολάς, δύσεις, τροπάς,
  ἔκλειψιν ἡλίου· τί τῶν κοινῶν ⟨κάτω⟩
  καὶ συγγενικῶν δύναιτ᾿ ἂν ἄνθρωπον φυγεῖν;
  • Discovery attends on every quest,
    Except for renegades who shirk the toil.
    Now certain men have pushed discovery
    Into the sphere of heaven. Some part they know,—
    How planets rise and set and wheel about,
    And of the sun’s eclipse. If men have probed
    Worlds far remote, can problems of this earth,
    This common home to which we’re born, defy them?
  • Frg. 31 K.-A. (tr. T. F. Higham, 1938)

• τοιοῦτο τὸ ζῆν ἐστιν ὥσπερ οἱ κύβοι·
  οὐ ταὔτ᾿ ἀεὶ πίπτουσιν, οὐδὲ τῷ βίῳ
  ταὐτὸν διαμένει σχῆμα, μεταβολὰς δ᾿ ἔχει.
  • Our life is like to dice, which ever fall
    In varying combinations; no one form
    Has man's existence, but 'tis full of change.
  • Frg. 35 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• ὁμοιότατος ἄνθρωπος οἴνῳ τὴν φύσιν
  τρόπον τιν᾿ ἐστί. τὸν γὰρ οἶνον τὸν νέον
  πολλή ᾿στ᾿ ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν ἄνδρ᾿ ἀποζέσαι
  πρώτιστον ἀφυβρίσαι τ᾿, ἀπανθήσαντα δὲ
  σκληρὸν γενέσθαι, παρακμάσαντα δ᾿ ὧν λέγω
  τούτων ἁπάντων, ἀπαρυθέντα τὴν ἄνω
  ταύτην ἄνοιαν ἐπιπολάζουσαν, τότε
  πότιμον γενέσθαι καὶ καταστῆναι πάλιν
  ἡδύν θ᾿ ἅπασι τοὐπίλοιπον διατελεῖν.
  • The nature of man is in some respects very much resembling wine. For, like new wine, the youthful mind requries to have its fermentation thrown off, and its roughness skimmed; but when its excessive violence has abated, and the fury, which swam on the top, has disappeared, then it becomes drinkable, and settles down, continuing pleasant to all future time.
  • Frg. 46 K.-A. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1873)

• οὐκοῦν, τὸ πολλοῖς τῶν σοφῶν εἰρημένον,
  τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι μὲν κράτιστόν ἐστ᾿ ἀεί,
  ἐπὰν γένηται δ᾿, ὡς τάχιστ᾿ ἔχειν τέλος.
  • Most wise men were agreed that it were best
    Not to be born, but if that may not be,
    Then with the least delay to reach the goal.
  • Frg. 145.14–16 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• οὐ τοῖς γὰρ ὀμνύουσι τὸν φρονοῦντα δεῖ,
  τοῖς πράγμασιν δ᾿ αὐτοῖσι πιστεύειν ἀεί.
  • Not in vain oaths should prudent men believe,
    But put their trust in actions.
  • Frg. 165 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• ὑπαλείφεται τὰς ῥῖνας· ὑγιείας μέρος
  μέγιστον ὀσμὰς ἐγκεφάλῳ χρηστὰς ποιεῖν.
  • His nose he anoints, and thinks it plain
    'Tis good for health with scents to feed the brain.
  • Frg. 195.2–3 K.-A. (tr. C. D. Yonge, 1854); cf. Posidonius

• ἤδη γὰρ ὁ βίος οὑμὸς ἑσπέραν ἄγει.
  • For now my life is approaching its evening.
  • Frg. 230 K.-A. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1873)

• οὐ θνητὸς οὐδ᾿ ἀθάνατος, ἀλλ᾿ ἔχων τινὰ
  σύγκρασιν, ὥστε μήτ᾿ ἐν ἀνθρώπου μέρει
  μήτ᾿ ἐν θεοῦ ζῆν.
  • Not of the mortals Sleep, nor of the immortals,
    But blended of the two; thus nor with man
    His heritage, nor with the gods.
  • Frg. 242.1–3 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• κόλακος δὲ βίος μικρὸν χρόνον ἀνθεῖ·
  οὐδεὶς γὰρ χαίρει πολιοκροτάφῳ παρασίτῳ.
  • For no long time the flatterer flourishes,
    For none can brook a grey-haired parasite.
  • Frg. 262 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• ἐπὰν δὲ γήμῃς, οὐδὲ σαυτοῦ κύριον
  ἔξεστιν εἶναι.
  • Once thou art wed, no longer canst thou be
    Lord of thyself.
  • Frg. 264.7–8 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• τῶν γὰρ ἀγαθῶν τὸν πλοῦτον ὕστατον τίθει·
  ἀβεβαιότατον γάρ ἐστιν ὧν κεκτήμεθα.
  • Of all thy blessings reckon wealth the least,
    For 'tis the least secure of our possessions.
  • Frg. 283.1–2 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• κἂν εὐτυχῇ τις, ὡς ἔοικε, προσδοκᾶν
  ἀεί τι δεῖ, καὶ μή τι πιστεύειν τύχῃ.
  • Though Fortune now be smiling, it behoves
    To look ahead, nor e'er to trust in Fortune.
  • Frg. 289 K.-A. (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)

• φεῦγ᾿ ἡδονὴν φέρουσαν ὕστερον βλάβην.
  • Fly pleasure, which at last brings loss.
  • Frg. 297 K.-A. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1873)

References

Text

• Kassel, Rudolf; Austin, Colin. Poetae Comici Graeci, vol. II Agathenor-Aristonymus. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1991.

Translations

• Harbottle, Thomas Benfield. Dictionary of Quotations (Classical). London: Swan Sonnenschein, 1897. Internet Archive
• Ramage, Craufurd Tait. Beautiful Thoughts from Greek Authors. Liverpool: Edward Howell, 1873, pp. 31–33. Google Books