Silence is an ornament for women.
SophoclesRead
For every nation that lives peaceably, there will be many others to grow hard and push their arrogance to extremes; the gods attend to these things slowly. But they attend to those who put off God and turn to madness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nations that seek peace may face others who become overbearing and arrogant, as divine balance eventually addresses these behaviors.
This quote reflects on the dynamics between peaceful nations and those that adopt aggressive or arrogant postures. It suggests that while tranquility may prevail in certain areas, there will always be nations that exploit their power and exhibit hubris. Over time, divine forces or cosmic justice will address these imbalances, particularly when those in power turn away from moral considerations and towards recklessness or madness.
Themes
PeaceArroganceNationsDivine JusticeMadness
In practice
Example use cases
In a political speech advocating for peace among nations.
More from Sophocles
All quotes →None love the messenger who brings bad news.
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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.
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Not even Ares battles against necessity.
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You clearly hate to yield, but you will regret it when your anger has passed. Such natures are justly the hardest for themselves to bear.
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There is nothing more hateful than bad advice.
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