You vote yourselves salaries out of the public funds and care only for your own personal interests; hence the state limps along.

The wise learn many things from their enemies.

You're mistaken; men of sense often learn much from their enemies. Prudence is the best safeguard. This principle cannot be learnt from a friend: but an enemy extorts it immediately. It is from their foes and not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war. And this lesson saves their children, their homes, and their properties.

Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master, At which the audience never fail to laugh?

Lysistrata: Oh, Calonicé, my heart is on fire; I blush for our sex. Men will have it we are tricky and sly...Calonicé: And they are quite right, upon my word!Lysistrata: Yet, look you, when the women are summoned to meet for a matter of the last importance, they lie abed instead of coming.Calonicé: Oh, they will come, my dear; but 'tis not easy you know, for a woman to leave the house. One is busy pottering about her husband; another is getting the servant up; a third is putting her child asleep or washing the brat or feeding it.

Meton (astronomer in 5th century BC): With the straight ruler I set to work To make the circle four-cornered .

These impossible women! How they do get around us! The poet was right: can't live with them, or without them!