MEDEA: They say the gods themselves
Are moved by gifts, and gold does more with men than words.

ΜΉΔΕΙΑ:Πείθειν δῶρα καὶ θεοὺς λόγος:
Χρυσὸς δὲ κρείσσων μυρίων λόγων βροτοῖς.

Euripides (485?-406? BC) Greek tragic dramatist
Medea [Μήδεια], l. 964ff (431 BC) [tr. Warner (1944)]
    (Source)

(Source (Greek)). Other translations:

The Gods themselves
By gifts are sway'd, as fame relates; and gold
Hath a far greater influence o'er the souls
Of mortals than the most persuasive words.
[tr. Wodhull (1782)]

Presents with the gods
Have pow'r; and no persuasive words can charm
The hearts of men, like god.
[tr. Potter (1814)]

Gifts, they say, win even gods,
And gold makes more with men than countless reasons.
[tr. Webster (1868)]

'Tis said that gifts tempt even gods; and o'er men's minds gold holds more potent sway than countless words.
[tr. Coleridge (1891)]

Gifts, they say, persuade even the Gods, and gold is more powerful than a thousand arguments to men.
[tr. Buckley (1892)]

Gifts sway the Gods, they say.
Gold weigheth more with men than words untold
[tr. Way (Loeb) (1894)]

'Tis written, gifts persuade
The gods in heaven; and gold is stronger made
Than words innumerable to bend men's ways.
[tr. Murray (1906)]

Gifts, they say, persuade even the gods;
With mortals, gold outweights a thousand arguments.
[tr. Vellacott (1963)]

Even gods have their price, they say, And gold for men is worth a thousand words.
[tr. Podlecki (1989)]

They say gifts win over even the gods, and gold is more to mortals than ten thousand words.
[tr. Kovacs (Loeb) (1994); Kovacs / Zhang / Rogak]

Gifts win over the gods themselves, they say; gold carries more weight with mortals than any number of words.
[tr. Davie (1996)]

They say that even the gods are persuaded more by gifts and gold than by a million words.
[tr. Theodoridis (2004)]

The saying goes “gifts persuade the gods.”
And “gold is stronger than ten thousand words among men.”
[tr. Luschnig (2007)]

It's said that gifts persuade even the gods; and gold is better than a thousand words.
[tr. Ewans (2022)]

It is said that gifts persuade even the gods. Gold is more powerful for mortals than countless words.
[tr. Coleridge / Ceragioli / Nagy / Hour25]


 
Added on 9-Jun-26 | Last updated 9-Jun-26
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