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The Unjust Cause on making the worse cause win

423 BCE, Athens (Theatre of Dionysus). The Unjust Cause speaking, in Aristophanes’ play.

Where and when

423 BCEAthens (Theatre of Dionysus)

2,448 years ago

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Aristophanes

, Athens (Theatre of Dionysus)The Unjust Cause speaking, in Aristophanes’ play

In plain words, ours

I was the first to argue against law and justice. Being able to take the worse side and still win is worth a fortune.

I first contrived how to speak against both law and justice; and this art is worth more than ten thousand staters, that one should choose the worse cause, and nevertheless be victorious.

Aristophanes, Clouds lines 1036–1040Translated by William James Hickie (1853)Read the full passage (Aristophanes, Clouds lines 1036–1040, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

In Aristophanes' comedy Clouds, two characters, the Just Cause and the Unjust Cause, argue in front of the Chorus. The Unjust Cause, known as the worse cause, now sets out to beat his rival.

Checked claim by claim against: the passage around the quote.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 427 BCE4 years earlier Athens votes to kill Mytilene's men, then relents Also in Athens
  2. 427 BCE, written later4 years earlier Thucydides on words changing meaning Also about speech and persuasion
  3. 425 BCE2 years earlier Spartans surrender on Sphacteria Same years
  4. 424/423 BCEDuring it Thucydides fails to save Amphipolis and is exiled Same years
  5. 423 BCEThis momentThe Unjust Cause on making the worse cause win
  6. 423 BCESame year A disciple of Socrates on the flea More from Aristophanes
  7. 423 BCESame year Strepsiades on the gnat's trumpet More from Aristophanes
  8. 423 BCESame year Aristophanes' Socrates walks on air More from Aristophanes
  9. 422 BCE1 year later Cleon and Brasidas both die at Amphipolis Same years
  10. 421 BCE2 years later The Peace of Nicias Also in Athens
  11. c. 431–411 BCEDuring it Socrates on guardians sharing wives and children Same years
  12. c. 430–405 BCEDuring it Socrates would rather suffer wrong than do it Also in AthensAlso about justice and law
  13. 416 BCE, written later7 years later Athenian envoys to Melos on the strong and weak Also about justice and law
  14. c. 386 BCEabout 37 years later Socrates on Aspasia's funeral speech Also about speech and persuasion

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

Chorus: O thou that practisest most renowned high-towering wisdom! How sweetly does a modest grace attend your words! Happy, therefore, were they who lived in those days, in the times of former men! In reply, then, to these, O thou that hast a dainty-seeming Muse, it behooveth thee to say something new; since the man has gained renown. And it appears you have need of powerful arguments against him, if you are to conquer the man and not incur laughter.

Unjust Cause: And yet I was choking in my heart, and was longing to confound all these with contrary maxims. For I have been called among the deep thinkers the worse cause on this very account, that

The quote: Unjust Cause: I first contrived how to speak against both law and justice; and this art is worth more than ten thousand staters, that one should choose the worse cause, and nevertheless be victorious.

Unjust Cause: But mark how I will confute the system of education on which he relies, who says, in the first place, that he will not permit you to be washed with warm water. And yet, on what principle do you blame the warm baths?

Just Cause: Because it is most vile, and makes a man cowardly.

Unjust Cause: Stop! For immediately I seize and hold you by the waist without escape. Come, tell me, which of the sons of Jupiter do you deem to have been the bravest in soul, and to have undergone most labours?

Just Cause: I consider no man superior to Hercules.

Unjust Cause: Where, pray, did you ever see cold Herculean baths? And yet, who was more valiant than he?

Aristophanes, Clouds lines 1024–1051Translated by William James Hickie (1853)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
423 BCE. Clouds was first staged in 423 BCE; the text that survives is a partial revision Aristophanes made a few years later, which was never staged.
Whose words
The Unjust Cause speaking, in Aristophanes’ play.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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