Homer Quotes

It is entirely seemly for a young man killed in battle to lie mangled by the bronze spear. In his death all things appear fair. But when dogs shame the gray head and gray chin and nakedness of an old man killed, it is the most piteous thing that happens among wretched mortals.
A small rock holds back a great wave.
A generation of men is like a generation of leaves the wind scatters some leaves upon the ground, while others the burgeoning wood brings forth - and the season of spring comes on. So of men one generation springs forth and another ceases.
The difficulty is not so great to die for a friend, as to find a friend worth dying for.
Evil deeds do not prosper the slow man catches up with the swift.
There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.
By their own follies they perished, the fools.
A multitude of rulers is not a good thing. Let there be one ruler, one king.
It is not possible to fight beyond your strength, even if you strive.
Miserable mortals who, like leaves, at one moment flame with life, eating the produce of the land, and at another moment weakly perish.
May the gods grant you all things which your heart desires, and may they give you a husband and a home and gracious concord, for there is nothing greater and better than this -when a husband and wife keep a household in oneness of mind, a great woe to their enemies and joy to their friends, and win high renown.
The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken.
In saffron-colored mantle, from the tides of ocean rose the morning to bring light to gods and men.
It is equally offensive to speed a guest who would like to stay and to detain one who is anxious to leave.
It is equally wrong to speed a guest who does not want to go, and to keep one back who is eager. You ought to make welcome the present guest, and send forth the one who wishes to go.
How God ever brings like to like.
Even when someone battles hard, there is an equal portion for one who lingers behind, and in the same honor are held both the coward and the brave man the idle man and he who has done much meet death alike.
The glorious gifts of the gods are not to be cast aside.
It is not unseemly for a man to die fighting in defense of his country.
Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.
A young man is embarrassed to question an older one.
All strangers and beggars are from Zeus, and a gift, though small, is precious.
The gods, likening themselves to all kinds of strangers, go in various disguises from city to city, observing the wrongdoing and the righteousness of men.
He knew the things that were and the things that would be and the things that had been before.
He lives not long who battles with the immortals, nor do his children prattle about his knees when he has come back from battle and the dread fray.
Among all men on the earth bards have a share of honor and reverence, because the muse has taught them songs and loves the race of bards.
For rarely are sons similar to their fathers most are worse, and a few are better than their fathers.
The fates have given mankind a patient soul.
The outcome of the war is in our hands the outcome of words is in the council.
There is a fullness of all things, even of sleep and love.
Look now how mortals are blaming the gods, for they say that evils come from us, but in fact they themselves have woes beyond their share because of their own follies.
Once harm has been done, even a fool understands it.
The minds of the everlasting gods are not changed suddenly.
So it is that the gods do not give all men gifts of grace - neither good looks nor intelligence nor eloquence.
Thus have the gods spun the thread for wretched mortals that they live in grief while they themselves are without cares for two jars stand on the floor of Zeus of the gifts which he gives, one of evils and another of blessings.
There is a strength in the union even of very sorry men.
Dreams surely are difficult, confusing, and not everything in them is brought to pass for mankind. For fleeting dreams have two gates one is fashioned of horn and one of ivory. Those which pass through the one of sawn ivory are deceptive, bringing tidings which come to nought, but those which issue from the one of polished horn bring true results when a mortal sees them.
There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.
Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing, sooner than war.
Nothing feebler than a man does the earth raise up, of all the things which breathe and move on the earth, for he believes that he will never suffer evil in the future, as long as the gods give him success and he flourishes in his strength but when the blessed gods bring sorrows too to pass, even these he bears, against his will, with steadfast spirit, for the thoughts of earthly men are like the day which the father of gods and men brings upon them.
We are quick to flare up, we races of men on the earth.
Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.
It is tedious to tell again tales already plainly told.
A councilor ought not to sleep the whole night through, a man to whom the populace is entrusted, and who has many responsibilities.
I detest that man who hides one thing in the depths of his heart, and speaks for another.
You ought not to practice childish ways, since you are no longer that age.
I too shall lie in the dust when I am dead, but now let me win noble renown.
It was built against the will of the immortal gods, and so it did not last for long.
Of men who have a sense of honor, more come through alive than are slain, but from those who flee comes neither glory nor any help.
If you are very valiant, it is a god, I think, who gave you this gift.