Homer Quotes

...of all creatures that breathe and move on earth
none is more to be pitied than a man.

He kissed his son, and a tear fell from his cheek on to the ground, for he had restrained all tears till now.

For I say there is no other thing that is worse than the sea is for breaking a man, even though he may a very strong one.

Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man.

Each man delights in the work that suits him best.

There is nothing alive more agonized than man / of all that breathe and crawl across the earth.

Κάτθαν' ὁμῶς ὅ τ' ἀεργὸς ἀνὴρ ὅ τε πολλὰ ἐοργώς.

I say no wealth is worth my life.

The Iliad, trans. Robert Fagles (Penguin, 1991),

Οὐδὲν ἀκιδνότερον γαῖα τρέφει ἀνθρώποιο
πάντων, ὅσσα τε γαῖαν ἔπι πνείει τε καὶ ἕρπει.

Διὸς δ’ ἐτελείετο βουλή.

His descent was like nightfall.

and Terror and Rout and relentless Strife stormed too, sister of manslaughtering Ares, Ares’ comrade-in-arms — Strife, only a slight thing when she first rears her head but her head soon hits the sky as she strides across the earth. Now Strife hurled down the leveler Hate amidst both sides, wading into the onslaught, flooding men with pain.

We are perpetually labouring to destroy our delights, our composure, our devotion to superior power. Of all the animals on earth we least know what is good for us. My opinion is, that what is best for us is our admiration of good.

Τῶν δ' ἄλλων ἐμέ φημι πολὺ προφερέστερον εἶναι,
ὅσσοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σῖτον ἔδοντες.