Homer Quotes

reputed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey

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Homer (Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος) is best known as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He was believed by the ancient Greeks to have been the first and greatest of the epic poets. Author of the first known literature of Europe, he is central to the Western canon.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Native Name: Ὅμηρος

Alternative Names: Homerus • Homeros • Mæonides

From Wikidata (CC0)

Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα σίδηρος.

Ἀλλ' ὅ γε σιγῇ δῶρα θεῶν ἔχοι, ὅττι διδοῖεν.

Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth,
our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.

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

And gods in guise of strangers from afar in every form do roam our cities, marking the sin and righteousness of men.

Καί τε θεοὶ ξείνοισιν ἐοικότες ἀλλοδαποῖσι,
παντοῖοι τελέθοντες, ἐπιστρωφῶσι πόληας,
ἀνθρώπων ὕβριν τε καὶ εὐνομίην ἐφορῶντες.

If indeed there be a god in heaven.

Εἰ δή πού τις ἐπουράνιος θεός ἐστι.

Ἐπεὶ οὔ τις ἐπίσχεσις οὐδ' ἐλεητὺς
ἀλλοτρίων χαρίσασθαι.

How ill, alas! do want and shame agree!

Αἰδὼς δ' οὐκ ἀγαθὴ κεχρημένῳ ἀνδρὶ παρεῖναι.

Δμῶες δ', εὖτ' ἂν μηκέτ' ἐπικρατέωσιν ἄνακτες,
οὐκέτ' ἔπειτ' ἐθέλουσιν ἐναίσιμα ἐργάζεσθαι·
ἥμισυ γάρ τ' ἀρετῆς ἀποαίνυται εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
ἀνέρος, εὖτ' ἄν μιν κατὰ δούλιον ἦμαρ ἕλῃσιν.

Bad herdsmen waste the flocks which thou hast left behind.

Αὐτὰρ μῆλα κακοὶ φθείρουσι νομῆες.

Νῦν μὲν δὴ μάλα πάγχυ κακὸς κακὸν ἡγηλάζει,
ὡς αἰεὶ τὸν ὁμοῖον ἄγει θεὸς ὡς τὸν ὁμοῖον.