That there are fashions in admiration and denigration is inevitable; they should not however be followed at the expense of truth. - Mary Renault

It is bitter to lose a friend to evil, before one loses him to death.

It can be good to be given what you want; it can be better, in the end, never to have it proved to you that this was what you wanted.

Men who hover over their opponents have no cause to evolve a science of wrestling; and Theseus is conventionally shown in combat with hulking of monstrous enemies, living by his wits. The tradition that he emulated the feats of Herakles may well embalm some ancient sneer at the over-compensation of a small assertive man. Napoleon comes to mind. If one examines the legend in this light, a well-defined personality emerges. It is that of a light-weight; brave and aggressive, physically tough and quick; highly sexed and rather promiscuous; touchily proud, but with a feeling for the underdog; resembling Alexander in his precocious competence, gift of leadership, and romantic sense of destiny.