---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In peace, sons bury their fathers. In…"
description: "\"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.\" — Herodotus"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/herodotus-2844_bury_in-peace-sons-bury-their-fathers-in-war_2587311.jpg"
---

#  In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury…

![“In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” quote by Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/herodotus-2844_bury_in-peace-sons-bury-their-fathers-in-war_2587311.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/herodotus-2844_bury_in-peace-sons-bury-their-fathers-in-war_2587311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/herodotus-2844_bury_in-peace-sons-bury-their-fathers-in-war_2587311.jpg)

> “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.”

[Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War reverses the natural order of family burial.

**In simple terms:** War flips family roles.

Key Takeaway

Recognize war’s tragic reversals.

Themes

war family death

Mood

somber reflective

Type

historical philosophical

When to use this quote

- military planning
- family counseling
- peace advocacy

Key Concepts

historical cycles tragic irony

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this say about the cost of conflict?
- How can societies honor both sides?

A Different Perspective

Peace can also cause loss.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Sons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sons/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/in-peace-sons-bury-fathers-but-war-violates-the-order-of-nature-and/)

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> [In peace, sons bury their fathers but in war, fathers bury their sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-peace-sons-bury-their-fathers-but-in-war-fathers-bury-their-sons/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“No one is so senseless as to choose of his own will war rather than peace, since in peace the sons bury their fathers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/no-one-is-so-senseless-as-to-choose-of-his-own-will-war-rather-than/)

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> [No one would be foolish enough to choose war over peace--in peace sons bury their fathers, but in war fathers bury their sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/croesus-of-lydia/no-one-would-be-foolish-enough-to-choose-war-over-peace-in-peace-sons/)

Croesus Of Lydia

> [“After all, no one is stupid enough to prefer war to peace; in peace sons bury their fathers and in war fathers bury their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/after-all-no-one-is-stupid-enough-to-prefer-war-to-peace-in-peace/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In times of Peace sons bury theirs fathers. In times of War fathers bury their sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-times-of-peace-sons-bury-theirs-fathers-in-times-of-war-fathers/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“He asked, 'Croesus, who told you to attack my land and meet me as an enemy instead of a friend?' The King replied, 'It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/he-asked-croesus-who-told-you-to-attack-my-land-and-meet-me-as-an/)

[Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/)

> [Most of my friends' fathers had been in the war - either as soldiers or in some other capacity in the military. Whereas my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/most-of-my-friends-fathers-had-been-in-the-war-either-as-soldiers-or/)

[Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/)

> [“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/once-more-unto-the-breach-dear-friends-once-more-or-close-the-wall-up-2/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [It's time for fathers to war for their kids more than the culture wars for your kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-engle/it-s-time-for-fathers-to-war-for-their-kids-more-than-the-culture/)

[Lou Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-engle/)

> [No one is so foolish as to prefer to peace, war, in which, instead of sons burying their fathers, fathers bury their sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/croesus/no-one-is-so-foolish-as-to-prefer-to-peace-war-in-which-instead-of/)

Croesus

> [I once said, 'We will bury you,' and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/i-once-said-we-will-bury-you-and-i-got-into-trouble-with-it-of-course/)

[Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/)

> [“Bury us, and mark our names above. Let us be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/bury-us-and-mark-our-names-above-let-us-be-free/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [I have to stay here and bury her," he whispered. "Here, between RiverClan and ThunderClan. After this, not even her own Clan will want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/i-have-to-stay-here-and-bury-her-he-whispered-here-between-riverclan/)

[Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/)

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[Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/)

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> [Haste in every business brings failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/haste-in-every-business-brings-failures/)

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[Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/)

> [I know that human happiness never remains long in the same place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/i-know-that-human-happiness-never-remains-long-in-the-same-place/)

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> [Happiness is not fame or riches or heroic virtues, but a state that will inspire posterity to think in reflecting upon our life, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/happiness-is-not-fame-or-riches-or-heroic-virtues-but-a-state-that/)

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> [But I like not these great success of yours; for I know how jealous are the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/but-i-like-not-these-great-success-of-yours-for-i-know-how-jealous/)

[Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/)

> [Knowledge may give weight, but accomplishments give lustre, and many more people see than weigh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/knowledge-may-give-weight-but-accomplishments-give-lustre-and-many/)

[Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/)

> [Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/very-few-things-happen-at-the-right-time-and-the-rest-do-not-happen/)

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## More Bury quotes

> [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/)

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Browse all 220 Bury quotes

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