Journey home Quote by Homer
““I say no wealth is worth my life! Not all they claim was stored in the depths of Troy, that city built on riches, in the old days of peace before the sons of Achaea came- not all the gold held fast in the Archer's rocky vaults, in Phoebus Apollo's house on Pytho's sheer cliffs! Cattle and fat sheep can all be had for the raiding, tripods all for the trading, and tawny-headed stallions. But a man's life breath cannot come back again- no raiders in force, no trading brings it back, once it slips through a man's clenched teeth. Mother tells me, the immortal goddess Thetis with her glistening feet, that two fates bear me on to the day of death. If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy, my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies. If I voyage back to the fatherland I love, my pride, my glory dies... true, but the life that's left me will be long, the stroke of death will not come on me quickly.””
About This Quote
Source Epic: The Iliad, Book 12, attributed to Homer, 8th century BC
A warrior values glory over life, accepting death for fame, while acknowledging life's fragility and fate.
In simple terms: Warriors seek glory, even if it costs life; fate is unavoidable.
Key Takeaway
Choose honor or survival wisely.
Themes
heroism
fate
war
glory
Mood
tragic
reflective
Type
literary
mythic
When to use this quote
- battlefields
- personal sacrifice
- heroic quests
- oral dilemmas
Key Concepts
epic poetry
Greek mythology
war ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What is more valuable: fame or survival?
- How does fate shape personal choices?
A Different Perspective
Glory may be fleeting, life is finite.
