Scepticism is as much the result of knowledge, as knowledge is of scepticism.
And what if one of the gods does wreck me out on the wine-dark sea? I have a heart that is inured to suffering and I shall steel it to endure that too. For in my day I have had many bitter and painful experiences in war and on the stormy seas. So let this new disaster come. It only makes one more.
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.
But they could neither of them persuade me, for there is nothing dearer to a man than his own country and his parents, and however splendid a home he may have in a foreign country, if it be far from father or mother, he does not care about it.
Of the many things hidden from the knowledge of man, nothing is more unintelligible than the human heart.
The creation of genius always seem like miracles, because they are, for the most part, crated far out of the reach of observation.
The heart in his rugged chest was pounding, torn.
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.
What a lamentable thing it is that men should blame the gods and regard us as the source of their troubles, when it is their own wickedness that brings them sufferings worse than any which destiny allots them.
Why, pray, must the Argives needs fight the Trojans? What made the son of Atreus gather the host and bring them? Was it not for the sake of Helen? Are the sons of Atreus the only men in the world who love their wives? Any man of common right feeling will love and cherish her who is his own, as I this woman, with my whole heart.
For my part I have no joy in tears after dinnertime. There will always be a new dawn tomorrow. Yet I can have no objection to tears for any mortal who dies and goes to his destiny. And this is the only consolation we wretched mortals can give, to cut our hair and let the tears roll down our faces.
Her heart raced with joy to sleep with War.
It is hateful to me to tell a story over again, when it has been well told.
Rage – Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles.
Very like leaves upon this earth are the generations of men – old leaves, cast on the ground by wind, young leaves the greening forest bears when spring comes in. So mortals pass; one generation flowers even as another dies away.
My mother Thetis tells me that there are two ways in which I may meet my end. If I stay here and fight, I will not return alive but my name will live forever: whereas if I go home my name will die, but it will be long ere death shall take me.
The gods are hard to handle – when they come blazing forth in their true power.
It has been an easy, and a popular expedient of late years, to deny the personal or real existence of men and things whose life and condition were too much for our belief.
I am going to stand against him now, though his hands are like flame, though his hands are like flame, and his heart like the shining of iron.
You must endure and not be broken-hearted.