The Europa Barbarorum Quotes Project

[machinor]

The Homer quotes:


1) "There can be no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind"

ὡς οὐκ ἔστι λέουσι καὶ ἀνδράσιν ὅρκια πιστά,
οὐδὲ λύκοι τε καὶ ἄρνες ὁμόφρονα θυμὸν ἔχουσιν
There can be no covenants between men and lions,
wolves and lambs can never be of one mind
Homer, Illiad, Book XXII, lines 262-263


2) "Fight for your country - that is the best, the only omen!"

εἱ̂ς οἰωνὸς ἄριστος ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ πάτρης.
There is one omen, and one only - that a man should fight for his country.
Homer, Illiad, Book XII, line 243


3) "The blade itself incites to violence"

Haven't found anything. This seems to be either a sloppy translation or a misquote.


4) "A glorious death is his who for his country falls"

ὃς δέ κεν ὑμέων
βλήμενος ἠὲ τυπεὶς θάνατον καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ
τεθνάτω: οὔ οἱ ἀεικὲς ἀμυνομένῳ περὶ πάτρης
τεθνάμεν:
If any of you is struck by spear or sword and loses his life, let him die;
he dies with honor who dies fighting for his country;
Homer, Illiad, Book XV, lines 496-497 [the whole part I quoted are lines 494-497]


I used the Samuel Butler edition for all English translations as the first quote fits directly to that translation. However, anyone is welcome to bring some alternative translations as these are not always literal. For example the last quote would not mean "it is honorful/glorious to die for one's country" but literally "it is not shameful/unfitting to die for one's country". This is of course a matter of nuances but as such it should be open to debate... especially in a work of literature.