Homer
Homer
Homeris best known as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He was believed by the ancient Greeks to have been the first and greatest of the epic poets. Author of the first known literature of Europe, he is central to the Western canon...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPoet
life short-life immortality
One who contends with immortals lives a very short life.
country history long
The long historian of my country's woes.
men heaven greek
Just are the ways of heaven; from Heaven proceed The woes of man: Heaven doom'd the Greeks to bleed.
example way
Content to follow when we lead the way.
discontent best-things
The best things beyond their measure cloy.
mind lord righteous
Servants, when their lords no longer sway, Their minds no more to righteous courses bend.
waste flocks left-behind
Bad herdsmen waste the flocks which thou hast left behind.
pairs stills worthless
See how God ever like with like doth pair, And still the worthless doth the worthless lead!
war world toil
Beware the toils of war ... the mesh of the huge dragnet sweeping up the world.
death song men
That is the gods' work, spinning threads of death through the lives of mortal men, an all to make a song for those to come.
peace war fighting
To speak his thoughts is every freeman's right, in peace and war, in council and in fight.
distinguished
Always to be best, and distinguished above the rest.
journey rewards
The journey is its own reward.
wise wine laughing
Wine lead to folly, making even the wise to laugh immoderately, to dance, and to utter what had better have been kept silent.