When the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.
Edith HamiltonRead
It was a Roman who said it was sweet to die for one's country. The Greeks never said it was sweet to die for anything. They had no vital lies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the contrasting values of Romans and Greeks regarding sacrifice for one's nation or ideals.
Edith Hamilton contrasts the Roman view of patriotic sacrifice with the Greek perspective of 'vital lies'βmyths or beliefs that provide meaning and purpose to life. She suggests that while Romans glorified dying for their country, Greeks were more skeptical about such notions, implying that they sought deeper truths outside of nationalistic fervor.
Themes
SacrificePatriotismTruthValuesCulture
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about national service, one might quote this to highlight the importance of sacrifice.
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Theories that go counter to the facts of human nature are foredoomed.
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