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1 " One verse by the blind poet of Chios is indelible:'The life of man is like a summer's leaf.'Yet few who hear these words take them into their heart, for hope is rooted in every youthful soul,the lovely flower of youth grows tall with color,life will have no end,or there is no place for growing old, for death;and while in health, no fear of foul disease. Poor fools! in islands of illusion,for men have but a day of youth and life.You few who understand, know when death is nearthe food you give your soul must be supreme. "
― Semonides
2 " Later we will have a long time to lie deadyet the few years we have now we live badly. "
3 " My child, deep-thundering Zeus controls the endof all that is, disposing as he wills.We who are mortals have no mind; we live like cattle,day to day, knowing nothing of god's plansto end each one of us. Yet we are fedby hope and faith to dream impossible plans.Some wait for a day to come, others watchthe turning of years. No one among the mortalsfeels so broken as not to hope in coming timeto fly home rich to splendid goods and lands.Yet before he makes his goal, odious old agelays hold of him first. Appalling disease consumes another. Some are killed in warwhere death carries them under the dark earth.Some drown and die under the myriad waveswhen a hurricane slams across the blue salt watercracking their cargo ship. Others rope a noosearound their wretched necks and choose to die,abandoning the sun of day. A thousand black spiritswaylay man with unending grief and suffering.If you listen to my counsel, you won't want the good things of life; not batter your heartby torturing your skull with cold remorse. "
