WIST Quotations

Homer -- The Iliad [Ἰλιάς], Book 13, l. 130ff (13.130-131) (c. 750 BC) [tr. Lattimore (1951)]

Dave — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 18:25:24 +0000

Locking spear by spear, shield against shield at the base, so buckler leaned on buckler, helmet on helmet, man against man.

[Φράξαντες δόρυ δουρί, σάκος σάκεϊ προθελύμνῳ·
ἀσπὶς ἄρ’ ἀσπίδ’ ἔρειδε, κόρυς κόρυν, ἀνέρα δ’ ἀνήρ.]

Homer (fl. 7th-8th C. BC) Greek author
The Iliad [Ἰλιάς], Book 13, l. 130ff (13.130-131) (c. 750 BC) [tr. Lattimore (1951)]
(Source)

The Greek phalanxes awaiting Hector and the Trojans. Alt. trans.:

An iron scene gleams dreadful o'er the fields,
Armour in armour locked, and shields in shields,
Spears lean on spears, on targets targets throng,
Helms stuck to helms, and man drove man along.
[tr. Pope (1715-20)]

Spear crowded spear,
Shield, helmet, man, press’d helmet, man and shield
[tr. Cowper (1791), ll. 162-63]

Spear close by spear, and shield by shield o’erlaid,
Buckler to buckler press’d, and helm to helm,
And man to man.
[tr. Derby (1864)]

And spear on spear made close-set fence, and shield on serried shield, buckler pressed on buckler, and helm on helm, and man on man.
[tr. Leaf/Lang/Myers (1891)]

They made a living fence, spear to spear, shield to shield, buckler to buckler, helmet to helmet, and man to man.
[tr. Butler (1898)]

Fencing spear with spear, and shield with serried shield; buckler pressed on buckler, helm on helm, and man on man.
[tr. Murray (1924)]

Spear by spear and shield by shield in line with shield-rims overlapping, serried helms, and men in ranks packed hard.
[tr. Fitzgerald (1974)]

A wall of them bulked together,
spear-by-spear, shield-by-shield, the rims overlapping,
buckler-to-buckler, helm-to-helm, man-to-man massed tight.
[tr. Fagles (1990), ll. 1154-56]

Spear by spear was protected, and shield by shield overlapping; buckler on buckler and helmet on helmet and man against man pressed.
[tr. Merrill (2007)]

Ouida -- Friendship, ch. 11 (1878)

Dave — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:23:33 +0000

The longest absence is less perilous to love than the terrible trials of incessant proximity.

Ouida (1839-1908) English novelist [pseud. of Maria Louise Ramé]
Friendship, ch. 11 (1878)
(Source)

Often attributed to Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950).

See Propertius.

Johnson, Lyndon -- Speech (1963-12-17), Pageant of Peace Ceremonies, Washington, D.C.

Dave — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:50:35 +0000

We hope that the world will not narrow into a neighborhood before it has broadened into a brotherhood.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) American politician, educator, US President (1963-69)
Speech (1963-12-17), Pageant of Peace Ceremonies, Washington, D.C.
(Source)

Johnson used this phrase many times in the early '60s to refer to how, as the world "shrank" through advances in travel (including for weapons), it had not resolved the ongoing problems within humanity, only brought them closer. Other examples:

We live in a world which has narrowed into a neighborhood before it broadened into a brotherhood.
[Reported (1961-08-01)]

The world has narrowed to a neighborhood before it has broadened to brotherhood.
[Speech, New York City (1963-12-17)]

Twain, Mark -- Mark Twain’s Notebook (1894-02-02) [ed. Paine (1935)]

Dave — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:35:55 +0000

Familiarity breeds contempt — and children.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Mark Twain’s Notebook (1894-02-02) [ed. Paine (1935)]
(Source)

See Apuleius.