Homer:

Not to have been born is best, but if one has seen the light of day, the next best thing is to return as quickly as possible to where he came from.

— Homer Ancient

Iliad and Odyssey

From The Odyssey, Book 11

approx. 800 BCE

Verification

Unverifiable

Found in 1 providers: deepseek

Cross Reference

1 source

"There is no way to escape death."

"The gods are always with us."

"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man."

"There is no greater fame for a man than that which he wins with his own hands and feet."

"The gods can either give or take away."