Commonplace book – special Roman nostalgia edition!
Posted by executivepagan on November 20, 2007
Ancestors, I ask you for your guidance. Blessed Mother, come to me with the Gods’ desire for my future. Blessed Father, watch over my wife and my son with a ready sword. Whisper to them that I live only to hold them again. Ancestors, I honour you and will try to live with the dignity you have taught me. – Maximus’ prayer in “Gladiator”
And can a man die better, than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his gods? – Thomas Macaulay, “Lays of Ancient Rome”
All the gods ask is to be respected. If we stop respecting them, why should they help us? – Lucius Vorenus, “HBO’s Rome” (Note – this is a paraphrase, as I can’t find the exact quote online at the moment… it’s from season 1 episode 3, in response to Pullo’s much-quoted crack about the reason for Mars missing the downfall of Rome.)
