"Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth,
our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.
So long as the gods grant him power, spring in his knees,
he thinks he will never suffer affliction down the years.
But then, when the happy gods bring on the long hard times,
bear them he must, against his will, and steel his heart.
Our lives, our mood and mind as we pass across the earth,
turn as the days turn."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 18, lines 150-157. Odysseus offers this warning of the dangers of hubris to suitor Amphinomus shortly after defeating "Beggar King" Irus in a fight. He paints a picture of man being the weakest creature who only prospers at the will and whims of the gods. When the gods bring hard times, man must endure them. Odysseus is saying that the gods are more powerful than man and his fate is controlled by them. The Greek hero’s speech reflects a maturity and understanding of what he has learned from his own perilous and difficult journey. His carefully chosen words help to maintain his beggar disguise and made-up backstory – of being once a wealthy warrior who plundered foreign lands until captured by his enemies. They also foreshadow a similar great fall for the suitors, who have plundered another man’s house and wealth.