Ash Quotes
They sent forth men to battle, But no such men return; And home, to claim their welcome, Come ashes in an urn.
"They sent forth men to battle, But no such men return; And home, to claim their welcome, Come ashes in an urn."— Aeschylus
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Meaning of this quote
The chorus contrasts soldiers sent away alive with the ashes returned to their families.
Key takeaway:
Keep the human losses in view when discussing war.
Origin of the quote
Agamemnon, chorus’s lament for the war dead, in English verse translation.
Who actually said this?
Commonly attributedThe cited literary essay reproduces the verse, but the exact translator of this wording was not established. The original play’s choral context is clear.
