restera, on se cherche au loin des causes de soucis, et sur cette route perfide de la vie, on porte ses embarras bien moins qu'on ne les traîne. Aussi s'écarte-t-on toujours davantage du but poursuivi ; plus on s'épuise en efforts, plus on reste empêtré, ou rejeté en arrière. Ainsi l'homme qui dans un labyrinthe presse le pas se fourvoie en raison

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Yet what happened was shown to be to a large extent in the hands of what the Greeks called ‘fate’ or ‘the gods’. It was the Greeks’ poetic way of saying that things often work out randomly, according to dynamics that simply don’t reflect the merits of the individuals concerned. The great Greek tragedians – Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles – recou

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Wisdom comes through suffering.

Trouble, with its memories of pain,

Drips in our hearts as we try to sleep,

So men against their will

Learn to practice moderation.

Favours come to us from gods.”

The ancient Greeks had a concept called eudaimonia, often translated as happiness but really meaning something more like flourishing or living well. It wasn't about the absence of difficulty but about the cultivation of character through engagement with life's challenges. They understood that the good life wasn't the easy life, but the life that ha... See more