Quotes from Madeline Miller

He was spring, golden and bright. Envious Death would drink his blood, and grow young again.

They could not do much themselves. Except live, forever.

El destello rosado de su labio, el verde febril de sus ojos, su rostro desprovisto de arrugas… Nada en él decaía ni se marchitaba. Él era áureo, deslumbrante, era la primavera. La envidiosa muerte se bebería su sangre y sería joven de nuevo.

Those half-seconds, that the line of our gaze connected, were the only moment in my day that I felt anything at all. The sudden swoop of my stomach, the coursing anger. I was like a fish eyeing the hook.

Yes. But it is not his fault. I forgot to say I wished him for a companion." Therapon was the word he used. A brother-in-arms sworn to a prince by blood oaths and love. In war, these men were his honor guard; in peace, his closest advisers.

There is no must to the life of a mortal, except death.

Después hicieron acto de presencia las lágrimas, y se derramaron, y las constelaciones se pusieron a girar sobre nosotros, y la luna empezó a trazar su fatigoso curso. Yacimos acongojados e insomnes mientras transcurrían las horas.

The sailors dropped to their knees. I would not be able to bear it, I thought. I would seize him, hold him to me. But I only embraced him a final time, pressing hard as if to set him into my skin. Then I watched him take his place among them, stand upon the prow, outlined against the sky. The light darted silver from the waves. I lifted my hand in blessing and gave my son to the world.

There was a vividness to him, even at rest, that made death and spirits seem foolish

In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood, like a hundred golden urns pouring out the sun.

There is no one like you," I said, at last. He regarded me a moment, in silence. "So?" Something in the way he spoke it drained the last of my anger from me. I had minded, once. But who was I to begrudge such a thing? As if he heard me, he smiled, and his face was like the sun.

The only thing that was clear was Glaucos' face, his handsome brow and earnest eyes, wet a little from his griefs but smiling always when he looked at me.

At that moment she was worth all the prizes in the center of the hall, and more. She was worth our lives.

ending ache of love and sorrow. Perhaps in some other life I could have refused, could have torn my hair and screamed,

He saw me watching and rubbed self-consciously at his calloused hands. "I know I am ugly to you." No, I thought. My grandfather's halls are filled with shining nymphs and muscled river-gods, but I would rather gaze on you than any of them.

Él se removía y el aire del interior de la tienda con él, impregnando el ambiente con su suave aroma a musgo. «Es esto lo que voy a echar de menos. Me mataré antes que perderlo», pensé, y luego me pregunté: «¿Cuánto tiempo tenemos?».

I have heard,' I said, 'that many find their trust in love.

I had never thought of having children, but looking at him, for a moment I could imagine it. As if I peered into a well and far below glimpsed a flash of water.

My mother has forbidden it. Because of the prophecy." "What prophecy?" I had not heard of this. "That I will be the best warrior of my generation.

Well. We are settled then." He turns to go, stops. "I was sorry to hear of Patroclus' death. He fought bravely today. Did you hear he killed Sarpedon?" Achilles' eyes lift. They are bloodshot and dead. "I wish he had let you all die.

Lassù le costellazioni ruotano e tramontano. La mia natura divina sfolgora in me come gli ultimi raggi di sole prima di tuffarsi nel mare. Un tempo pensavo che gli dèi fossero opposti alla morte, ma adesso vedo che sono più morti che altro, poiché sono immutabili, e non possono trattenere nulla nelle mani. Per tutta la vita mi sono sempre spinta avanti, e adesso eccomi qui.

Yes," he said. "That is how it works, Circe. I tell Father that my sorcery was an accident, he pretends to believe me, and Zeus pretends to believe him, and so the world is balanced. It is your own fault for confessing. Why you did that, I will never understand.

i did not mind anymore that i lost when we raced and i lost when we swam out to the rocks and i lost we tossed spears or skipped stones. for who can be ashamed to lose to such beauty? it was enough to watch him win, to see the soles of his feet flashing as they kciked up the sand, or the rise and fall of his shoulders as he pulled throuhg the salt. it was enough.

I could imagine my half-sisters with their long golden hair and painted eyes, bent on pretty knees.