Chorus: O suitably attired in leather boots Head of a traveller, wherefore seeking whom Whence by what way how purposed art thou come To this well-nightingaled vicinity? My object in inquiring is to know. But if you happen to be deaf and dumb And do not understand a word I say, Nod with your hand to signify as much. Alcmaeon: I journeyed hither a Boeotian road. Chorus: Sailing on horseback or with feet for oars? Alcmaeon: Plying by turns my partnership of legs. Chorus: Beneath a shining or a rainy Zeus? Alcmaeon: Mud's sister, not himself, adorns my shoes. Chorus: To learn your name would not displease me much. Alcmaeon: Not all that men desire do they attain.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The dialogue shows a traveler answering questions about his journey and fate.
- In plain terms
- A traveler explains his trip and says people don't get what they want.
- What can you take from it?
- Travel often reveals life's uncertainties.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What is the journey for?
- Do we get what we want?
Another view
The text is fragmented and assumes mythic knowledge.
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