The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
Can storied urn or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,
Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death? 41-44
Death as the Great Equalizer. Even the great of the earth eventually will become like all the rest when they die, a box full of bones. The poor and humble of the earth, that are buried in the church graveyard, are now on the same level as those who led lives of fame and riches. As to the flesh all become equal in death. Can a man’s honors and flattering words prolong the inevitable? Can the stories on his urn bring his soul back to his body or make death any less final? They cannot prolong death but these things can make someone’s story always live on. Maximus once said, "Brothers, what we do in life...echoes in eternity."
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