Not without a fight. Let me do something great first.

What it means

Hector realizes the gods have abandoned him and he cannot escape Achilles. He chooses to go down fighting, doing something people will remember. When the outcome is out of your hands, the way you meet it is not.

The source

"Not without a fight. Let me do something great first." Homer said it in Iliad 22.304-305. Translated from the original Greek by Spartan Surfers.

"μὴ μὰν ἀσπουδί γε καὶ ἀκλειῶς ἀπολοίμην, ἀλλὰ μέγα ῥέξας τι καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι."

Original Greek, Iliad 22.304-305. Text read at github.com.

Who said it

Homer (c. 8th century BC). The poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the war at Troy and the long sail home. Greeks learned courage, endurance and the sea from his lines.

Questions

What does "Not without a fight. Let me do something great first." mean?

Hector realizes the gods have abandoned him and he cannot escape Achilles. He chooses to go down fighting, doing something people will remember. When the outcome is out of your hands, the way you meet it is not.

Who said "Not without a fight. Let me do something great first."?

Homer (c. 8th century BC). Source: Iliad 22.304-305.

What is the original Greek?

μὴ μὰν ἀσπουδί γε καὶ ἀκλειῶς ἀπολοίμην, ἀλλὰ μέγα ῥέξας τι καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι. Translated from the original Greek by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Not without a fight. Let me do something great first." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Not without a fight. Let me do something great first." (Homer, Iliad 22.304-305, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/not-without-a-fight-let-me-do-something