Of all the things that move and breathe on earth, earth nurtures nothing frailer than a man. As long as gods bestow prosperity and he can move about with agile knees, he thinks the future holds no misery; but when, against his will, the blessed gods allot his share of griefs, he yields to these with patient heart. And so indeed it shifts– the mind of man on earth: it changes with the changes in the days sent by the father of men and gods (tr. Mandelbaum) …

οὐδὲν ἀκιδνότερον γαῖα τρέφει ἀνθρώποιο, πάντων ὅσσα τε γαῖαν ἔπι πνείει τε καὶ ἕρπει. οὐ μὲν γάρ ποτέ φησι κακὸν πείσεσθαι ὀπίσσω, ὄφρ’ ἀρετὴν παρέχωσι θεοὶ καὶ γούνατ’ ὀρώρῃ· ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ καὶ λυγρὰ θεοὶ μάκαρες τελέσωσι, 18.135καὶ τὰ φέρει ἀεκαζόμενος τετληότι θυμῷ· τοῖος γὰρ νόος ἐστὶν ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων οἷον ἐπ’ ἦμαρ ἄγησι πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε.

Homer Odyssey 18.130-137