Tom

“The Roman regarded his spada simply as an instrument; for the Frank, however, the sword was not simply a token of his manhood but, after the triumph of Christianity, his religion. It was a common practice to include a saint’s relics physically in the hilt of the sword whose very shape reminded its owner of the origin of his religion. That veneration was passed on to all the descendants of the Franks so that the Germans and the French and the English all took the sword as the ultimate symbol of courage and of justice. It even had a personal identity and personal name: Charlemagne was supposed to have bestowed the slightly incongruous name of Joyeuse on his great blade and the sword of Roland would enter legend as Durendal.”
― E.R. Chamberlin, The Emperor Charlemagne

“Some people are like fragile petals, and they don't recover from hardship. Do we blame the petal? Or do we excuse its fragility and mourn its loss?”
― Aleksandra Layland, Of Wisdom and Valor: The Art of War. The Path of Peace.

“Actions speak louder than words. Words cost nothing. Actions can cost everything.”
― Aleksandra Layland, Of Wisdom and Valor: The Art of War. The Path of Peace.

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero