Aretè Inscription

Not a whisper in the market place,
No children in the streets.
Nary a sound drifts o'er the battlefield,
No boasting of soldiers' feats.

But where the citizens,
O, where the leaders of men?
If the world had no individuals,
What a lonely place it would be then.

Silence in the lecture halls,
No more knowledge gainèd there.
Untouchèd lay the artisan's tools,
The canvasses sit bare.

But where the thinkers, the makers,
O, where the entertainers of men?
If the world held no individuals,
What a dull place it would be then.

This monument is dedicated to every individual who has ever or will ever
contribute to the glory of the great empire of Greece.