Retribution (poem)
Encyclopedia
"Retribution" is a short poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
:
He derived this from the work of Friedrich von Logau who in turn was translating a hexameter from Adversus Mathematicos (Against the Mathematicians) by the Greek sceptic philosopher, Sextus Empiricus
, who was quoting an unknown poet.
Its meaning is that divine retribution is slow but certain. Plutarch
criticises this in his essay, On God's Slowness to Punish.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
:
He derived this from the work of Friedrich von Logau who in turn was translating a hexameter from Adversus Mathematicos (Against the Mathematicians) by the Greek sceptic philosopher, Sextus Empiricus
Sextus Empiricus
Sextus Empiricus , was a physician and philosopher, and has been variously reported to have lived in Alexandria, Rome, or Athens. His philosophical work is the most complete surviving account of ancient Greek and Roman skepticism....
, who was quoting an unknown poet.
Its meaning is that divine retribution is slow but certain. Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
criticises this in his essay, On God's Slowness to Punish.