If anything, this line from Conan the Barbarian probably inspired the greedy 80s, a decade of excess and mega-mergers and acquisitions. "Lamentations of the women"? Well, they're probably lamenting now over how bad they looked back in the 80s, with the big hair, overdone makeup, and shoulder pads.

Still, it's a great line. What else is best in life, anyway?

The full quote plus context, thanks to the IMDB:

Mongol General: We have won again. That is good! But what is best in life?
Mongol Warrior: The open steppe, fleet horse, falcon on your wrist, wind in your hair!
Mongol General: Wrong! Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
Mongol General: That is good.

For full effect, this line should be uttered with Arnold Schwarzenegger's distinctively mangled English, thus:

"To crush yoah enemies, see dem driven befoah you, and to hear de lammentation of de vimmin!"

'De lammentation of de vimmin' would be a fantastic album title.

I haven't seen this factual tidbit anywhere, so I thought this would be the most fitting place for it: this well-known Conan line is actually a paraphrase of a real statement made by Temujin, aka Genghis Khan, the Mongolian conqueror:

The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters.

Notice he isn't too interested in "sons," as in that day and age (and today, for that matter, in much of the world) men, even young boys, were violent and expendable (women being far more important when it comes to genetic proliferation), and thus not worth "saving" after most successful conquests.

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