A quotation by
Roman soldier
Maximus in the movie '
Gladiator'. Said to his soldiers in the opening
battle against the
Germanic tribes, which inevitably led to the
fall of Rome,
Maximus lived by this creed.
I have heard this quote throughout my travels in life, more notably from my youth minister back in my religious days, and my soccer coach. The implications of this quote are far reaching and if dissected, are quite deep indeed.
What we do in life . . . echoes in eternity; basically sums up the entire idea behind all major religions of the world. What you do in this mortal life, will be repayed back to you in the next. If you loot, plunder, pillage, rape, murder, lie, cheat, and steal, then your afterlife will reflect your actions. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, all branches of Christianity, ancient Greek, Roman, Hittite, Assyrian, Egyptian, Confucian, Shintoism, and even the barbarian hordes of central Asia all have some concept of the 'Golden Rule', and moreover the concept of an afterlife that either rewards or punishes you for your deeds in your mortal state.
This quote is commonly used as a reminder of how your actions now will weigh on on your later. I have used this for quite some time, not the religious aspect, as a motivational line to think about when challenged with day to day decisions.