Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.

The saying contrasts physical death with a more corrosive, ongoing form of “death”: a life spent in humiliation, surrender, or loss of honor. It reflects a martial, glory-centered ethic in which courage and reputation outweigh mere survival. Read this way, the line urges decisive action and resistance to disgrace, implying that accepting defeat as a settled condition erodes the self day after day. The aphorism also dramatizes a leader’s psychology: fear of death is portrayed as trivial compared with fear of living without agency, dignity, or achievement. Its enduring appeal lies in its stark, motivational absolutism—though it can also be critiqued for romanticizing honor and victory as supreme values.

1) "Death is nothing; but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily."
2) "Death is nothing, but to live defeated is to die every day."