What is given by the gods more desirable than the fortunate hour?

The line treats “the fortunate hour” (a timely, lucky moment) as the greatest gift the gods can bestow—more desirable than wealth or status because it enables everything else to succeed. Read this way, the quote reflects a classical emphasis on kairos: the right time, the opportune opening when action and circumstance align. It also implies a worldview in which human plans depend on forces beyond one’s control; divine favor is experienced not only as material gifts but as auspicious timing. The question form heightens the sentiment into a maxim, inviting agreement that luck in timing is the supreme advantage.