It is the nature of mortals to kick a fallen man.

The line expresses a bleak observation about social behavior: once someone has been brought low—by defeat, disgrace, or misfortune—others often feel licensed to add further harm rather than offer help. It implies that vulnerability attracts contempt, and that public opinion tends to follow power and success, abandoning (or punishing) those who can no longer retaliate. In tragic terms, the sentiment fits Aeschylean drama’s interest in reversals of fortune and the harshness of human judgment, where suffering can invite not compassion but opportunism. The quote functions as a warning about crowd psychology and the moral test posed by another person’s downfall.