Time bears away all things, even our minds.

The line expresses a Roman, Virgilian sense of time as an irresistible force that erodes not only external things—youth, beauty, possessions, fame—but also the inner faculties by which we remember and judge. Read this way, it is less a complaint than a sober recognition of mutability: even the mind is subject to change, forgetfulness, and the dulling of feeling. In epic context (as the quote is often attributed), it underscores the fragility of human resolve and memory against the long sweep of years, heightening the poignancy of loss and the urgency of acting while one can.