Literary notes about Conquest (AI summary)
The word conquest appears with rich versatility across literary works, signifying both tangible historical victories and metaphorical achievements of the self. In historical writing, it captures the force and transformation of military success, marking turning points in empires and nations—whether it is the uncertain gain over Constantinople or the comprehensive subjugation of vast territories ([1], [2], [3], [4]). At the same time, conquest assumes a more intimate, personal dimension in literature; it becomes a symbol for inner struggle, self-mastery, or even the winning of a heart ([5], [6]). This dual usage underscores the term’s power to evoke images of both external domination and internal triumph, painting conquest as a dynamic, multifaceted concept that transforms landscapes—and lives—across the written word ([7], [8]).
- The sultan was either doubtful of his conquest, or ignorant of the superior merits of Constantinople.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Still the course of Christian conquest steadily continued.
— from The Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole - The Roman conquest, on the other hand, was not partial.
— from The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Polybius - From the permanent conquest of Russia they made a deadly, though transient, inroad into the heart of Poland, and as far as the borders of Germany.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Thus in most cases the will must be broken by great personal suffering before its self-conquest appears.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - When he entered the house the conquest of his heart was complete.
— from The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon by Washington Irving - First gain the conquest, then reward the toil.
— from The Iliad by Homer - Every conquest, every step forward in knowledge, is the outcome of courage, of hardness towards one's self, of cleanliness towards one's self.
— from Ecce Homo by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
