Better to die standing than to live on your knees

• Jose Marti (1853–1895) - Cuban poet and revolutionary. It is mentioned by some that he said this before Ibarruri.
• Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919) - Mexican revolutionary. Attributed to him erroneously, Zapata expressed the same thought, but in a different form:

Better death in battle than life of a slave ^[2]

• Dolores Ibarruri (1895-1989) - Spanish Communist. From a speech at a rally in Paris (September 3, 1936):

“If the fascists are allowed to continue the crimes that they commit in Spain, aggressive fascism will fall on other European nations. We need help, we need airplanes and guns for our struggle ... The Spanish people prefer to die while standing, rather than live on their knees . "

used:

• Harry Baur said this to the Gestapo in 1943. ^[3]
• Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967)

It dates back to the Roman historian Tacitus (c. 55–120 CE), who wrote (Agricola, 33):

lat Honesta mors turpi vita potior
Honest death is better than shameful life
Options:

Worthy death is better than shameful life
Better death than a shameful belly

Tacitus aphorism was used in combat orders of many commanders. ^[four]

Juvenal expressed a similar thought (Satire), VIII 83:

lat Summum crede nefas, animam praeferre pudori

Et propter vitam vivendi perdere causas .
The highest sin, believe me to whom life is dear to dishonor;
For the sake of life, one forgets the life goal.
Option ^[5] :
Highest wickedness, believe me, pay for shame for life

• Plato : It's better to die than to live badly. ( Greek κρείσσον θανείν ή ζήν αίσχρόν )
• Publius Cyrus , Sententiae: The inglorious life of man is equal to death. ( lat. Est socia mortis homini vita ingloria ).
• Book of the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach , 30, 17: Death is Better Than a Woeful Life.
• P. Boborykin. "Pass". 2, 24 .: “ Brutus lost the battle of Philippi and threw his chest on the sword. Even Nero , having committed suicide, showed this a good ancient tradition: the Spartans taught in the inscriptions: it’s better to die now than to shamefully live . ”

Known words of Prince Svyatoslav from the " Tale of Bygone Years ": "Yes, do not shame the land with the Ruska, but lie with the bones for the dead shame are not imam."

• Shame is worse than death
• him. Besser Ehr 'ohne Leben, als Leben ohne Ehre ; fr. Mieux vaut mourir à honneur qu'a honte vivre ; ital. Peggior della morte è il turpe riposo . ^[6]

• In the poem "Our Fatherland suffers under your yoke, O villain" (1818) ^[7] P. A. Katenin (1792-1853), which was very widespread in the army in the pre-Decembrist years, the line is: “No, death is better, than living as slaves . "

• Georgian proverb: “Better a glorious death than a shameful life” ^[8] , is probably a prosaic translation of the lines of Shota Rustaveli into Russian:

• “We will not die a painful life, we better come to life with a certain death!” ^[9] from the song by V. Vysotsky to the movie “The Only Way”.

• Shania Twain - Black Eyes, Blue Tears ^[10] : I'd rather die standing / Than live on my knees
• Soulfly - Seek'N'Strike: "I'd better die on my feet, Than keep living on my knees"
• Lostprophets - Better Off Dead: “I'd rather die on my feet, Than ever live on my knees”
• Papa Roach - As Far As I Remember: “I'd rather die on my feet, than live my life on my knees”
• Kasabian - Explodes: "You'd rather die on your feet, Than live a life on your knees"
• Yngwie Malmsteen - Riot in the Dungeons: "Die on your feet, or live on your knees"
• Everlast - The Culling: "Living on your knees - much worse than dying"

• Harakiri
• El pueblo unido jamás será vencido