EP 30: Gods, Heroes & War

Welcome to Episode 30 where we survey ancient war and how it formed the Greek notion of the ideal hero.

Thousands of years ago heroes were, without exception, brave young men. They expected to die young, valiantly and with the bodies of those they’d slain lying at their feet.

In this episode we contrast ancient war involving the gods to modern, secular war. Millennium ago, more frequently than not, Greek generals led the charge. Because they were first to leap toward the enemy, they inspired their troops. We look briefly at how that  has changed in modern warfare.

War molded ancient concepts of bravery and courage. Heroes were celebrated. Potters, farmers and philosophers were all expected to fight at a moment’s notice.

Narrated by mythologist and best-selling author, Patrick Garner, Garner's Greek Mythology is unlike any other Greek history series ...

Transcript

EPISODE 30-- Gods, Heroes & War

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BATTLES, BLOODSHED, CONFLICT ... THE ANCIENT GREEKS WERE ALWAYS AT WAR. 

WAR FORGED THEIR IDEALS OF THE PERFECT CITIZEN. THE CLASH OF BRONZE ON BRONZE ... AND LATER, IRON ON IRON ...DEFINED MASCULINITY & FREEDOM.

IN 431 B.C., THE ATHENIAN STATESMAN PERICLES GAVE A FAMOUS ORATION FOR DEAD SOLDIERS. IN IT HE SAID OF THE FALLEN,

"THEY JOYFULLY ACCEPTED THE RISK, CHOOSING TO DIE RESISTING, RATHER THAN LIVE SUBMITTING & FLED ONLY FROM DISHONOR ...

HAVING JUDGED THAT TO BE HAPPY MEANS TO BE FREE, & TO BE FREE MEANS TO BE BRAVE, NONE SHIED AWAY FROM THE RISKS OF WAR."

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY, A POET NAMED EZRA POUND CAPTURED THE GREEK ATTITUDE PERFECTLY. HE WROTE IN PART,

"I HAVE NO LIFE SAVE WHEN THE SWORDS CLASH. BUT AH! WHEN I SEE THE ... BROAD FIELDS TURN CRIMSON, THEN HOWL I MY HEART MAD WITH REJOICING ..."

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THIS IS EPISODE 30 OF GARNER'S GREEK MYTHOLOGY. WE HAVE LISTENERS FROM 141 COUNTRIES & COUNTING. WELCOME TO EVERYONE, WHEREVER YOU ARE.

I'M YOUR HOST, MYTHOLOGIST & BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, PATRICK GARNER. 

THESE STORIES ABOUT THE GODS HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. BUT NOW THERE ARE NEW STORIES THAT ARE AS COMPELLING.

IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, CHECK OUT MY BOOKS ABOUT THE GODS IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. 

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THEM & ABOUT THIS PODCAST AT PATRICKGARNERBOOKS.COM. 

AND AS ALWAYS, THIS PODCAST FOCUSES ON ONE THING ... GREEK GODS, OF COURSE. THEY, LIKE YOU, ARE HERE, NOW ...

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THE FRENZY & EUPHORIA THAT THE POET EZRA POUND TAPS ARE UNIVERSAL. HE PUTS HIS FINGER ON THE PRIMAL REACTIONS TO LIFE AND DEATH. 

THE THOUSANDS OF YEARS SEPARATING US FROM THE ANCIENT GREEKS HAVE NOT CHANGED OUR RESPONSE TO WAR. 

IN LIFE, THERE IS WHAT THE GREEKS CALLED STASIS, THAT IS, OUR ROUTINE DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. THERE IS ALSO ITS OPPOSITE—THE EXCITEMENT THAT COMES FROM FIGHTING FOR IDEALS… AND THE EXHILARATION OF THAT STRUGGLE.

WARS IN ANCIENT GREECE WERE LARGLY CITIZEN WARS. MEN WHO FOUGHT WERE POTTERS, FARMERS & PHILOSOPHERS.

EVEN SOCRATES, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHILOSOPHERS OF ALL TIME, SERVED REPEATEDLY AS AN ATHENIAN FOOT SOLDIER.

THE SPARTANS WERE THE EXCEPTION AS THEY FIELDED PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS. I SAY 'PROFESSIONAL' AS THE SPARTANS TRAINED CONSTANTLY FOR WAR ... 

AS AN ASIDE I'LL NOTE THAT A COMING EPISODE WILL FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THE SPARTANS ... 

BUT TODAY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE AMATEUR SOLDIER, THE TYPICAL GREEK CITIZEN ... AND MANY OF THESE CITIZENS WENT INTO BATTLE HOPING TO BECOME HEROES.

BUT HERO MAY NOT MEAN WHAT YOU THINK. "HERO" IN ANCIENT GREECE MEANT SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE USE THE TERM TODAY.

A HERO IN ANCIENT GREECE WAS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY A WARRIOR — YOUNG, STRONG & EXCEPTIONALLY BRAVE. THROUGH HIS BRAVERY HE BECAME A CHAMPION.

NOT ONLY THAT, A GREEK HERO EXPECTED TO DIE IN WAR & ALWAYS TO DIE PERFORMING EXCEPTIONAL FEATS. 

HE WAS NOT SOMEONE JUST DOING A DIFFICULT JOB: HE EXPECTED TO GIVE HIS LIFE QUICKLY & WITHOUT HESITATION.

FOR INSTANCE, A MOTHER IN SPARTA WOULD TELL HER SON GOING OFF TO WAR THAT HE WAS TO RETURN EITHER WITH HIS SHIELD OR RETURN ON TOP OF IT ...

IN OTHER WORDS, A SOLDIER WAS EXPECTED TO FIGHT HEROICALLY ... & FOR HIS BRAVERY HE WAS PROMISED THE TITLE OF HERO, THE HIGHEST HONOR FOR A GREEK.

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WHERE DID THESE HEROIC IDEALS ARISE? WE CAN PIN THEM TO WHAT WAS, FOR THE GREEKS, THE DEFINING WAR OF ALL WARS.

ABOUT 1200 B.C. — 3200 YEARS AGO — DOZENS OF UNAFFILIATED TOWNS, CITIES & TRIBES JOINED TOGETHER BECAUSE OF A WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A PRINCE.

OR PERHAPS SHE HADN'T REALLY BEEN KIDNAPPED AT ALL. MANY ANCIENT WRITERS CLAIMED SHE FLED WILLINGLY WITH A MAN NAMED PARIS WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS AWAY.

REGARDLESS, THE EVENT LED TO THE FAMOUS TROJAN WAR. IT WAS EQUIVALENT TO A WORLD WAR AT THE TIME. 

AND THAT WAR CREATED MULTIPLE HEROES, MEN WHO FOREVER PERSONIFIED THE GREEK IDEAL OF THE SELFLESS CHAMPION. 

SOME WHO FOUGHT IN TROY SURVIVED THE WAR, OTHERS DIED COURAGEOUSLY ON THE BATTLEFIELD ... BECAUSE OF THE ANCIENT WRITER HOMER, NONE WERE FORGOTTEN.

I SPEAK OF ACHILLES, AGAMEMNON, MENELAUS, ODYSSEUS, PATROCLUS, AJAX & SO MANY OTHERS ... THE REPUTATIONS OF ALL WERE MADE ON THE SHORES OF TROY. 

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I'VE SPOKEN OF HEROES. BUT I'VE SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE OLYMPIC GODS WHO HELPED FORGE THEM. 

THE GODS INSPIRED & FIRED THE BRAVERY OF EVERY GREEK & TROJAN HERO.

ZEUS MANIPULATED MEN & GODS ALIKE. ARES SCREECHED OVER EVERY BATTLEFIELD. HEPHAISTOS CRAFTED INVINCIBLE WEAPONS.

GODDESSES WERE EQUALLY INVOLVED. ATHENE, AS THE GODDESS OF WAR, WOVE PROTECTIVE CLOAKS AROUND HER FAVORITE GREEK WARRIORS.

SHE WAS PARTICULARLY FAMED FOR HELPING ODYSSEUS ... AS THE GODDESS OF WISDOM AS WELL AS WAR, ATHENE WAS DRAWN TO HIS WIT & INTELLIGENCE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, ARTEMIS, THE HUNTRESS,  FAVORED THE TROJANS & CRITICIZED HER BROTHER APOLLO FOR REFUSING TO SHOOT HIS ARROWS AT THE GREEKS.

ZEUS' WIFE, HERA, WAS A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR THE GREEKS. THE SEA-GOD POSEIDON WAS ACTIVE IN THE WAR AS WELL, SECRETLY FAVORING THE GREEKS.

ZEUS TOLD POSEIDON TO STAY OUT OF THE WAR. YET HERA DISTRACTED ZEUS SO THAT THE SEA-GOD COULD SECRETLY INTERFERE.

AND SO THE OLYMPIC GODS TOOK SIDES, JOUSTING & BETRAYING EACH OTHER FOR ONE SELFISH REASON AFTER ANOTHER.

AND IF WE LOOK AT THE RECORD, THE MODEL OF THE FAULTLESS WARRIOR, THE FIGHTER THAT WAS IDOLIZED FOR A MILLENNIUM, WAS DEVELOPED ON THE KILLING FIELDS OF TROY.

THOUSANDS OF MEN DIED. AND THE BRAVE MAN WHO EAGERLY AWAITED HIS OWN DEATH — THE MAN WHO BECAME THE GREEK HEROIC IDEAL — AROSE FROM THAT SAVAGE COMBAT.

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BUT WAR SPAWNED IDEALS OTHER THAN THAT OF THE IDEAL WARRIOR. THERE WAS AN UNWRITTEN LAW TO WHICH ALL GREEKS ADHERED.

AT THE END OF ANY BATTLE, EACH SIDE WOULD GATHER THEIR DEAD & WOUNDED. THIS DICTATE WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE. PERHAPS THE MOST TELLING STORY TOOK PLACE IN 406 B.C.

THE GREEKS, AGAINST ALL ODDS, WON THE GREATEST NAVAL BATTLE EVER RECORDED UP TO THAT TIME.

IT WAS AN UNLIKELY VICTORY. YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED GREEK RECRUITS, INCLUDING SLAVES WHO WERE PROMISED THEIR FREEDOM, WENT OUT AGAINST A PROFESSIONAL SPARTAN NAVY. 

THE SEA BATTLE TOOK PLACE NEAR THE ARGINUSAE ISLANDS OFF THE COAST OF PRESENT DAY TURKEY.

TO EVERYONE'S DISBELIEF THE GREEKS ROUTED THE SPARTANS. EVEN THE ENEMY'S NAVAL COMMANDER WAS KILLED.

ALTHOUGH THE ATHENIANS PREVAILED, BOTH SIDES LOST SHIPS. IN THE SKIRMISH HUNDREDS OF MEN FELL OVERBOARD.

AS THE BATTLE ENDED, A VIOLENT STORM WHIPPED UP ... COLLECTING THE DEAD & WOUNDED BECAME IMPOSSIBLE.

NIGHT FELL. THE SEA SWALLOWED THOSE WHO CLUNG TO DEBRIS. HAVING NO CHOICE THE GREEKS RETURNED HOME, BELIEVING THEMSELVES GLORIOUS VICTORS.

YET THE 10 GENERALS WHO HAD COMMANDED THE GREEK FLEET WERE BROUGHT TO TRIAL. THEIR CRIME? FAILING TO RETRIEVE THE DEAD & WOUNDED.

A WEEK EARLIER, THE GENERALS WERE CELEBRATED. THEY REPRESENTED THE MOST EXPERIENCED MILITARY OFFICERS IN ATHENS. 

YET ALL WERE CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR THIS BREACH OF CONDUCT & EXECUTED WITHIN A DAY ...

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THE DEAD & WOUNDED SHALL NOT BE LEFT BEHIND. THAT WAS THE GREEK RULE. 

FURTHER, IF THE DEAD & WOUNDED WERE ABANDONED, THOSE RESPONSIBLE WERE PUNISHED.

TODAY'S ELITE MILITARY UNITS RESIST LEAVING THEIR INJURED BEHIND. THERE ARE STORIES OF IMMENSE BRAVERY BY SOLDIERS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO SAVE THEIR BUDDIES.

WAR EXPOSES THE IDEALS AND THE IMPERFECTIONS OF COUNTRIES. TO THE ANCIENT GREEKS, NO SOLDIER COULD BE ABANDONED.  ALL WERE HONORED. ALL WERE HEROES ...

THERE ARE OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANCIENT & MODERN WARFARE. IN ANCIENT GREECE GENERALS OFTEN LED THE CHARGE.

THEY INSPIRED. THEY FIRED UP THEIR TROOPS. THEY COULD BE SEEN ON THE FRONT LINE BY THEIR OWN SOLDIERS — & AS IMPORTANTLY, BY THE ENEMY.

A STELLAR EXAMPLE IS ALEXANDER THE GREAT. HE WAS ALWAYS IN THE FOREFRONT OF BATTLE — WHILE HIS PERSIAN OPPONENTS, AS ONE EXAMPLE, WERE IN TENTS FAR AWAY, SEEMINGLY TOO IMPORTANT TO RISK HARM.

THE FINEST ANCIENT LEADERS LED THE WAY. HOW MANY GENERALS TODAY ENGAGE IN ACTUAL COMBAT? 

THE HEROISM THAT ANCIENT WAR INSPIRED IN LEADERS HAS BEEN REDEFINED. SIMILARLY, THE VENERATION THAT CIVILIZATIONS ONCE GAVE TO GREAT WARRIORS HAS VANISHED. 

MODERN SOLDIERS RETURN HOME WITHOUT CELEBRATION. MANY STRUGGLE TO FIND THEIR WAY ...TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO SUCH A FATE WAS UNIMAGINABLE .

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LET'S SPIN BACK TO THE TROJAN WAR. IT WAS, FOR THE ANCIENT GREEKS, THE WAR THAT FOREVER OVERSHADOWED EVERY WAR AFTER IT.

WHY? IT HAD THE IDEAL OF RIGHTING A GRIEVOUS WRONG — THE KIDNAPPING OF BEAUTIFUL HELEN, WHO WAS ANOTHER MAN'S WIFE — & THE ALLURE OF BEING GREECE'S FIRST UNITED EFFORT IN WAR.

DOZENS OF GREEK CITIES PLEDGED MEN & SHIPS TO THE EFFORT. THE OLYMPIC GODS TOOK SIDES. YET FOR A DECADE, THE WALLS OF TROY RESISTED THE GREEK INVADERS.

UNTIL THEY DIDN'T. REMEMBER THE TROJAN HORSE? ATHENE, THE GODDESS OF WAR, WORKED WITH THE GREEK WARRIOR ODYSSEUS TO DECEIVE THE TROJANS.

THE TROJANS BELIEVED THE HORSE WAS A CONCESSION, AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY THE GREEKS THAT THE WAR COULD NOT BE WON.

UPON SEEING IT THE TROJANS OPENED THEIR GATES, CELEBRATING WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE GREEKS' RETREAT. 

WHAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT THE HORSE CONTAINED THE BRAVEST OF GREECE'S WARRIORS, INCLUDING ODYSSEUS. 

THAT NIGHT THE GREEK SOLDIERS OPENED A HATCH, SLIPPED OUT & SLAUGHTERED ANY TROJAN WHO RAISED A CRY.

WITHIN HOURS THE MIGHTY CITY FELL. ALL OF THE TROJAN WARRIORS WERE KILLED. THE KING & HIS SONS WERE KILLED. WOMEN & CHILDREN WERE ENSLAVED.

IN THE END THE CITY WAS BURNT TO THE GROUND. ITS RICHES WERE PLUNDERED & DIVIDED AMONG THE VICTORS.

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WE KNOW ALL OF THIS BECAUSE OF A BLIND POET NAMED HOMER. HIS ACCOUNT OF THE WAR IS CALLED THE ILLIAD, & WAS WRITTEN 400 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT.

IN ANCIENT GREEK, 'ILLIAD' MEANS A SERIES OF DISASTROUS EVENTS. BUT THE GREEKS INTERPRETED THE STORY DIFFERENTLY.

FOR THEM THE TROJAN WAR WAS A GLORIOUS NARRATION, A CHRONICLE THAT IMMORTALIZED ITS GREATEST HEROES.

HOMER'S DESCRIPTIONS OF WAR ITSELF — BLOODY COMBAT THAT VIVIDLY RECOUNTED THE DEATHS OF ENDLESS WARRIORS — MIRRORED THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES.

WAR WAS VISCERAL. COMBAT WAS MAN AGAINST MAN, SPEAR THRUST INTO SHIELD, BATTLE AXE SWUNG AGAINST THIN BRONZE HELMETS.

WAR WAS CHOKING DUST, SCREAMS, CHARGING FORWARD WHILE YOUR FRIEND FELL BESIDE YOU, A SPEAR THROUGH HIS BELLY.

THE WAR-GOD ARES HOVERED OVER THE BATTLEFIELD, SHRIEKING IN BLOODLUST. THERE WAS TRICKERY & DECEIT. ZEUS & ATHENE OFTEN TOOK OPPOSING SIDES. 

AND HEROES? IT'S ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE TO US TODAY THAT THE GREEK IDEAL WAS TO TAKE DOWN A DOZEN OF THE ENEMY BEFORE BEING CUT DOWN YOURSELF.

HEROES DIED YOUNG & DIED GLORIOUSLY ... AT HOME, THE DEAD WERE CELEBRATED & THE FAMILIES OF CHAMPIONS WERE REWARDED WITH LIFELONG FOOD & SHELTER.

STATUES OF SUPER HEROES LIKE ACHILLES & AJAX WERE ERECTED ACROSS GREECE. HONOR, PRAISE & REVERENCE WERE SHOWERED ON ALL MEN WHO FOUGHT BRAVELY. 

TODAY? WAR HAS BECOMES ELECTRONIC. SATELLITES & DRONES GUIDE MISSILES LAUNCHED FROM THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.

THE GREEK IDEAL OF LIONIZING THE BRAVE HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT ETHOS.

HEROES —THAT IS, MEN WHO RUSH INTO BATTLE FOR GLORY & HONOR — HAVE BECOME QUAINT CHARACTERS FROM THE PAST.

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A CELEBRATED AMERICAN GENERAL, GEORGE PATTON, WHO WAS AN ARDENT STUDENT OF GREEK WARFARE. WROTE NEAR THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO, 

"IT IS FOOLISH & WRONG TO MOURN THE MEN WHO DIED. RATHER WE SHOULD THANK GOD THAT SUCH MEN LIVED ..."

WERE THERE ANCIENT GREEKS WITH SIMILAR SENTIMENTS? 

PERHAPS EPICURUS, THE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHER, SUMMED UP THE GREEK ATTITUDE BEST WHEN HE WROTE OF HEROES,

"THE ART OF LIVING & THE ART OF DYING WELL ARE ONE."

ANOTHER GREEK PHILOSOPHER, HERACLITUS, WROTE, 

"KNOW THAT WAR IS COMMON & JUSTICE ARISES FROM STRIFE. ALL THINGS COME INTO BEING & PASS AWAY THROUGH STRIFE ..."

... WAR IS AS ANCIENT AS MAN. JOSCHA BACH, ACCLAIMED AS THE WORLD'S LEADING COGNITIVE SCIENTIST & A PHILOSOPHER, IS EMPHATIC ABOUT ONE THING:

WAR IS EVOLUTION, & EVOLUTION ADVANCES MANKIND.

WHETHER WE AGREE WITH HIM OR NOT, WE CAN CONCEDE THAT, TODAY, SOCIETIES HAVE ABANDONED THE GREEK CONCEPT OF HEROISM. YET WAR GOES ON.

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JOIN ME ... FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF GARNER'S GREEK MYTHOLOGY. 

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I ASSURE YOU, MY NOVELS ABOUT THE GREEK GODS ARE AS ENTERTAINING AS MY PODCASTS!

A GREAT WAY TO FIND OUT IS TO DOWNLOAD MY AUDIBLE BOOK, HOMO DIVINITAS. YOU CAN GET IT AT AMAZON OR AUDIBLE.

AND THANKS FOR LISTENING ... THIS IS YOUR HOST, PATRICK GARNER ...