----- Original Message -----
From: "L. Manning Vines" <lmanningvines@hotmail.com>
> Why is war beautiful? Or what is beautiful about it, or to what extent is
> it beautiful?
[ ... ]
> But the fact remains, it seems to me. Something of war, whatever
adjectives
> you wish to use, is tied to us -- perhaps especially the men. The
> popularity and pervasiveness of war movies need not be pointed out, and
all
> of us in that seminar were acutely aware that even Socrates had fought in
> war, that it was once a rare man who was not ever a soldier, whether he
was
> a philosopher, physicist, doctor or farmer. The Romans actually allowed
> only property-owning men to fight, since they, it was thought, had the
most
> to lose. The young and poor were kept from service. And, of course, the
> greatest epic poets have thought, at least, that war is worthy of epic
> poems -- and perhaps that little else makes an appropriate setting. Homer
> begins with the invocation: "Sing rage, goddess" and Virgil, as in the
> subject line, begins: "I sing of arms and a man."
>
Homer, of course, had very strong opinions about the good aspects of war. He
contended that war brings out the best in men, for it forces them to excell
(albeit in the name of survival) and urges them toward being persons of
stature and value (ideal hero). War also reminds us of the important things
in life: citizenship, family, our own mortality. Although there are obvious
evils that develop from war, Homer was quite optimistic that is was a
necessary -- and welcome -- part of existence.
Tim
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Received on Sat Aug 10 17:38:09 2002
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