Die For This

Author's note: This is the second in a series of contemplations that discuss various respectable characteristics of a good man and encourage strong, virtuous masculinity. Check out “Servant”, published September 3rd, 2024, to read part one.

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Gentlemen,

I would like to introduce you to two ancient warriors:

Achilles, commander of the mythological Myrmidons of Thessaly, and Leonidas, king of Sparta in the 5th century B.C.

Allow me to pull you into Homer’s Iliad.

Achilles stands before the most defining decision of his life as he bids his mother, Thetis, for council. The Greek world is on the brink of war. Helen has been taken from her husband Menelaus, and now he and Agamemnon are forming an army to destroy the culpable city of Troy in minor Asia. Achilles carefully contemplates whether he should join his Hellenic brothers on the battlefield. His mother tells him what she sees in his future: He could stay far from Troy and live a regular life, and upon his eventual demise, his name would get lost among the many men of mythology and history. Or, she says, he could cross the Aegean, sack Troy, and have his name echo throughout the halls of eternity. This glory, Thetis adds, would come at great cost: The fall of Troy would be inseparably bound to Achilles’ death.

Let us now leave these shores behind, where waves of mythology crash upon the sands of history and travel to the classical age of Greece.

Leonidas, king of Sparta, receives news of Xerxes pushing his Persian forces west to subdue the Greek people. The ancient author Herodotus states that Xerxes had two million men under his command. Modern scholars believe 300,000 soldiers to be the highest estimate of the Persian army. Whatever the number, Leonidas calls together three hundred Spartans and is joined by approximately seven thousand additional fighters. They head for the narrow pass of Thermopylae, hoping to stall the invading forces. The Greeks hold this passage for an entire week, three days of which are stained by the blood of battle. Then, however, Leonidas is betrayed by a local, who aids the Persians in outflanking him. Having lost what small advantage he possessed and aware of the impending massacre, the king sends the majority of his soldiers home to fight another day. He remains behind with a small number to fight to the death.

Both Achilles and Leonidas know that their decision leads them to the banks of the Styx. Neither of them hesitates. Both are killed. Both achieve their goal.

Wherein, then, lies the difference between these two ancient heroes?

– The difference lies in their cause.

Achilles sacrifices himself for himself. He wants his name never to be forgotten. He wants to be remembered as the greatest warrior of all time. Without a doubt, he achieves this. We still speak of him today. We are fascinated by his prowess in war as he litters battlefields with bodies. We are captivated by his anger when Briseis is taken from him, and he believes he is being disrespected and treated unjustly. We are spellbound by his rage upon hearing of Patroklus’ death and enamored by the wrath of his vengeance.

Yes, Achilles' name has certainly lived on, but what did he stand for? He sought glory on the battlefield. He killed to achieve immortality. He so yearned for recognition that he was willing to die to achieve it.

How does Leonidas compare to this? Being a man, he almost certainly desires glory. He fights for more than that, though. When he steps out on the battlefield at Thermopylae, he sees behind him his wife and children, depending on him for their survival. He sees his people trusting him as their king. He sees his city, nestled safely in the hills of the Peloponnese, faithfully awaiting his return. No walls surround it. Sparta’s wall stands with him at the hot gates.

Leonidas turns his head, and before him stands an enemy burning to destroy his world. Sparta’s king fights for a cause greater than himself. He loves what stands behind him, but he does not love it selfishly, for he wants his family and people to continue living on, even if he cannot cherish those moments with them. He will give his life to allow others to keep theirs. He, too, like Achilles, is successful in this endeavor - after many more battles, Sparta will still stand.

Now, this is by no means a complete character study of Achilles and Leonidas. Instead, this contemplation displays two instances in which these two ancient warriors acted in very similar ways while being driven by wildly different motives.

Gentlemen, we can learn from these stories. Granted, most of us are not commanding armies or hiding in big wooden horses, but we still share similarities with Achilles and Leonidas: We are leaders, and we face choices.

‘Leader?’ you may ask yourself, ‘I am no leader’.

Yes, you are; in two different ways:

Firstly, you are a constant leader by example. Friends, family, and children are watching you. Your values are reflected in your behavior and decisions. They are clearly visible to those who care to look. The question is, what will you pass on to those learning from you? Will it be Achilles’ character, dripping with selfishness and self-glorification? Will you teach them that there is no greater purpose than serving oneself? Or will you display selfless leadership as Leonidas at Thermopylae?

Remember: What you do impacts others.

Secondly, if you have a wife and children, you are the head of the family. Carrying this mantle of fatherhood is perhaps the most important thing you will do in your life. You bear unrestricted responsibility for your children. Your family flourishes if you lead well and suffers inescapably if you do not. Achilles led his men to their deaths for his own glory. Will you be that kind of leader? He valued what he desired over the needs of his men. Will you force that upon your wife and children? When Achilles’ pride was bruised, he withdrew from the war like a pouting child. As a father, will you stand on a pedestal of pride, or will you build a foundation of unshakable virtue? Achilles was driven by blind vengeance when Hector killed Patroclus. Will you lose all restraint when fate takes what you love, or will you be thankful for the gifts you’ve been blessed with?

A leader is only as good as his purpose. If his purpose is himself, he is no leader at all but instead a tyrant.