The U.S is not the new Rome

by cherrios16

I do not think that America is the new Rome, but I think that there are certain aspects of America that are very closely related to Rome. For example, Rome had a great military and advanced technology for fighting for those ancient days. Similarly the United States also has a very strong military and advanced technology even for our time. In addition both military’s have strong standing armies with strong training and discipline. Both Rome and the United States also share similar histories. Both were founded on the idea of murder, stealing, and conquering which is very interesting considering both places try to prevent those things from happening within their state. Another similarity is the power they both have internationally. The United States and Rome share an extensive network of trading posts and control of oceans which is a good tool to show the amount of power the state can wield. Another similarity is both states ability to show force. Rome would conquer places easily because they had such a strong presence not only in Europe but also in the middle east. The United States also has this same effect on countries that it deals with. Other countries often will surrender to the United States instead of trying to fight them because they know they have an extensive amount of power. An important difference, which makes the United State and Rome also very different, is that unlike Rome the United States does not outwardly try to conquer every single place it can. The United State was a colony and understood what the wrath of a mother country can do to a colony, so the US is cautious when dealing with foreign nations. Rome expanded and expanded until it could not anymore which aided the decline of the Empire because it was at its max capacity, which is why I do not think that the US will decline any time soon. The US is not trying to wage war against neighboring countries constantly, instead it maintains is territory and respects the sovereignty of other nations.

Preservation of Democracy

by cherrios16

When comparing the three important works of Pericles’s “Funeral Oration”, Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”, and FDR’s “Pearl Harbor Speech”, we see how they all consistently discuss their homeland as the best place with respect to freedom and democracy. In Pericles’s Funeral Oration he writes, “Its administration factors the many instead of the few, this is why it is called a democracy (37.1)”. In this quote Pericles discusses how Athens is better than other nations because they have a democracy, and because they have a democracy people are free compared to the other nations that have oppressive governments. Similarly Lincoln says the same thing in the Gettysburg address, he writes “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”. This is very similar to what Pericles is saying because they are both addressing the fact that the nations they are protecting have a democracy and are considered free. In FDR’s speech he also addresses the idea of democracy. He discusses the opposition between the “Empire of Japan verses the democracy of the US”. It is interesting to look at the similarities between these three speeches because they all touch on the same point, which is defending the democracy that they have and how important it was that their soldiers died for the preservation of democracy in their nation.

The fight for Democracy

by cherrios16

 

The similarities between the Persian wars and the modern wars are freedom in opposition to tyranny, and democracy in opposition to autocracy or tyranny. In the Persian wars, the Greeks were defending their land against the rule of the Persians. The Persians wanted to take over Greece to expand their empire, and conquer lands that had not been previously conquered. Demaratus, the previous leader of the Greeks, explains to Xerxes the way of the Greeks, “First, they will never accept conditions from you that bring slavery upon Hellas; and second they will meet you in battle even if all the other Greeks are on your side (102.2)”. This quote shows how the Greeks wanted to preserve their freedom against tyranny and that they would not be submissive to becoming part of the Persian Empire. The Greeks wanted to preserve their democracy, and do not want to be subjected to a monarchy. They wanted “the people” to rule society. This is very similar to the ideas behind modern day wars. After September 11^th, 2001, President George W. Bush gave a speech addressing the terror attack and the United States “war on terror”. He says, “ We believe in the values that uphold the dignity of life; tolerance and freedom and the right of conscience. And we know that this way of life is worth defending (5)”. This quote directly relates to what Demaratus was saying about the Greeks. In both the Greeks and the United States cases, neither country is going to back down to the opposing threat. They want to preserve their democracy, and they do not want to be ruled by a society that does not have the people’s best interest.

Shame or Hero?

by cherrios16

Tim O’brien and Hector are asked to fight in instances where they will probably lose and die. Hector is asked to fight Achilles and has this internal conflict of whether or not he should go, Hector says,” But wait- what if I put down my studded shield and heavy helmet, prop my spear on the rampart and go forth, just as I am, to meet Achilles, noble Prince Achilles.. why, I could promise to give back Helen, and all her treasures with her, all those riches(111-114)”. This quote shows the internal conflict that Hector has. Hector is trying to seek another way to end this war with out him dying. It shows the self preservation that Hector has for himself and his family’s well being. He does not want to die but realizes that he must for glory, “Better to clash in battle, now, at once- see which fighting Zeus awards the glory! (129-130)”. This shows how Hector wants to fight rather than be a coward and run away from Achilles. He shows how important glory is to his culture when he chooses the possibility of death for glory. Tim O’brien has the same issue that Hector had before going to war. O’brien had internal conflict, he writes, “ I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile. I was afraid of walking away from my own life, my friends and my family, my whole history, everything that mattered to me (184)”. This shows how O’brien had internal conflict just like Hector, he wants to live but he also does not want to shame himself or his family. In the end Hector chooses to go to war but he still feels the shame of even toiling with the idea of escaping to Canada. In the end he writes, “I survived but it’s not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war (197)”. This shows how much internal conflict can affect someone, even after O’brien went to the war he still feels ashamed and cowardly. Both of these men show how self preservation is something that comes to mind before fighting, it is the humanity of saving yourself versus doing something noble for other people.

Depiction of War

by cherrios16

In the Iliad, they present that battle scene, where Achilles destroys the Trojan men, as gruesome and bloody. The men, one by one are being dismembered by Achilles. Homer writes, “Achilles then went up to Moulios and struck him on the ear with a spear, and the bronze spear-head came right out at the other ear (471-472)”. This quote shows the brutality and savageness of the fight. Similarly, in the movie Saving Private Ryan, the battle scene is as gruesome and bloody as in the Iliad. This movie depicts men’s insides being torn out, and arms and legs being blown off. This is similar to the depiction in the Iliad of Achilles dismembering his opponents. The battle in both examples is as bloody as the other. In Ernest Junger’s “Storm of Steel” we also see similar depiction of men being killed. Junger writes, “No man’s land was packed right with attackers, advancing singly, in little groups or great masses towards the curtain of fire. They didn’t run or even take cover as the vast plume of an explosive rose between them… It was as though nothing could hurt them anymore (170)”. This quote shows how men were just walking into combat where there was essentially no hope in surviving. There were explosives going off everywhere just like in Saving Private Ryan. There was so much death that “nothing could hurt them anymore” because it was just all around them.

 

BittahMagincians were here.

Leadership

by cherrios16

There are similarities in the “Iliad” and “Path of Glory”. In both pieces of evidence each has a leader who acts more as a tyrant, and a subordinate who tries to make decisions for the leader. Although in both cases the subordinate might have better ideas than the leader for combat,  but disrespecting your leader is not something one should do in the military.

In the Iliad, Homer describes the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles, “But Achilles rounded on Agamemnon once again, lashing out at him, not relaxing his anger for a moment: “Staggering drunk, with your dog’s eyes, your fawn’s heart! Never one did you warm with troops and go to battle or risk an ambush packed with Achea’s picked men”(223-229). This quote shows how insubordinate Achilles acts towards Agamemnon by calling him out in front of everyone. Achilles defies Agamemnon’s power when he yells at him.

Similarly in the “Paths of Glory” colonel Dax takes orders from General Mireau who is clouded with trying to obtain a high level of honor. General Mireau orders Dax and his men to take the Ant Hill, which is an impossible task that is going to wipe out more than half of Dax’s men. Dax tries to explain to General Mireau that if he tries to take the Ant Hill it will be a suicide mission and that by the time they even get to the other side too many of his men will be dead to hold down the Ant Hill. General Mireau snaps at him and tell him that he is not fit for the job. Then after Miraeau threatens to take Dax from his men, Dax accepts the job. During the battle scene, Dax’s men try to leave the trenches but ultimately can not because there are bombs, and machine guns going off. General Mireau accuses Dax of not obeying his orders and disrespecting him as his superior.

In both pieces of evidence the insubordination is shown because of Achilles defying Agamemnon, and Dax defying General Mireau’s orders.