Upon death, the Greeks enter the kingdom of Hades. Hades is a place that is forever apart from the world of mortals, and entirely inescapable. To the Greeks, death was far from a desirable conclusion from the pains of life's struggle. Rather, death is a profoundly awful thing that is very much worth avoiding if at all possible. Sappho makes the excellent point that if death were a good thing, then everyone, even the gods, would die. [Sappho, 87] But they do not. They are the immo

In terms of raw military benefits, the courageous army has higher morale, the ability to launch more successful offensives, and the honor of being remembered as a group of brave fighters. "Cowards I know would quit the fighting now but the man who wants to make his mark in war must stand his ground and brace for all he's worth-" [11.483-485]. Individually, the courageous fighter is revered as one who inspires fear in his enemy and one who deals out death and destruction as if they were playing cards. "The skin of the brave soldier never blanches... he prays to wade in carnage, cut and thrust at once. Who could deny your nerve there, your fighting hands? Why even if you were badly wounded in battle... the weapon would never hit you behind, in neck or back- it would pierce your chest or guts as you press forward, lusting for all the champions' lovely give-and-take." [Book XIII. 334-343] Common foot-soldiers flee at the very sight of the great Ajax or the glint of Achilles' armor. A warrior who does not flee, as in the confrontation between Glaucus' and Diomedes, may be met with genuine respect, or at least be found worthy of exchanging a few taunts before decapitation. Captured cowards will receive little respect, and are often slaughtered despite pleas for mercy: "Escape? Take my advice and wipe it from your mind, good as your message is - you're in my hands now... With that ... Diomedes struck him square across the neck..." [Book X. 516-525]

Even postmortem it is still possible to spite the enemy via the desecration of the foe's body. When the effort made to recover bodies during battle is considered, the importance placed on proper burial becomes clear. Not being properly buried tarnishes your memory. The taunts to a fallen enemy of: "...you'll glut the dogs and birds of Troy with your fat and flesh..." [Book XIII. 961-962] abound throughout the text. The value placed proper burial is further made evident when considering the pains and risks Priam makes to retrieve the body of the fallen Hector from the abusive clutches of Achilles. This reveals an advantage of courageousness; even if a soldier perishes after fighting bravely, his comrades will make an effort to save the body: "...Death in its rampage outraced you-no escape... Now your father and noble mother / will never close your eyes in death - screami

Some common words found in the essay are:
Book XIII, Book XI, Book XVII, Book XIV, Glaucus' Diomedes, Hades Hades, Death Greek, Book VI, Asius Death, Diomedes Odysseus, book xiii, living life, living life courage, life courage, gods directly, book xiv, live life, fight zeus, placed proper, book xi, living coward, placed proper burial,
Approximate Word count = 1570
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)