"....so free from care was the posture the king assumed upon the earth, cushioned upon his cloak as a ground cloth, legs crossed at the ankles,arms folded across his breast, his eyes shaded by a straw sun hat and his head pillowed insouciantley on the bowl of his shield. He might have been a boy, herding goats in some sleepy summer dale." I think the author is trying to make the point that though Leonidas is a king, he is still a real person and can't be expected to be regal all the time. It seems that he is trying to escape the horrors of war and the time of his death through sleep, and just wants to relax in his final hours, and not just renew his energy. This passage is interesting for me because in books it never explains the small details, like people sleeping, but the author makes a point to describe how the king is sleeping, and how he looks while sleeping. I also think the comparison to a boy herding goats is interesting because i can totally see that image in my head, which helps me envision Leonidas.
"A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his mens loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake... He serves them, not they him." I think this quote is really moving and really easy to connect to. The Spartans view of a king is a hero, and a patriot. Leonidas died fighting for his country, taking all the pain so others could live. He did not watch men die for him, he died so they and their families would be saved. I think it's better to have a role model and leader that has endured the same hardships you have, and can help you through them because of their personal experience. You also want someone who does not view themselves as high above you, but someone that is comfortable talking to you and taking time to see and help you through life and struggles. All of this Leonidas did, and the Spartans loved him in return, and were happy to follow him into war, even though they knew they would die.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Dialectic Journals- Book Seven
"...they were one rumor away from terror, and one perceived prodigy from panic." I think the author is trying to bring the reader into the book and also give them insight on how the other army (the Persians) are feeling at that moment during the war. The point of this quote is to explain how afraid the Persians are currently feeling and how close they are to breaking from the strain of war and terror. The Persians have just finished the first half of the battle, and have witnessed how strong and powerful the Spartans are, and have endured a whole day of watching them slay thousands of their men. At this point they are so scared that one rumor (probably about more warriors coming to overtake them) or one "perceived prodigy" (an omen that may mean that they will all be killed or bring bad luck) would throw them into pandemonium, and terror. They are so scared that anything will throw them off the edge. I felt a connection to this quote because I too have felt that close to the edge of breaking that the slightest thing could throw me off into a form of chaos once or twice before, and I think the author did an excellent job of describing this feeling and state of mind.
"Odd as it sounds, the feeling within that cozy copse evoked a hearth of home, a haven. One could still smell that deery smell, the gamy scent of their coats... how sweet it would be, right now, to lie down here like the deer and close one's eyes. To allow all fear to depart one's limbs. To be, just for a moment, innocent of terror." This quote strikes me because I thought it was really strange that all these soldiers, while on a very dangerous mission, randomly find this little place while traveling. It's interesting that it would just appear, and something like that can exist, while thousands are dying, and fighting has broken out all around it. Although hell is surrounding this, this "heavenly" spot has been safe from harm, and remains quiet. I also think its interesting that the author includes the detail that about how cozy and great the deer smell to the men. It's weird to me because I don't think many people would say the smell of deer smells great. I believe he includes this because it reminds the soldiers of their homes, where they eat meat (like the deer), and the memories of hunting when they were healthy, happy and safe. I can also connect to this quote because at certain times I am so tired or angry, and there is all this chaos and noise going on around, but then I'll find a quiet place (usually in my house) where it is absolutely silent, and nothing has reached that place or broken the peace. It feels great to just breath and forget about everything, especially in a place that you feel totally sheltered from the outside world, as if none of the things that were bothering you can touch you.
"Odd as it sounds, the feeling within that cozy copse evoked a hearth of home, a haven. One could still smell that deery smell, the gamy scent of their coats... how sweet it would be, right now, to lie down here like the deer and close one's eyes. To allow all fear to depart one's limbs. To be, just for a moment, innocent of terror." This quote strikes me because I thought it was really strange that all these soldiers, while on a very dangerous mission, randomly find this little place while traveling. It's interesting that it would just appear, and something like that can exist, while thousands are dying, and fighting has broken out all around it. Although hell is surrounding this, this "heavenly" spot has been safe from harm, and remains quiet. I also think its interesting that the author includes the detail that about how cozy and great the deer smell to the men. It's weird to me because I don't think many people would say the smell of deer smells great. I believe he includes this because it reminds the soldiers of their homes, where they eat meat (like the deer), and the memories of hunting when they were healthy, happy and safe. I can also connect to this quote because at certain times I am so tired or angry, and there is all this chaos and noise going on around, but then I'll find a quiet place (usually in my house) where it is absolutely silent, and nothing has reached that place or broken the peace. It feels great to just breath and forget about everything, especially in a place that you feel totally sheltered from the outside world, as if none of the things that were bothering you can touch you.
Book 6 Dialectic Journal
"Why is it in a war you can't fall asleep when you want to and can't stay awake when you have to ?" I definitely agreed with the author when I read this quote because it always seems that when you have to stay awake you can't and when you want to sleep you have to when you're doing something really important that demands both these things at certain times. I can compare this quote to moments when I've been in shows where I have had to dance, and I am really tired because I've been dancing for hours but I can't fall asleep because I have to do another show. By the end of the night I'm all pumped up again and awake from just finishing a dance number so I can't fall asleep when I really need to, so I can get enough rest for tomorrows show.
"His right hand clasped the flare of his cheek piece and tugged the ghastly mask down, in an instant the humanity of his face vanished his gentle expressive eyes became unseeable pools of blackness chasmed within the fierce eye sockets of bronze, all compassion fled in an instant from his aspect, replaced with the black mask of murder..." -chapter 24____ This passage really strikes me because it is such a clear image in my head, and the words are so powerful. The part of the quote where the author writes "unseeable pools of blackness chasmed within the the fierce eye sockets of bronze..... the black mask of murder" really strikes me because it's so detailed. I can see the shadows from the mask making the soldiers eye's dark and harsh in my head, and what it means. It not only creates a clear picture in your head but it also indicates what the Spartans are trying to represent. "Black mask of murder" is meant to scare the enemy, and make them look like they are fit for battle.
"His right hand clasped the flare of his cheek piece and tugged the ghastly mask down, in an instant the humanity of his face vanished his gentle expressive eyes became unseeable pools of blackness chasmed within the fierce eye sockets of bronze, all compassion fled in an instant from his aspect, replaced with the black mask of murder..." -chapter 24____ This passage really strikes me because it is such a clear image in my head, and the words are so powerful. The part of the quote where the author writes "unseeable pools of blackness chasmed within the the fierce eye sockets of bronze..... the black mask of murder" really strikes me because it's so detailed. I can see the shadows from the mask making the soldiers eye's dark and harsh in my head, and what it means. It not only creates a clear picture in your head but it also indicates what the Spartans are trying to represent. "Black mask of murder" is meant to scare the enemy, and make them look like they are fit for battle.
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