Don't Fight the River
pages:
1 |
2
Text length: 960 words
Excerpts from Book XXI of The Iliad
by Homer
, Translated by Samuel Butler (1835-1902), Date of origin: Late 8th Century B.C.
Conributed by Sanjay Patel
Strategy requires humility - an honest understanding and acknowledgement of a competitor's capabilities is a prerequisite for making good decisions
Fear can be the beginning of wisdom - in the face of an unbeatable opponent, we are forced to drop old assumptions and look for innovations
Don't let passion cloud your judgment - emotion and enthusiasm can drive great efforts but can also lead to irrational acts
It is good to have powerful friends - good relationships can sometimes save one from the catastrophic consequences of one's own mistakes
Keywords:
Homer, Achilles, Greek, Trojan, river, gods, battle, hubris, fear, irrationality, passion, alliances, respect, revenge
|
|
|
|
Summary
Homer’s Iliad recounts the story of the Trojan War and of the Greek hero, Achilles. Achilles has sat out most of the battle out of anger against the Greek leadership. But, when his dearest friend is killed, he rushes into the fight with savage purpose. Oblivious to enemies and obstacles, he plunges into the river Xanthus that blocks his path in his attempt to reach Troy. Xanthus, himself a god, is enraged by this act of hubris and unleashes his full fury against Achilles, who is only saved by the intervention of the gods Hera and Hephaistos.
This irrational fight against an overwhelming force shows the futility of such head-on confrontations. Homer tells us that Achilles could not win, “for the gods are stronger than men.” Recognition and respect for such forces is fundamental to good strategy-making. Sometimes, no amount of brute force will do the job – a more nuanced approach is required. Contrast the way scientists work to understand and even harness nature’s own mechanisms for their purposes to Achilles’ senseless defiance of nature’s might. Daring is admirable, but there are smarter ways to fight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Achilles arrives at the River Xanthus
Now when they came to the ford of the full-flowing river Xanthus…Achilles cut their forces in two: one half he chased over the plain towards the city… The other half were hemmed in by the deep silver-eddying stream, and fell into it with a great uproar. The waters resounded, and the banks rang again, as they swam hither and thither with loud cries amid the whirling eddies. As locusts flying to a river before the blast of a grass fire – the flame comes on and on till at last it overtakes them and they huddle into the water – even so was the eddying stream of Xanthus filled with the uproar of men and horses, all struggling in confusion before Achilles.
Forthwith the hero left his spear upon the bank, leaning it against a tamarisk bush, and plunged into the river like a god, armed with his sword only. Fell was his purpose as he hewed the Trojans down on every side. Their dying groans rose hideous as the sword smote them, and the river ran red with blood… He drew them out like dazed fawns, bound their hands behind them with the girdles of their own shirts, and gave them over to his men to take back to the ships. Then he sprang into the river, thirsting for still further blood.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The battle between Achilles and Xanthus begins
Meanwhile Achilles sprang from the bank into mid-stream, whereon the river raised a high wave and attacked him. He swelled his stream into a torrent, and swept away the many dead whom Achilles had slain and left within his waters… The great and terrible wave gathered about Achilles, falling upon him and beating on his shield, so that he could not keep his feet; he caught hold of a great elm-tree, but it came up by the roots, and tore away the bank, damming the stream with its thick branches and bridging it all across; whereby Achilles struggled out of the stream, and fled full speed over the plain, for he was afraid.
But the mighty god ceased not in his pursuit, and sprang upon him with a dark-crested wave… The son of Peleus [Achilles] darted away a spear's throw from him; swift as the swoop of a black hunter-eagle which is the strongest and fleetest of all birds, even so did he spring forward, and the armour rang loudly about his breast. He fled on in front, but the river with a loud roar came tearing after. As one who would water his garden leads a stream from some fountain over his plants, and all his ground-spade in hand he clears away the dams to free the channels, and the little stones run rolling round and round with the water as it goes merrily down the bank faster than the man can follow – even so did the river keep catching up with Achilles albeit he was a fleet runner, for the gods are stronger than men.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2
number of pages: 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
