Don't Fight the River
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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
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Achilles struggles against the river
As often as he would strive to stand his ground, and see whether or not all the gods in heaven were in league against him, so often would the mighty wave come beating down upon his shoulders, and be would have to keep flying on and on in great dismay; for the angry flood was tiring him out as it flowed past him and ate the ground from under his feet.
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Hera intervenes to save Achilles
[H]e upraised his tumultuous flood high against Achilles, seething as it was with foam and blood and the bodies of the dead. The dark waters of the river stood upright and would have overwhelmed the son of Peleus, but Juno [Hera], trembling lest Achilles should be swept away in the mighty torrent, lifted her voice on high and called out to Vulcan [Hephaistos] her son. "Crook-foot," she cried, "my child, be up and doing, for I deem it is with you that Xanthus is fain to fight; help us at once, kindle a fierce fire; I will then bring up the west and the white south wind in a mighty hurricane from the sea, that shall bear the flames against the heads and armour of the Trojans and consume them, while you go along the banks of Xanthus burning his trees and wrapping him round with fire. Let him not turn you back neither by fair words nor foul, and slacken not till I shout and tell you. Then you may stay your flames."
On this Vulcan kindled a fierce fire, which broke out first upon the plain and burned the many dead whom Achilles had killed and whose bodies were lying about in great numbers; by this means the plain was dried and the flood stayed. As the north wind, blowing on an orchard that has been sodden with autumn rain, soon dries it, and the heart of the owner is glad – even so the whole plain was dried and the dead bodies were consumed. Then he turned tongues of fire on to the river. He burned the elms, the willows, and the tamarisks, the lotus also, with the rushes and marshy herbage that grew abundantly by the banks of the river. The eels and fishes that go darting about everywhere in the water, these, too, were sorely harassed by the flames that cunning Vulcan had kindled, and the river himself was scalded, so that he spoke saying, "Vulcan, there is no god can hold his own against you. I cannot fight you when you flare out your flames in this way; strive with me no longer. Let Achilles drive the Trojans out of city immediately. What have I to do with quarrelling and helping people?"
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