ET CETERA ANTIQUA

📝 Classical Civilisation essay, Year 11. Mark: 15/15. Teacher feedback: “An excellent answer, well done!”

In Horace’s Odes 3.2, patriotism is very important. For example, he writes “it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country”, which explicitly expresses his belief that men should die for their homeland and therefore be patriotic. This shows that Horace values patriotism and a love of one’s country. He also explores how people can be patriotic, even if they are not soldiers. One example of this is his description of the man who “never takes up the axes or puts them down at the whims and breezes of public opinion”. This shows Horace believes that politicians should be patriotic by showing virtue in politics and allowing the government to function properly. Overall, I think that in Horace’s Odes, the theme of patriotism is very significant, as it is one of his central messages.

Similarly, in Tyrtaeus’ fallen warrior elegy, he explores the values of patriotism, though not to the same extent as Horace. One example of this is “To die is noble when a good man falls among fighters at the front while he defends his Fatherland.” This shows that patriotism is important in the poem as he thinks that dying for one’s fatherland is virtuous and honourable, which was very important for the Spartan soldiers. However, I think Tyrtaeus places more emphasis on other subjects in the poem, for example the consequences of deserting your fellow soldiers and becoming one of the “trosantes” (tremblers), through lines such as “He brings shame on his lineage.” This shows that, although patriotism is an important theme in the “fallen warrior”, I think there are more important themes, such as shame and glory, that haven’t really been discussed here.

In Homer’s Iliad, I think there are more important themes than patriotism, although patriotism is still important. For example, Hector seems to be more preoccupied with avoiding aidos (shame) and gaining kleos (glory), when he tells Andromache he is “seeking to win great glory for my father and myself.” This shows he cares more about glory than Troy. Similarly, in Book 6, when he urges Paris to fight, he is asking Paris to do so to avoid aidos. This is shown in “you are the reason the sounds of war echo through Troy”, which suggests that for Paris to stay safe in his palace would be shameful as he is the reason the war happened. This shows that Hector thinks glory and shame are more important than patriotism. Also, when Priam asks Achilles for Hector’s body back, risking his life, he is not acting in the interests of his country as doing so would not help Troy. This suggests that family is more important to Priam than his country, so patriotism is not as important.

In conclusion, in Horace’s Odes, patriotism is very important. Similarly in Tyrtaeus’ fallen warrior, although Tyrtaeus also explores other themes. In contrast, patriotism is not as important in Homer’s Iliad as other themes, such as kleos and aidos.