The military, in an ideal world, would not be necessary. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the military is the backbone of a civilization. There are several possible purposes a military force can serve a civilization. For the purpose of this essay, we will focus on six purposes. A military is essential to the function of a civilization for the following reasons: They expand and defend territory, represent all of it 's people including those unable or unwilling to defend their own interests, improves the economy and the welfare of the general public, discourages warfare, improves and discovers new technologies, maintains the all important hero ethos through writings, legend and lore. “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a
…show more content…
There 's something about overcoming overwhelming odds, feats that stretch the imagination, and quests that provoke the human spirit of adventure. Homer, the author of The Odyssey and The Iliad, used heroes as the central characters of his stories. The Trojan War comes to mind. With the son of a god, Achilles, and the prince of Troy, Hector. Both were different kinds of heroes with different upbringings, and this gave the story more substance. The questions I was forced to ask myself were, “What kind of hero would I be?”,”Would I have the resolve to face Achilles in single combat?”,”Who should I be rooting for?”. It 's these questions that made The Iliad such a great read. It 's stories like these that excite the imagination and maintain the hero ethos. This ethos is important to the public and the individual as well. I have made several good points in regards to the importance of a military to a civilization. We need a military to expand and defend our territories. We need a military to fight on our behalf if we are unable or unwilling to fight ourselves. Having a military improves our economy and the welfare of the general public. A well maintained military discourages unnecessary warfare. Money and time spent on the military can improve and discover new technologies. War makes heroes. Stories of which are passed down through the ages to excite our imaginations and to maintain the hero
There 's something about overcoming overwhelming odds, feats that stretch the imagination, and quests that provoke the human spirit of adventure. Homer, the author of The Odyssey and The Iliad, used heroes as the central characters of his stories. The Trojan War comes to mind. With the son of a god, Achilles, and the prince of Troy, Hector. Both were different kinds of heroes with different upbringings, and this gave the story more substance. The questions I was forced to ask myself were, “What kind of hero would I be?”,”Would I have the resolve to face Achilles in single combat?”,”Who should I be rooting for?”. It 's these questions that made The Iliad such a great read. It 's stories like these that excite the imagination and maintain the hero ethos. This ethos is important to the public and the individual as well. I have made several good points in regards to the importance of a military to a civilization. We need a military to expand and defend our territories. We need a military to fight on our behalf if we are unable or unwilling to fight ourselves. Having a military improves our economy and the welfare of the general public. A well maintained military discourages unnecessary warfare. Money and time spent on the military can improve and discover new technologies. War makes heroes. Stories of which are passed down through the ages to excite our imaginations and to maintain the hero