You Can Go Your Own Way
Private 6:30-8:30pm
If Fleetwood Mac and Achilles had collaborated on his break-up song, it would of probably went, "you can go your own way.. you sack of wine!"
A more humerous remix to the original, but not nearly as good. And also it might not lead to any making up. Thank you for leaving Achilles out of your song Fleetwood Mac,
The "you can go your own way" module of this past week involved the complex and polarizing opening story to Homer's Iliad, book 1. It involves everything that we can see thats wrong in leadership today, no wonder why people call it a classic. Greed, self-interest, stubbornness, pride, machoness, insensitivity and insults. It also is a great example of some of the things that we still admire of leaders today: courage, rhetoric, encouragement, humility and a willingess to not kill each other in debate.
The war between the Danaans and the Trojans are fought (admirabley) to restore Helen, the wife of Menelaos back to her husband after she had been taken by the Trojan prince Paris. However what we learn from the background of the war is that many soldiers fought with hopes of claiming glory and honor to their name and spoil to their pockets. These served to secure their legacy for future generations. By the way the Iliad was written around 650 BCE. So its safe to say that we're reading about the best of the best that ancient history has to offer.
Chryses a priest of Apollo, came to the Danaan's encampment with ranson for his daughter Chryseis, who had been taken by the Greeks. He wished for them a victory in their war and only asked for his doughter back in exchange for the ransom he had brought. The "oldman" as Agamemnon called his was rudley shunned. His daughter would sooner grow old than to return. Agamemnon threatened Chryses and refused his request, and what is special about the encounter is that he shunned the priest even after the army of, "Achaians cried out in favour
that the priest be respected and the shining ransom be taken". Here is the first example of self-interest we see Agamemnon display, but it is also one of the many problems we see that threaten the leadership role. The aims of this Ideas in Antiquity course are: 10 Become better leaders. 2) Help us to work better with the leaders we have in our lives and 3) Understand the complexities of the leadership role.
We could have all said that Agamemnon should have went with what the group of soldiers cried in favor of (letting Chryseis go). "No biggy". But in these ancient times this was not so easy. Chryseis was his "prize", and as the leader of the greeks, to give up the major part of his spoil of war, sounded to Agamemnon proposterous, even evil as he describes it. This compromise would signal a sign of weakness and in all truth would sadden Agamemnon. He saw Chryseis as "better than Klytaimestra my own wife, for in truth she is no way inferior, neither in build nor stature nor wit, not in accomplishment." In that respect I can understand Agamemnon's decision a little more, although I have to consider that the charges of kidnapping and having and affair on his wife did not carry the same criminal and cultural charges they carry today.
Agamemnon is not entirely blameless in my eyes though. in class we discussed the significance of the staff / scepter / sceptre as the sign of a traveller, and of one that should be given respect and the ability to talk. A modern day microphone. The classroom equivalent of raising one's hand. Chryses came with his staff, and made a humble request of the Greeks. I wonder why it was that all the army (as it is reported) cheered on this cause but it was only Agamemnon who saw it as unreasonable. Granted it would have shown weakness to restore the Father and Daughter and give away his booty, Agamemnon could have simply refused the request more humbly, unlike the way he did. This gives us some insight into the the character of the man. Pridefull maybe, arrogant almost. Chryses prayed and entreated Apollo to punish the Greeks and avenge his cause for ransoming Chryseis. The Greeks became plagued with death at the hands of the Trojans for nine days. On the tenth, Achilles called an assembly of the men of Greece. Agamemnon was in a tough position when faced with the ransom from Chryses, but that was nothing compared to the position he would find himself in after falling out with Achilles. Professor Sandridge made a great analogy of Heracles and the multiheaded Hydra. As Heracles cut off one head on the hydra, two heads would spring in its place. Agamemnon did not know that he needed to cauterize the wound and soon things were falling apart:
FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE:
Class 9/8 9:40-11am
Private 6:30-9pm
Another problem arose when Agamemnon did not realize that something needed to be done. I gather he didnt think he needed to do anything because he supposedly had the support of Zeus. This lack of attentiveness and overestimation of divine aid led to another leader steppoing up and addressing the concerns of the group. Achilles consults Kalchas, a priest and inquires about the source of the Greek trouble. In his inquiry, he makes mention that Kalchas speaks plainly, without fear of persecution.
Then in answer again spoke Achilleus of the swift feet:
'Speak, interpreting whatever you know, and fear nothing. (85)
In the name of Apollo beloved of Zeus to whom you, Kalchas,
make your prayers when you interpret the gods' will to the Danaans,
no man so long as I am alive above earth and see daylight
shall lay the weight of his hands on you beside the hollow ships,
not one of all the Danaans, even if you mean Agamemnon, (90)
who now claims to be far the greatest of all the Achaians.'
What is interesting is that Kalchas does not speak up about what he knows for fear that he cannot be protected from Agamemnon's anger. But Achilles' promise to him, breaks that fear and among the group raises Achilles up to a leadership level higher than Agamemnon himself. Another major difficulty for Agamemnon, who now has a number of different categories of leadership problems:
- How to overcome self interest?
- How to regain legitimacy and be secured in the leadership role?
- How to be humble, prevent stubbornness?
- How to be attentive to the needs and attitudes of the group?
- How to be be well informed of the problems and possible solutions?
- How to correctly estimate external (divine) support?
- How to make the group confortable with bringing up sensitive issues?
It is revealed that the refusal to restore Chryseis has brought the vengence of Appollo onto the camp.
8. How to estimate the strength of your potential enemies and their allies
It is after Achilles calls this meeting that he and Agamemnon have their exchange of very harsh and critical words, even dehumanizing language. And Achilles vows to not return to the battle field since Agamemnon threatened to take his bride for himself (Briseis).
9. How to pick and choose your battles / Not lose support of your strongest ally?
Agamemnon's responded to Achilles that he can go on and that his many other great soldiers will obey him in Achilles' place. He cares nothing for Achilles. And as Achilles considered killing Agamemnon he was stopped by Athen at the request of Hera, who cared for both Achilles and Agamemnon. Achilles did abuse him more though, calling him gluttonous, greedy and cowardly, dehumanizing Agamemnon in both the mechanistic sense "you wine sack" and in an animalistic sense, "with a dog's eyes and a deer's heart".
We describe other humans as animalistic when we regard them as not having or experiencing higher level of emotions, likening them to animals.
Mechanistic dehumanization is a lack of empathy for other human bodies, regarding the human body as a machine.
These are the terms upon which their arguments are left.
They are tried to be reconciled through Nestor, an elder greek to nonavail. It seems that Agamemnon was frustrated that Achilles had challenged him and attempted to subvert his authority:
"Yes, old sir, all this you have said is fair and orderly.
Yet here is a man who wishes to be above all others,
who wishes to hold power [kratein] over all, and to be lord of
all, and give them their orders"
Eventually it is the Death of Achilles' best friend Patrokolos that brings him back to the battlefield not the pleasding of Nestor. However it is also important that Agamemnon apologises to to the Danaans for his behavior and blames it on the Gods for his deception, an explanation lacking both empathy for the many soldiers that have died as a result of his escapade with Chryses, and for the disregard for Achilles. This begs the question of how sensitive should a leader be? And how receptive should they be to the advice of others? A lot of death and even Agamemnon's own leadership role being challenged could have been prevented by him not alienating those around him, and by listening to council. Also, how functional or effective was it to dehumanize Achilles or vice versa? Were these tactics of insults and dehumanization just a means to and end; the end being regaining control of the leadership position (for Agamemnon) or challenging bad leadership (for Achilles). How important is tact and diplomacy among leaders in today's society? And how important is it to continually take the "moral high ground" when being insulted, and when is enough enough? How do those being lead react to those tactics and ethics of their leaders?
Common Session 9/8 7-8pm
The major problems that I see with leadership today include
- Corruption / Self interest (as expressed by Achilles to Agamemnon "you wine sack")
- Competence - leaders are placed into their roles a lot of times because of their qualifications or prestige or divine order in the case of Agamemnon. But they may not necessarily have competent characteristics of the leadership position: humility, diplomacy, vison, patience and planning. Achilles was a great leader in some respects that Agamemnon was not, but he lacked some vital things too.
- Ethics / less self-interest
- Communication and tact. I could definitely use a page out of Nestors book.
- Negotiations and diplomacy (Agamemnon definitely needed this in his interaction with Chryses)
- Do they believe leadership has changed much snce the ancient times? If yes or no, why and how?
- Troy or Pete commented in the common session- students corner that they woud like to see what activities students at other colleges are doing to display and develop their leadership qualities. I think this is a great idea.
Private 9/9 9-10am
--> What would be your advice to Agamemnon when Chryses first comes with the ransom?
"Ask for some more time to deliberate the decision, this could give you time to calm down and think about the interest of your people as well as the interest of yourself. Maybe an agreement can be reached."
--> What would be your advice to Agamemnon after Nestor talks to both him and Achilles?
"Nestor is indeed well respected and has spoken rightly. Take this opportunity to win back the favor of your followers by showing that even you the king are willing to make sacrifices for the safety of your men that not even Achilles is willing to make. If need be take more of a share of the profit after the war is done."
In honesty I believe Agamemnon would not have followed my advice in the first instance but would have sent away Chryses with insults. But I believe that after Nestor had spoken he was more agreeable to what was being said and would have jumped at the opportunity to show Achilles up as someone ruled by his tempor and not fit to lead the Greeks as he would have people believe. Maybe Achilles would have left off the camp and came back after the death of Petroklos as before or maybe he would have realized that to abandon the army after Agamemnon had given up Chryseis willingly would have been a bad move and put him out of favor with his fellow worriors. The army may have even began to win the war without Achilles and his glory would not have been as great....
