Death is the unavoidable conclusion of existence, a fate shared by all living things. Even though all communities throughout history have recognized that death is an inevitability for all humans, their responses have varied. As a result of religious and philosophical ideas and notions, attitudes regarding death and dying have evolved and continue to evolve throughout history. Several ancient authors’ works, such as The Odyssey, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and The Sauptikaparvan, substantially affected the ancient world’s perspective on death.
Both elegy and epic poetry promote the concept of a “good death” as the notion of physical and mental perfection of a warrior who, attractive and valiant, dies on the battlefield. For instance, in the book Odyssey, one of Odysseus’s crew members, Elpenor, dies and later emerges to him as a ghost (Homer 57). He urges Odysseus to return to Circe’s island and bury his body properly with honor. The ancient Greeks and Romans felt that the most honorable way to die was beside other compatriots, holding the line to the very end.
Other types of death, such as death by sin, which corresponds with genuine life, full and entire communion with God, were associated with a person going to hell. Physical or biological death, also known as median death, was considered beneficial or harmful depending on one’s moral perspective. Conversely, philosophers saw “good death” as a mode of dying that enabled a person to take control of an uncomfortable situation and contrasted it to suicide, which they viewed as a refusal of one’s duty to family and humanity.
Homer recounts the underworld in The Odyssey, where Hades, the brother of Poseidon and Zeus, ruled over innumerable dark multitudes of the dead. The ghost of the renowned warrior Achilles informed Odysseus that he would rather be a lowly enslaved person on earth than master of all the dead in Hades (Homer 489). The afterlife of the deceased people was not a pleasant one. In some writings, if a soul was extremely excellent, it could travel to Elysium, also known as the isles of the good, a region often allocated for the gods and heroes.
Fighting is the behavioral standard of society’s armed strata, the Katriyas. Dying on the battlefield was considered a “good death,” and these soldiers were highly regarded. According to the book Mahābhārata, warriors who died on the battlefield would eventually ascend to heaven. “They whose bodies are now lying on the bare ground, slain by those vindictive wretches, have undoubtedly ascended to heaven.” (Johnson 23). Interesting to note that even when death was feared by most, it was believed that the warriors would ascend to heaven.
In the past, warriors had a distinct advantage over other groups. To preserve the memory of fallen soldiers, they were given a proper burial. The burial ritual was essential because it allowed the warrior’s kin to reclaim their bodies and restore their dignity. Warriors were responsible for defending communities against their enemies. The Epic of Gilgamesh depicts the life of Gilgamesh, a legendary warrior. The importance of warriors in ancient Mesopotamian civilization is clear from the very beginning of The Epic of Gilgamesh. Warriors were regarded as the highest members of society. During the ancient time, other figures of authority were deemed subordinate. The people of Uruk regarded Gilgamesh as their superior: “Among the kings of teeming mankind, no one can compare with him…
Belet-ili developed the shape of his physique and perfected his form…” (George 190). Gilgamesh exemplifies the perfect hero in his civilization’s perspective because of his excellent physical prowess, physical perfection, and courage.
Ideally, the modern world accords the same significance to a hero’s death as the ancient world. As in the past, soldiers who die on the battlefield are not left behind. However, major changes like combat and the organization of the military have drastically changed the political and moral relevance of retrieving the dead. The ongoing attraction of aristocratic feeling to a democratic force is shown by the focus on returning for the injured and the dead.
Works Cited
George, A R. The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. London: Penguin, 1999. Print.
Homer. The Odyssey: London: Penguin, 1996. Print.
Johnson, W J. The Sauptikaparvan of the Mahabharata: The Massacre at Night. Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.