The Origins of Radical Criminology by Stratos Georgoulas

Author:Stratos Georgoulas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783319947525
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Poem D60-114W

I love not a tall general nor a straddling, nor one proud of his braids nor one part-shaven; better to be short and bowlegged to behold, but to stand firm on his feet, full of heart.

This poem, masterfully tied and well structured, separates the interior from the external gifts that a general has to possess, while at the same time he gives precedence to his inner value. In these few lines, Archilochus describes in a perfect way the model of the heroic general in order to overthrow it at the same time, even expressing his personal preference and making us aware in this way of the change that occurs in the awakening man of his time, who can no longer be dazzled and subordinated to the imposing appearance of the leader and thus to his power, but challenges, judges, reacts to and rebels when this leader proves to be unworthy of his office.

This differentiation from the Homeric ideal of the inseparable unity of virtues (mental and physical) in the same person is profound. Homer’s world believed and wanted the outer and inner gifts to be inseparably bound to the same person. This is the code of honour for the epic warrior, this is the model of the hero for the epic, a hero that gathers on his face and combines in a harmonious whole external beauty with inner virtue. So, it is the ideal of a new era: a brave soul does not necessarily reside in a nice body, but it can also be found in bodies that are externally disadvantaged; what matters is the virtue of the soul, which makes the general or the leader stand in the battle “firm on his feet, full of heart”.

And it is this same mental force that pushes the fighter of everyday life to stand firm and cope with any adversity he faces. It does not matter if he is handsome in appearance and has economic and social power. What is of prime importance is inner radiation and moral splendour, inner beauty and richness, which do not wear away and account for the man’s existence every moment in his life.

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