Courage and Treason: Then and Now

On January 6th, 2021, the United States Capitol was assaulted by a violent mob. Thanks to the TV cameras and the foolhardy social media posts made the insurrectionist, the evidence of the crime was everywhere in plain sight. Even a few leaders of his own party agreed that the attempted insurrection was aided and abetted, among others, by the then President of the United States. On that fateful day and the days that followed, lost in the midst of all the frenzy, was the deliberate misappropriation by the insurrectionist and their allies in congress, of words and symbols connected to an important battle, that goes back some 2500 years.

To help set the stage, I have to tell the story of the battle which took place over three days in 480 BC. I have to confess that it is my most favorite historical tale of all time. Not just because it was a classic David vs. Goliath, feel-good story, but because it was a shining example of courage of men willing to die in defense of their freedom, and of leadership at its finest. There is another more personal reason the story will forever remain close to my heart. I personally visited the sacred battlefield in the summer of 2018 with my 8 year boy. That day he learnt all about the heroic deeds of the men willing to die for a cause far greater than self.

The Battle of Thermopylae, Greece, 480 C

Immortalized in the 2007 Hollywood movie ‘300’, it was that at Thermopylae, Greece, in 480 BC, that a small Spartan-led force consisting of 300 Spartan soldiers - considered to be the finest and bravest in the ancient world- and a few thousand soldiers from other neighboring Greek states, took on an overwhelmingly larger Persian army in what military historians consider as one of the most heroic last stands in all of human history.

Ancient Greek historian Herodotus (The Histories, 430 BC), estimated the Persian forces, led by King Xerxes, to be one million seven hundred thousand strong, reinforced by an armada of over 1000 ships. Modern military historians estimates the Persians were about 250,000 strong, supported by 600 ships. Regardless, the Greeks were vastly outnumbered making resistance a kamikaze mission.

Leonidas I, King of Sparta: 489- 480 BC

Historians and novelists alike agree that the most critical factor that buoyed the spirits of the Greek fighters was the exemplary leadership and extraordinary courage displayed by Leonidas, the nearly 60-year-old co-king of Sparta. As the elected senators of Sparta were reluctant to commit soldiers to this suicidal mission, Leonidas volunteered to lead it. Knowing that it meant certain death, he limits the numbers of Spartan soldiers to 300 handpicked champions. In addition to being the best fighters in all of Sparta, the chosen few also met an important criterion- they had a living son to ensure their family lines would not be extinguished by their death.

With his Spartan peers King Leonidas selects the most strategic location for the battle, at Thermopylae, about an hour’s drive north from the modern city of Athens, where the narrow pass between the mountains and the sea partially neutralizes the Persian advantage of numbers. Leonidas had an unfair advantage, which most Greek Kings would die for, a family lineage that supposedly went all the way back to the greatest Greek hero, Hercules. But what really endeared Leonidas to the rank-and-file Spartan soldiers was that he laughed and dined with them. And when battle came, the King took his place, not safely in the rear as was his right, but in the most perilous spot in the front ranks.

Molon Labe: Come and Get Them!

"Molon Labe" is a phrase attributed to Leonidas on the eve of the battle, in reply to the demand by Xerxes that the Spartans surrender their weapons. It translates to ‘Come and Get Them’ which ever since, has come to signify defiance and courage. These words were among the phrases that was taken out of context by the Jan 6, 2021 insurrectionist and their supporters in the United States Congress in their posters and messages on their face masks. But enough about traitors, let's get back to the real heroes.

After two days of fierce combat, faced with the certainty of death, Leonidas calls a council and offers his soldiers the option to retreat with full honors. But such was the fierce loyalty Leonidas had earned that all the remaining Spartans and a few hundred soldiers from the Greek city of Thespia chose to die fighting alongside their King.

Novelist Steven Pressfield (Gates of Fire,1998), in his spectacular interpretation of the battle, paints the picture of Persian King Xerxes watching the battle from a safe distance on the final day of the battle, in unable to comprehend why, even as thousands of Persian arrows rain down on them, the few remaining Spartans, battered and bruised, refused to surrender. Even with their weapons broken, the Spartans fought with like men possessed, with bare hands and mouths. King Xerxes, who had an army made of groups of paid mercenaries, grudgingly acknowledges that the Spartans were fighting to protect the decapitated body of their beloved King from falling into enemy hands.

Treason at Thermopylae?

Heroic as the deeds of their King and soldiers, Sparta had its share traitors who chose to take the path of treason. According to renowned Greek historian Paul Cartledge (The Spartans, 2004), principle among them was Damaratus, ex-King of Sparta (515-491BC) who, after he was stripped of his title, shifted his allegiance to their arch enemy, the Persians. What was considered especially treasonous was that Damaratus accompanied the Persians to the battle at Thermopylae, serving as a special military advisor to King Xerxes.

But that was not all. There is another Greek traitor at Thermopylae, Ephialtes, who for personal reward, showed the Persians a little-known mountain pass that led from the battlefields to the rear of the Spartan camp, resulting in the Spartans being surrounded from the front and rear. I have often pondered how history would have turned out different had these two traitors stood by Sparta in the hour of need.

In spite of the acts of treason, many historians agree that Thermopylae was Sparta’s finest hour. Even in defeat the news of the superhuman deeds of Leonidas and his men gave the Greeks something that was in short supply- the hope and a vision for a strong and united Greece. At Thermopylae, the Persians, the seeming victors, took such massive casualties and were so badly shaken up, that soon after they were defeated in two separate battles by the Greeks at Plataea and Mycale, in 479 BC. Soon after the Persians were forced to call off their failed conquest of Europe and head back home.

Fact: Some 2500 year ago, in the small nation states of Greece, courage was plentiful, and treason, although alive, was at a low ebb.

United States of America, January 6, 2021

History provides ample evidence that both courage and treason go back much longer- perhaps to the early days of human history. Yet, one would imagine that in the almost 2500 since the battle of Thermopylae, the ideals of courage and leadership from those in positions of great power and influence must surely have advanced, even if just a little.

Sadly, a review of the political landscape in the United States which culminated in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, show that this is not the case. The exemplary leadership and bravery of King Leonidas and his men simply does not have an equivalent in the United States government- not in the then President, Donald Trump, nor among the vast majority of the elected officials of his party.

Which bring me back to why I believe the deliberate misappropriation of the phrase "Molon Labe" was especially heinous. It was yet another of the series of lies, big and small, aimed at obscuring the truth of the elections that the people had spoken . Forget the awe-inspiring courage displayed by the Spartan King, even with the awesome powers and resources of the American Presidency, Donald Trump and hundreds of elected officials who either supported his actions or decided not to speak up, acted completely antithetical to the courage displayed by the Spartans at Thermopylae.

The only reasonable comparison for the conduct of Donald Trump, given their cozying up to leaders of enemy nations and the shameful open attempts by him and his cronies to incite an insurrection, can only be to the likes of the Spartan traitors, Damaratus and Ephialtes.

Fact: On January 6, 2020, it seemed that, both insider and outside the US Capitol building, treason was winning more converts, courage had few takers.

Is Uncommon Courage Dead?

While there is little doubt that King Leonidas and his men set the bar way too high for mere mortals, Americans can take solace in the fact that the seditious and treasonous agenda of a few has been effectively neutralized, at least for now. But unlike in Thermopylae, it was not done by a few hundred extra-ordinarily brave men. The American success was because an ingenious system of checks and balances of powers, that was held in place only because of the little acts of courage displayed by a nationwide network of millions of brave men and women from all walks of life and political persuasions. So who are these people?

These include election officials, poll workers, judges, federal, state and local officials, news reporters, healthcare works, law enforcement officers, volunteers, and voters who risked a pandemic. All of them stood up in unprecedented numbers, to defend the rule of law and to defend their hard earned democracy. By rejecting a powerful man accused of treason and sedition, Americans made it clear that they are not yet willing to give up their long, often bumpy, journey towards a more perfect union.

A Prayer For America

Could it be that maybe, just maybe, January 6, 2021, was the modern-day Thermopylae moment for America? A seeming defeat that sets up for big victories in the months and years ahead. Without any doubt, the multiple crises that American face today are of a colossal scale. Yet, it is quite conceivable that President Joe Biden, with his pastoral empathy, and his calm and thoughtful nature, could just be the person most suited to lead American out of this darkness towards our better angels and to a stronger, more united America. Just like

I pray that with time and some luck America (and the world) may just be able to get back to the days when courage was common and treason has few takers.