War, Peace, and Justice Symposium
September 20-24, 2021, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
“The peace we seek and need means much more than the mere absence of war. It means the acceptance of law, and the fostering of justice, in all the world.”
What are the nature and cost of war? How can we establish a just peace?
The War, Peace, and Justice Symposium will explore the vast impact of war, as well as avenues of peace and justice, via public dialogue and the arts.
Such shared contemplation builds planks in the interpersonal bridge between the civilian and military populations so that, together, we can build a better nation.
Home to Dickinson College, the Army War College, a thriving historical society, a vibrant theater, and the Penn State-Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pennsylvania is a uniquely qualified home for this endeavor. Our founding team includes [describe Sherwood, Scott, and Tom in a few words to indicate their credibility].
Occupying an enduring locus in the human imagination, as a meeting place for civilians and military to ponder the repercussions of war, is Homer's Iliad,
which will be featured as a dramatization during the symposium, accompanied by public lectures, discussions, and exhibits.
Below, two protagonists of The Iliad, the goddess Athena and the Trojan warrior Hector, weigh the timeless questions of the consequences of war.
Athena, champion of the Greeks, mourns all of the dead, Trojan and Greek alike, pondering each by name, as etched into the stone tablet by her side.
Hector prepares for battle to defend his homeland, first sharing a tender goodbye with his wife, Andromache. Poet John Livecchi’s fictive rendering of their final conversation illuminates the breadth of the tragedy of war: it affects not only warriors, but beloved family, friends, and nation, extending its arc far into the future.
Mourning Athena, Marble Relief, Acropolis Museum, Athens, circa 470 BC.
Athena, Greek mythological goddess of wisdom
and war, is featured in Homer’s Iliad as the
warrior-defender, protector of civilized life
and of artisan activities.
Hector to Andromache
I dreamt again of dry leaves rustling
Of winds howling off the shore
Carrying them away in great gusts
Till all were carried away.
It will be tomorrow, I think
Our final parting. Love for you
Tells me dishonor would be a small
Price for another moment together.
If we could but disappear,
I’d gladly surrender pride and glory
To keep you by my side,
My bride, my very life.
But we both know I must fall.
My men, my city, my family, even you
Demand I stand firm
Leaving you, our child,
Everyone I love to
Who knows what calamities.
My death, I fear, will be the easiest,
Quick as an eye’s blink,
And I’ll be spared knowing
What will follow.
Will the Greeks hold their honor?
Or will blood flow
like a river
With nothing sacred
And no one spared?
Since the gods shield us
From knowing the end,
Let my last glimpse of you Be your sweet smile.
Let's recall tender words we shared,
Give thanks for time together
For laughter and tears
And every moment
Life gave.
If she has nothing for us,
Let’s not berate her,
For what she gave was
All we needed to sustain us.
Andromache to Hector
No, my love, I won’t scold her, or you.
The trap we face
And what our end will be
Is all too clear.
And yes, I’ll smile for you.
But once you’re gone,
My heart will turn to something
More unyielding
Than the battle-hardened Greeks.
You say the gods spare us
Knowing all there is to come
But haven’t they shown us
Enough of war
To already hear the terrorized screams
And cries of despair that must follow?
And, as the gods calmly gaze,
The victors will ensure
Troy’s women more cause to weep
Than any man or boy who died.
For we will be their slaves
Forced to bear every humiliation
Hoping each breath will be our last.
Livecchi, John, Retellings: Homer's Characters Speak in Our Time, (c) 2018.
Hector and Andromache exist in every age, and their dilemma echoes across time: in war, loyalty to family, nation, conscience, and self collide.
Our first commander in chief expressed it thus:
“When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen.”