War as an archetype towards Human Evolution, in David Gemmell’s Troy series

Abstract

War has been inevitable and unpredictable since the inception of human life on earth. War brings with it waves of hatred, destruction and unimaginable horror. War purges and refines Men as would fire, silver or gold. Men come out of the war either despicable and loathsome creatures or people of substance who can be counted to trust one’s lives with. But all through the war and after the calamities caused, there remain among the people a sense of purpose to build a city, the determination to renew life and the ability to become rejuvenated. All these qualities are spread among the people, filling their minds with hope that the world will move on for the better. While some men change from good to bad there are seemingly hopeless men, men of scum and people of shady characters who change from bad to good. These men startle the society by their actions and act as catalysts to bring resilience and a flicker of hope among the populace. If not for war, these qualities of Men might never come out. War, apart from the chaos and destruction that it wrecks among humans, also serves to evolve humanity to a better position than it was before, restoring faith in humans.