Three parables

"You should love peace as a means to new wars - and the short peace more than the long." Freidrich Neitzsce, Also sprach Zarathustra
...
And so Uzzah spake, saying:

"Take you, each of you hoplites of Socrates, take you your spear and your shield and your sword. For your shield shall be reason, and your spear poetry. You shall seek your enemy and you will desire nothing but to wound him. And so he shall do unto you. For each time he holes your shield, you shall rebuild it the stronger. And each time you wound him, he shall become mightier, until he shall overcome you. And when your shield has shattered, and his spear has wounded you gravely, then you shall know the triumph of your victory. Even as you lay upon the field dying, you will cherish the victory of the enemy as your own victory, and cherish the strength of your foe, for he has shown himself the stronger. Your blood will he drink, for it holds the vitae of your strength: your truth. Your blood will stain his spear, and so shall serve as the poison to he who comes to avenge you.

But be wary, even in defeat. For as the battle has finished, so come the jackals and the vultures to pick your bones, and to drink your blood. And they will set about your enemy, these jackals and these vultures, until he has no choice but to retreat from the field. Do not feed the jackals and the vultures, as they are unworthy of you both. Though they drink the blood of your understanding, it feeds them but little, and they shall not grow as warriors from it."
...
And Uzzah spake, saying:

"I stood as Akilles upon the bulwark, and gazed out upon the striving soldiers. And as Akilles, my blood rage grew firey in my veins. So I cried out in a great voice across the field. And some cowered or fled, unwilling to match my strength and cunning in battle. And others cried out, saying 'come down and join the fray. You should lead us to our doom!', and others, uncomprehending, added, 'yes, come down! For we fear you not at all." Above all the vultures waited, saying nothing, waiting only to feast upon the carrion of fallen warriors.

But only one voice did I seek to hear. The voice that said, 'I too, am a warrior of Socrates! I shall test my spear upon your shield, and my shield against your spear, and we shall battle until the blood of one of us stains the ground.' And in seeking that voice, I knew I sought my dearest enemy, that against him I could do battle while singing my love to him. For in being my deadliest enemy, he would become my dearest friend."
...
And Uzzah spake, saying:

"I stood near the beached ships, as a spectre of Akilles. I hefted aloft my spear and my shield, but my armor was but the knowledge of Socrates. Knowing then that I knew nothing, I strode
into battle. Clad as I was, I was insensate to the calls of the jackals.

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