Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries These, in the day when heaven was falling, The hour when earth's foundations fled, Followed their mercenary calling And took their wages and are dead. Their shoulders held the sky suspended; They stood, and earth's foundations stay; What God abandoned, these defended, And saved the sum of things for pay.A.E. Housman
About This Quote
The epitaph above can be interpreted in several ways. On one hand, it can be interpreted as the mercenary band of mercenaries taking their wages and being content with their work. They were willing to fight because it made them a living. If they could make a little money fighting, who better to pay for their wages than the people who needed protection? On the other hand, this epitaph can also be interpreted as a warning not to fight only for money.
People should fight for good causes and not for pay. Instead of paying these people to do what they can do better themselves, these people were fighting for something that was worth defending. The people who needed protection were worth defending because this group of people was fighting for God’s will.
In other words, these mercenaries fought because they believed in the cause they fought for and not because the money was good. These mercenaries didn’t fight just so they could get paid or so they could stay alive. These mercenaries fought so that the world would remain safe and whole.
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