Is it worthwhile pursuing a goal if
the goal is not reached? – by Ng Sean Jin, Year 7,
Sri KL Secondary School
Some
people say that it is not worthwhile pursuing any goal if the goal is not
reached. I, however, think otherwise.
It
was the year 480 B.C. King Xexes of Persia mobilised 2 million Persian infantry
to invade Greece. The Greeks were known to be brave and formidable warriors.
However, they were unable to muster an army in time due to their states being unwilling
to cooperate. But King Leonidas stepped up and united the warring states just
in time. In two days, he managed to gather an army of 7000 Greeks. They were to
fight off the Persians in the pass of Thermopylae because the gods had
guaranteed them instant victory.
On
the day of the battle, 7000 Greeks stood side by side with spear and shield.
They were confident because the gods had promised them victory. But their
confidence was short-lived for when the Persian army marched forth, the Greeks
could hardly believe their eyes. In front of them marched 800,000 Persian
warriors, hungry for blood. The Greeks and Persians were soon locked in a
series of hand to hand combat. Surprisingly, it was going decently for the
Greeks, up until there arose a traitor.
Ephialtes
was his name. In return for a huge sum of gold, Ephialtes told King Xexes about
a hidden passage in the pass of Thermopylae. In no time, the Greeks found
themselves surrounded and cornered. Many of the brave men fell as the Persians
launched a hammer anvil charge. Victory looked bleak for the Greeks. That was when
King Leonidas and 300 of his Spartan warriors appeared. He had heard of the
betrayal and was willing to die with his men, not as king but as a soldier. His
famous words to his Spartans were, “We have eaten a good meal, a good lunch,
but tonight we will die in hell!”
King
Leonidas positioned his men in long thick rows. Instead of shielding himself, a
soldier shielded the person to his left. This way, the life of the comrade
beside a soldier is in his hands. Anyone who fled the formation would lead to
the ultimate demise of the Greek army. King Leonidas called this formation The
Phalanx. With only 300 Spartans, King Leonidas led his men into the fray. The
Persians were very confused because they didn’t know whose shield belonged to
whom.
The
Spartans held on for seven days and six nights before being annihilated. They
fought to the last man. Despite being massacred, they successfully killed up to
200,000 Persian warriors. It is said that the corpse of King Leonidas was so
filled with arrows that he could no longer be recognised. But around him lay 36
dead Persian troops. The Persians were forced to turn back. They were winded and
they did not want to know what lay ahead of them.
There
is no doubt that this was a failure on the part of the Greeks. But I like to
see it as a valuable sacrifice. Although the battle was ultimately lost, the
reputation of Greeks being fearsome warriors spread across the globe. The
formation Leonidas developed – The Phalanx – was to be used by Alexander the
Great and the Romans. The battle gave the Greeks something to fight for and it
gave them hope. Many will still claim that this was a failure because the goal
was not achieved. But King Leonidas and his men ensured that time was granted
for the women and children to flee to safety. Their courage inspired the
remaining Greeks to fight off the Persians. I therefore conclude that it is
worthwhile pursuing a goal even if the goal is not reached.
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