Warriors of Myth and Legend: The Historical Roots of Civilian Distrust of Soldiers

Harvest of Mars: History and War

“People Sleep Peacefully in Their Beds at Night Only Because Rough Men Stand Ready to Do Violence on Their Behalf”
– Attributed to George Orwell

In the episode, we examine whether or not Orwell’s quote has historical evidence to support it. Are people civilized only because less civilized men guard them while they sleep? Building on the scholarship of Georges Dumézil who compared the mythologies are various Indo European peoples, this podcast argues yes. Not only that, anthropological data also suggests this contention reveals a fundamental distrust civilian leaders have always had toward warriors, especially those who were successful. When examining war honestly, which the ancients did and we do not, a historical pattern emerges that has similarities across continents and cultures. Warriors are not trusted and there is probably good reason for that.