The art of war and the illiad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The art of war and the illiad - Essay Example The art of war consists of misdirection and the fluidity of one’s tactics: the use of the mind as a tool of planning for success and the use of the mind as a tool of achieving it. In essence, the law of secrecy and subtly applies in all cases to the battlefield where the battle is not imminent or already in progress. To be invisible and inaudible, as it applies to the senses of sight and sound, are virtues when seeking to acquire a victory in battle. War is, despite common images of bloody and violent battles, a game of deception and misdirection. It is heavily contingent on the acquisition of intelligence, the soundness of one’s planning, and the excellence of one’s execution. The first process, that of the acquisition of intelligence, is perhaps most crucially important. If war is the design of a general, intelligence about his enemy is likely as important as a seeing man’s eyes. A general’s planning guides his men into battle and hopefully to a victory at the end of the day. In most cases, it is the secrecy and subtlety that the general uses to put himself and his army in position to strike that can make all the difference. Attacking places which are not defended, as Sun Tzu, says is the easiest way insuring one’s victory. Similarly, we see methods like these employed by the cunning tactician Odysseus during the course of the Trojan War. In Homer’s Iliad, we find Odysseus and Diomedes acquiring intelligence about a Thracian camp, filled with sleeping soldiers. They get this information from Dolon, who Odysseus promises not to kill. Dolon tells the men about Rhesus: his armor and his horses. Sneakily, the Greeks get into position, ready to attack them as they slumber. Diomedes kills Rhesus and his cohorts: In this passage, Odysseus and Diomedes apply Sun Tzu’s great insight, and attack at will on the sleeping enemy. Book Ten demonstrates the effectiveness of psychological warfare,