It is a rarity of a mind and outlook found in those who revel in fiction or memoirs of war, to find one who eschews heroism, who holds survival highest of all the noble traits. Archilochus bore arms and fought, but actively identified himself as a poet. He was a warrior. He fought, and injured and likely killed other warriors. But he considers being alive at the end of a conflict as the chief goal of any battle.
He is in my favorite poets list, but the sole unhappy aspect of reading him, is that this modern minded and individualistic poet wrote so long ago, most of his work is lost to time. The three books shown above engage in his work and probe the historical person he was. But there was surely much more, and is now beyond our reach.
