Soldiers who overcame fear

The first battle that appeared in the Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar was the Battle of Bibracte, which was fought between the Helvetii and six Roman legions. The strong and tough Helvetii were a tribe that lived in what is now a mountainous area in Switzerland. Many soldiers seemed to have thought that it was a revenge for their earlier defeat to the Helvetians.

When Caesar announced his plans for the Gallic Wars, soldiers were seized with anxiety and fear. Any solider would have imagined moments, when they have to choose between duty and fear: What if dozens of times more enemies appear in front of a solider in a trench?; What if someone has to cover for the retreating comrades?; What if a soldier marching with a military flag collapses in front of me?

Most soldiers are not confident of their decision. When those moments come, some soldiers overcome fear and act according to their duty while others neglect their duty and run away. In some cases, a soldier, who once surrendered to fear, turns into a true warrior the next time.

The real heroes of a war are those who overcame fear with a sense of duty. A great army is the one with many of those soldiers and the one that creates soldiers who take pride in fulfilling their duty. This is not to say that soldiers should follow improper orders or blindly obey unjust orders. It means the duty and responsibility given to soldiers in a given situation for their comrades and a victory in a battle.

The same goes in society. Every human being has a duty of work, a duty of family, and a legitimate and beautiful duty of being part of a community. A good society is the one that encourages and paves the way for those who are faithful to those duties, make sacrifices, and take up challenges.

On the contrary, a society, where duty is defeated by the desire for power, dominated by greed, and is neglected by collective egoism, will face a grim evening.