Athena's Argumentative Essay

On Athena’s annual visit to the soldiers of the battlefield, she discovered a biting problem: the warriors received little rest in between their ceaseless marches and tours in enemy territory. While waging and fighting war, these men struggled under the watchful eyes of Ares—pugnacious, warring, fierce—when invading and conquering outside threats, and Athena—calculating, wise, mindful—when defending and protecting the home. The lack of rest contributed directly to a noticeable instability among the ranks and desertions that would often leave the armies weak and unconsolidated. Such inefficiency was the cause of lost battles and men in otherwise vital situations. The daughter of Zeus, in light of this, believed that a solution was necessary to help the soldiers prosper on the fields of war. She turned to the break they received during their downtime before and after battles. It was never long; a quick meal, a short nap; in the evening, they attempted to take a rest that was often never completely restful. In fact, at night, the soldiers were often restless, unable to sleep due to their fear
It seemed impossible, and unnecessary, to bring the home directly to these soldiers, but why not the thought and hope that home inspires? Athena, always a believer of the mind, formed the dream: a more tangible, genuine, and powerful form of a normal conscious and imagination, implanting it within the thoughts of the soldiers that would activate during a night’s rest. With Hestia’s aid, the goddesses managed to ingrain the warmth and familiarity of home within these dreams—perhaps with the remains of Pandora’s box—while keeping them free. Dreams represented one’s desires, one’s wishes, one’s understanding, and one’s ability to imagine. Anyone, without even the real need or focus, was now able to receive the beauty of comfort, family, and home right in their invigorating rest at