Between the Lines of Life

           What will you choose between the call of duty or the call of love? Will you consider the ones you love who pleads you to stay by their side or will you take over the one in need who cries for your help. Being in that situation is never easy. It is a difficult choice you must always look after the people that surrounds you.     You may only have two options. First to set a side your obligation as a leader that may lead into a downfall but knowing that you have your family with you. The second one is to go on to the battle that may or may not lead you to success and death but with the fact that you didn't turn your back with the ones in need. That kind of situation often happens to heroes, and two of those were Aeneas of Aeneid and Hector of Iliad both great heroes of their times.

Aeneas with Creusa, Ascanius and Anchises

         During the fall of Troy, Aeneas was in deep grief and very vengeful he wants to go in battle with the Greeks.  But his wife Creusa pleads to him that he must spare their lives first before anyone else. She continue pleading for herself and her son's welfare, her feelings of being a wife and a mother over power her that time. Aeneas seeing his wife acting that way considers her. He listened to Creusa, he prioritized his family first before anyone else and flee with them. 

Andromache, Astyanax and Hector

             On the other hand Hector who was going to fight with Achilles was asked by his wife Andromache to not go into battle anymore. Andromache pleads him to stay by her side with his son because if he dies in battle no one will be left with her and Astyanax since her father and brothers was already killed by Achilles.  Hector considers the plea of his wife but then he insist to go on battle because it is his duty and responsibility. Though Hector also thinks of his family he still prioritized his fellow men, he thinks that it is his fate and the will of the Gods for him.

            Between the stories of Aeneid and Iliad there are something in common and in contrast. They have the same scene where in the wife of the two hero asked them to stay by their side and don't go into battle any more.  Creusa stops Aeneas from having revenge during the Trojan war. Andromache begs Hector to not go into war with Achilles. Meanwhile they differ because the other one refuses to listen to his wife while one considers his wife's plea. Aeneas turned his back to the war and chose his family over his duty. Hector prefers to go in battle than to stay with his family, he chose his responsibilities rather than his loved ones. 

            We cannot judge anyone of them. Both of them just did what they think is for the better. Family over the call of duty? or The call of duty over your family? A very tough question, one swears to do his duty wholeheartedly and for a soldier, a leader and a hero it is his top priority. But family must be also one of the things he needs to consider. Either way you will always lose something. Decision making is indeed a tough thing to do, you must always read between the lines, you must always consider the ones involve and you must always accept whatever it will end up.