Excite the Slow and Cheer the Dying

awake & reading: walden

Thoreau witnessed a battle between two races of ants in 1845 and his account of it is sobering. I nearly said that it is as sobering as any TV war coverage I've ever seen, but that's just not true. However, hearing Thoreau's description of the brutality of these ants, and knowing that battles waged between humans are exponentially more destructice and fierce should only serve to strengthen our resolve to find more civilized ways to resolve conflict.

In the battle that Thoreau describes, there are black ants and red ants. He watches as a smaller red champion affixes himself to the front of a black imperialist, prepared to fight until the "sun went down, or life went out." What happened next cannot be said any better than this:

They fought with more pertinacity than bulldogs. Neither manifested the least disposition to retreat. It was evident that their battle-cry was "Conquer or die." In the meanwhile there came along a single red ant on the hillside of this valley, evidently full of excitement, who either had despatched his foe, or had not yet taken part in the battle; probably the latter, for he had lost none of his limbs; whose mother had charged him to return with his shield or upon it. Or perchance he was some Achilles, who had nourished his wrath apart, and had now come to avenge or rescue his Patroclus. He saw this unequal combat from afar — for the blacks were nearly twice the size of the red — he drew near with rapid pace till he stood on his guard within half an inch of the combatants; then, watching his opportunity, he sprang upon the black warrior, and commenced his operations near the root of his right fore leg, leaving the foe to select among his own members; and so there were three united for life, as if a new kind of attraction had been invented which put all other locks and cements to shame. I should not have wondered by this time to find that they had their respective musical bands stationed on some eminent chip, and playing their national airs the while, to excite the slow and cheer the dying combatants. I was myself excited somewhat even as if they had been men. The more you think of it, the less the difference.

technorati tags: WALDEN, WAR, BRUTE NEIGHBORS