“In peace, sons bury their fathers; in war, fathers bury their sons.”Tucidide · Istoria războiului peloponesiac · -400 · I, 78
War inverts the natural order of life, forcing parents to bury their children.
Thucydides condenses into a powerful image the reversal of the natural order caused by war. In normal times, generations follow each other naturally, with the elderly dying first. War kills the young, leaving parents to bury their children – a grief contrary to the expected course of life. For example, during plagues or battles, graves were filled with the young.
Why it matters Today, the phrase reminds us of the human cost of armed conflicts and makes us appreciate peace as a fragile and precious state.