Some Passages from Greek tragedies: Consider the didactic nature of the statements.

Euripides, Suppliant Women.

Theseus, having defeated the Thebans, wishes to spare the children of the defeated even as they vow revenge. The Theban herald, who wants to prevent Theseus from doing the right thing, comments on the senselessness of war: When the poeple vote on war, no onereckons on his own death; it is too soon, he thinks, some other man will meet that wretched fate. But if death faced him when he cast his vote, Greeks would never perish from battle-madness. And yet we men all know which of two words is better, can can weigh good and bad they bring: how much better is peace than war! ...but evilly we throw all this [the blessings of peace] away to start our wars and make the loser slaves. Man binding man and city chaining city.

...Oh witless mortals! Richly do you deserve your many woes; you listen not to friends, but to your interests. Cities! You might use reason to end your troubles, but with blood, not words, you ruin your affairs. Enough of this. O wretched mortals. Why do you slaughter each other with your spears? Leave off those struggles; let your towns take shelter in gentleness?

Euripides, Trojan Women.

Cassandra castigates the Greeks not only for the suffering they have inflicted on the Trojans, but also their own families: Those the War-god caught never saw their sons again, nor were they laid to rest decently in winding sheets by their wives' hands, but lie buried in alien ground; while all went wrong at home as widows perished, and barren couples raised and nourished the children of others...for such success as this, congratulate the Greeks!

Euripides, Hecuba,

Odysseus to Hecuba as she begs for the life of her daughter: nothing you do or say can change the facts. Under the circumstances, the logical course is resignation. Also Thucydides: The Athenians to the Melians: You know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power; while the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must.

Euripides, Alcestis. Here the story line

Admetus is the son of a king, good-looking, pleasant, friendly to all, and generally lovable. Because he had helped Apollo, the latter had arranged that if Death (Thanatos) might come, he would be 'saved' if he found a substitute who loved him enough to take his place. After three years of marriage to the drop-dead gorgeous and royal Alcestis, Thanatos does come and Admetus begins to waste away. His friends, even those whom he had saved in battle, refuse to take his place; his parents, tho near death also demure, loving every moment of life given to them. Only Alcestis, supremely beautiful, in the flower of youth and motherhood, offers to take his place. Admetus is spared; Alcestis dies. In a wonderful set of scene, Admetus in his grief goes around telling one and all how much HE is suffering losing such a wife. Can anyone really empathize? The shallowness of all is exposed, not the least that of Admetus himself who is more concerned about his own suffering, than the loss of Alcestis. Stay tuned...