"Stubbornness of the Heart"

Agamemnon is the unreasonably obstinate king in Iliad by Homer. He showed his stubbornness when he rejected the request of Chryses the god’s priest for his own selfish desires in Book one.

In the beginning Apollo the son of Zeus, was angry with king Agamemnon because he dishonored Chryses the god’s priest.

Chryses with Apollo’s golden staff and sacred scarf brought a huge ransom for his daughter Chryseis. All the Achaeans were supporting Chryses but king Agamemnon rejected the offer, refused to give back Chryses daughter and dismissed him.   Chryses the god’s priest prayed to Apollo: “If I've ever pleased you with a holy shrine, or burned bones for you bulls and goats well wrapped in fat grant me my prayer Force the Danaans to pay full price for my tears with your arrows” and Apollo heard his prayer. Enraged Apollo god of the sun, son of Zeus, came down from Olympus and killed the Achaean troops by firing arrows at them and burning their corpses with thick fire. Death won over the troops of Achaea for nine days. On the tenth day Achilles called an assembly. Because of Agamemnon’s stubbornness the men of Achaea suffered. This started the argue between the King and Achilles in Book One.

One’s stubbornness can bring danger to himself and to others, like king Agamemnon who brought danger to the people of Achaea because of his own desires. Rolando Mendoza a former Filipino police who took hostage of a tourist bus that was loaded with Hong Kong nationals is one stubborn man. Rolando Mendoza wanted a review of his administrative case expedited and he also want to be reinstated with full benefits. Because of Rolando Mendoza’s stubbornness, innocent Hong Kong nationals were killed and their families suffered. In the end the police authorities was forced to finish the hostage taking by killing Rolando Mendoza. Because of his own stubbornness Mendoza himself, the Hong Nationals, and our country suffered.