Masculinity

Our young men are turned out into a society in which the masculine culture has been destroyed. When will we as a young nation recognize that even Ancient Rome fell because of the type of internal moral, ethical, and spiritual decay of the qualities that made men strong, their families; and, ultimately, their nation strong? The reality of the situation is this-the American Male is under attack; psychologically,emotionally, and spiritually. The traditional male virtues have been denigrated. All male fitness and well being indicators are in a drastic decline. Though all aspects of male health and well being are in decline, there is no Council On Men and Boys nor a Federal Office On Mens Health while women now have at least seven. Masculinity (masculine)  is, according to Collins Dictionary:  "having qualities regarded as characteristic of men and boys, as strength, vigor, boldness, etc., manly, virile."1.   Sophocles, in his work, Antigone, described man (mankind):  "Numberless are the world's wonders, but none More wonderful than man; the storm grey sea Yields to his prows, the huge crests bear him high; Earth, holy and inexhaustible, is graven With shining furrows where his plows have gone Year after year, the timeless labor of stallions.  The lightboned birds and beasts that cling to cover, The little fish lighting their reaches of dim water, All are taken, tamed in the net of his mind; The lion on the hill, the wild horse windy-maned, Resign to him; and his blunt yoke has broken The sultry shoulders of the mountain bull.  Words also, and though as rapid as air, He fashions to his good use; statecraft is his, And his the skill that deflects the arrows of snow, The Spears of winter rain; from every wind He has made himself secure-from all but one: In the late wind of death he cannot stand.  Of clear intelligence, force beyond all measure! O fate of man, working both good and evil! When the laws are kept, how proudly his city stands! When the laws are broken, what of his city then? Never may the anarchic man find rest at my hearth, Never be it said that my thoughts are his thoughts."  2.   "In many cultures, the basic characteristics of masculinity include physical prowess (strength, fitness, and lack of laziness), courage, wisdom, and honorable or righteous behavior.. The opposite may be expressed in terms such as unmanly or epicene. A typical near-synonym of masculinity is virility (from Latin vir , man; and the usual compliment is femininity." 3. "Cicero wrote that " a man's chief quality is courage."  Ancient literature descriptive of these manly qualities goes back to about 3000 BCE. It includes both explicit statements of what was expected of men in laws and implicit suggestions in myths involving gods and heroes. In 1000 BCE, The Hebrew Bible states that King David of Israel told his son: " Be strong, and be a man" upon David's death." 4. "Scholars suggest integrity and equality as masculine values in male-male relationships and virility in male-female relationships. Legends of ancient heroes include: The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Such narratives are considered to reveal qualities in the hero that inspired respect like wisdom or courage, the knowing of things that other men do not know and the taking of risks that other men would not dare." 5. The following is a relevant partial quote from Homer's work, The Iliad, entitled: The Death of Hector:   "Thus to their bulwarks, smit with panic fear, The herded Ilians rush like driven deer; There safe they wipe the briny drops away, And drown in bowls the labour of the day. Close to the walls advancing o'er the fields Beneath one roof of well-compacted shields, March bending on the Greeks' embodied powers, Far-stretching in the shade of Trojan towers. Great Hector singly staid; chain'd down by Fate, There fix'd he stood before the Scaean gate; Still his bold arms determined to employ, The guardian still of long-defended Troy.  Apollo now to tired Achilles turns; (The power confess'd in all his glory burns.) And what (he cries) has Peleus son in view, With mortal speed a godhead to pursue? For not to thee to know the gods is given, Unskill'd to trace the latent marks of Heaven. What boots thee now, that Troy forsook the plain? Vain thy past labour, and thy present vain: Safe in her walls are now her troops bestow'd,  While here thy frantic rage attacks a god. The chief incensed-Too partial god of day! To check my conquest the middle way; How few in Ilion else had refuge found! What gasping numbers now had bit the ground! Thous robb'st me of a glory justly mine, Powerful of godhead, and of fraud divine: Mean fame, alas! for one of heavenly strain, To cheat a mortal who repines in vain.  Then to the city, terrible and strong, With high and haughty steps he tower'd along. So the proud courser , victor of the prize, To the near goal with double ardour flies. Him, as he blazing shot across the field, The careful eyes of Priam first beheld. Not half so dreadful rises to the sight, Through the thick gloom of some tempestuous night, Orion's dog (the year when autumn weights,) And o'er the feeble stars exerts his rays: Terrific glory! for his burning breath Taints the red air with fevers, plagues, and death. So flamed his fiery mail. Then wept the sage; He strikes his reverend head now white with age: He lifts his wither'd arms; obtests the skies; He calls his much-loved son with feeble cries: The son resolved Achilles force to dare, Full at the Scaen gate expects the war: While the sad father on the rampart stands, And thus adjures him with extended hands:"------6. ---------------- "Fierce at the word his weighty sword he drew And all-collected on Achilles flew So Jove's bold bird, high balanced in the air, stoops from the clouds to truss the quivering hare. Nor less Achilles his fierce soul prepares; Before his breast the flaming shield he bears, Refulgent orb! above his fourfold cone The gilded horse-hair sparkled in the sun, Nodding at every step (Vulcanian frame!) And as he moved his figure seem'd on flame. As radiant Hesper shines with keener light, Far beaming o'er the silver host of night, When all the starry train emblaze the sphere: So shone the point of great Achilles' spear. In his right hand he waves the weapon round, Eyes the whole man, and meditates the wound: But the rich mail Patroclus lately wore, Securely ceased the warrior's body o'er! One place at length he spies to let in Fate, Where 'twixt the neck and throat the jointed plate Gave entrance: through that penetrable part Furious he drove the well-directed dart: Nor pierced the windpipe yet, nor took the power Of speech, unhappy! from thy dying hour. Prone on the field the bleeding warrior lies, While thus the triumphing stern Achilles cries:         At last is Hector stretch'd upon the plain, Who fear'd no vengeance for Patroclus slain? Then, prince, you should have fear'd what now you          feel; Achilles absent was Achilles still. Yet  a short space the great avenger stay'd, Then low in dust thy strength and glory laid. Peaceful he sleeps with all our rites adorn'd, For ever honour'd, and for ever mourn'd: While cast to all the rage of hostile power, Thee birds shall mangle and the dogs devour.         Then Hector, fainting at the approach of death: By thy own soul! by those who gave thee breath! By all the sacred prevalence of prayer! Ah, leave me not for Grecian dogs to tear! The common rites of sepulture bestow, To soothe a father's and mother's woe; Let their large gifts  procure an urn at least, And Hector's ashes in his country rest." 7.  "All human cultures seem to encourage the development of gender roles, through literature, costume and song. Some examples of ths might include the epics of Homer, the King Arthur tales in English,the normative commentaries of Confucius. More specialized treatments of masculinity may be found in such works such as  the Bhagavad Gita or bushidos Hagakure (Wikipedia-masculinity)." 8. "A great deal is now known about the development of masculine characteristics and the process of sexual differentiation specific to the reproductive system of Homo Sapiens." 9. "Humans exhibit sexual dimorphism (two forms)(a term for the phenotypic differences between the males and females of the same species) in many characteristics, many of which have no direct link to reproductive ability, although most of these characteristics do have a role in sexual attraction. Most expressions of sexual dimorphism in humans are found in height, weight, and body structure, though there are always examples that do not follow the overall pattern." 10. "Obvious differences between men and women include all the features related to reproductive role, notably the endocrine (hormonal) systems and their physical, psychological and behavioral effects, including gonadal differentiation, internal and external genital and breast differentiation, and differentiation of muscle mass, height, and hair distribution."11. "For example, men tend to be taller than women but there are many people of both genders who are in the mid-height range for the species."12.