Hero Roles: The Messenger. Incoming! Types, and Reaction

What Saved The Day
The Carrier Pigeon
The Runner

Getting the Message Through.
But What is the Reception for the Messenger

The special status of the messenger. But the reception may depend on the message. What war film or battle study is complete without some messenger getting through enemy lines alive enough to get the code through. Extrapolate from a battle message to a political one, a social message that just has to get through - amid the rockets, the arrows, the kitchen sinks being thrown.

If you studied the classics - ancient Greek and Roman culture, and before; some concepts arising about messengers today are familiar.

1. Modern messenger. True tale.

Cher Ami was the carrier pigeon in the employ of the American Signal Corps who saved the lives of 200 American soldiers at the Battle of the Argonne, WWI, see ://www.homeofheroes.com/wings/part1/3b_cherami.htmll and ://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/cherami.htm. See the Argonne at Argonne Forest, WWI, Cher Ami.

2. Ancient Messenger. False.

Here is a story about one you thought was true, but is improbable. The runner after the ancient Greek battle against the Persians at Marathon - we (I) were told that one Pheidippides ran 26 miles to report the victory, then dropped dead. Wrong. Start with Wikipedia, :://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheidippides. Then go to ://www.helleniccomserve.com/pheidippides.html and learn that, yes, there was a runner but it was from Athens to Sparta to try to get the Spartans to help against the Persians in a coming battle. Sparta was in the midst of a festival, however, and declined until the full moon, so the runner's run reason ran out.

Did you know that "marathon" means "fennel" as in fennel field? And fragrant feet?

3. Advocating for messengers. Don't kill the messenger for bringing bad news.

Don't Shoot The Messenger, or Don't Kill The Messenger. The bearer of bad tidings reports at his peril. Anger, disbelief, despair wait. Where did the phrase originate.

3.1 Sophocles, Ancient Greece.

Go back to Sophocles, the Greek philosopher in 442 BC, who wrote a play called "Antigone." These words appear: ..."[N]o one likes a messenger who comes bearing unwelcome news with him...." The lines are either 320, for one translation; or 277, for another. See it at ://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/sophocles/antigone.htm.

3.2 Shakespeare, England.

Fast forward to 1598, and Shakespeare's play, Henry IV Part II at; and another play, Antony and Cleopatra 1606-07, where Cleopatra has learned from a messenger that Antony has married in Rome. She says,

"Though it be honest, it is never good
To bring bad news: give to a gracious message
An host of tongues; but let ill tidings tell
Themselves when they be felt."

See ://www.shakespeare-literature.com/Antony_and_Cleopatra/10/html.

3.3 Oscar Wilde.

1854-1900 - "Don't shoot the piano player, he's doing the best he can." Find the Oscar Wilde at ://www.german-films.de/en/germanfilmsquaterly/previousissues/topicalsubjects/focuson/pianoplayer/index.html; See also ://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/please_do_not_shoot_the_piano_player_he_is_doing_his_best/popik.com/index.php/texas/entry/please_do_not_shoot_the_piano_player_he_is_doing_his_best/and Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900 -

See these at ://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/3/messages/520.html

3.4 Barack Obama.

Is it to be true that his message is not financed by special interests primarily; that this messenger has comparative independence, telling people what they need to know, not what they want to hear. From GM to Canadensis, PA.

Watch the flak. A messenger. What will the reception be.

Incoming! Incoming! Leader on the loose! To be updated.