Damon And Pythias Analysis

The concept of loyalty is questionable. Friendship is a mutual devotion that is voluntary, meaning, that a person chooses who to give their loyalty to. We can see a strong example of loyalty in the story of Damon and Pythias The relationship between these two men is rare. They share a loyalty that has always been hard to find, from the betrayals of Judas and Jesus to Brutus and Caesar. Damon and Pythias take their friendship loyalty to the brink of death, which astonishes everyone to this day. Despite the obstacles each friend faces on their own part, they both never lose faith or loyalty in each other and are driven by the determination to save the other. Damon and Pythias existed in Syracuse, during the reign of the tyrant Dionysius(405-367
The tyrant throws Pythias into jail and sets a death sentence. In a meeting with his friend Damon, Pythias tells Damon of his mother who is old and weak and how he wishes he could say one last farewell to her and find a husband for his sister so that she will be taken care of. Pythias tries to reason with Dionysius to allow him to go to his family and then come back for his death sentence once he’s made sure his family is in good hands. The tyrant doesn’t believe that Pythias will come back to face his death so he rejects his plea. Damon comes and pleads to take the place of Pythias while his friend goes to settle his family affairs. To Pythias’ horror, he doesn't accept this at first, but later gives in and promises Damon that he will return. After Dionysius agrees, he gives Pythias a month. If Pythias does not return by the certain time set, Damon will die in his place. From there, two different adventures or events happen. Pythias has to deal with the dangers on the road. He runs into thieves who tie him to a tree, leaving him to struggle for days. When he finally frees himself, he starts to to run to try to catch up. The river he had crossed before was now a roaring current, but despite the danger, he pushed against the waves with the determination to get to his friend on time, he succeeds. Exhausted, Pythias starts to run towards Syracuse. While Damon is held in captivity,
During their period of time, the pythagoreans were a political factor in Syracuse. The pythagoreans would dress simply and eat very little. They followed a strict regime. They had to be silent and obedient, and could not adorn their body with jewelry, and practiced a lot of self-examination. The pythagoreans viewed true friendship as very important. Damon and Pythias were the ideal Pythagorean friendship for their time. The love and power of friendship can move even those with a cold heart and inspire others. The loyalty of Damon and Pythias touched the heart of the tyrant Dionysius, who was set to kill Pythias or his friend. The love Damon and Pythias is what helped Pythias cross the river and free himself from the obstacle of the thieves, and what moved Damon to take the place of his friend and never lose faith in Pythias. Friendship and loyalty are important because they are there to support you no matter what. Dionysius understood this when he pardoned both men whom he was so intent on killing. The legend of Damon and Pythias explains the phenomenon that causes people to give up their lives for one another or a