According to Stephen Bungay, regarding Churchill’s “Finest Hour” speech
Churchill has produced an inverted epitaphios by calling on the living to be heroes for their descendants. He anticipates the future epitaphios of those currently living in which it will be said that “this was their finest hour.” By “bracing themselves to their duties,” the fathers of future sons are to be worthy of the norms of the past (progonoi) in which withstanding tyranny was simply a duty (paideia and politeia) and by their bearing (arete) defend the present and so link the past and future of the people of this island (autochthones) in such a way that descendants will be comforted that “we” have won honour (paramythetikon) and will then seek to be worthy of “us” (protreptikon).
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could shake off our selfishness and heal the planet, instead of melting the icecaps?
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could be heroes for our descendants, instead of being cursed by them?
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