Elon Musk Prays for Peace by Sharing Lesson from Ancient Sparta

Elon Musk “prayed for peace” between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday by sharing on X an inspiring story from ancient Sparta.

The business magnate highlighted the stance of Lycurgus, the revered founder of Sparta to point out that “revenge is for the weak,” implying that Israel may be showing weakness in its response to the terror attacks by Hamas.

Musk wrote on X:

Regarding Lycurgus, founder of Sparta. The pivotal moment in the creation of Sparta came when Lycurgus proposed radical laws that would transform the state into some of the greatest warriors in history.

A member of the assembly was so offended that he struck Lycurgus in the eye. Lycurgus could easily have killed him and everyone knew it.

Instead, he stood there with his eye destroyed and invited that man to his house for dinner, ultimately convincing the man to become one of his greatest supporters.

Once the laws were in place, Lycurgus left for the temple, saying the laws could not change until he returned. Then Lycurgus starved himself to death.

BAMF.

The lesson here is that revenge is for the weak.

Elon Musk, captivated by Lycurgus’ tale, summed it up succinctly with a single-word exclamation, “BAMF.” This abbreviated phrase, standing for “Badss Motherfcker,” serves as Musk’s expression of deep admiration for Lycurgus’ exceptional strength, not only as a warrior but also as a symbol of forgiveness and the ability to rise above revenge.

Reaction to Elon Musk and parallels between Sparta and War

The reaction of the millions of followers of Musk on X was mixed. Many came out in support, but others disagreed with his parallel between ancient Sparta and the war in the Middle East.

“This isn’t revenge it’s survival, and that is a big difference. While I get the point of the story, this is not the case,” an X user wrote.

“Do you call the destruction of Nazi Germany and death of Hitler revenge or fighting for peace? Because the result was peace – Israel is not fighting for revenge; they are fighting to destroy hate,” another follower said.

“Revenge isn’t for the weak. It’s the dish best served cold. You cannot win every battle or war with civil diplomacy. Sometimes it requires brute force and strength,” writes another.

“That’s all great theory. Very poetic. Perhaps written from a 150ft Yacht in the Med. Now convince the man holding his child whose head was just blown apart,” was another response.

And another X user said: “I guess the lesson is that sometimes restraint is rewarded. I can’t help but wonder what Lycurgus would’ve done if the assembly member had murdered his entire family though.”