Cowards, I know, would quit the fighting now
but the man who wants to make his mark in war
must stand his ground and brace for all he’s worth –
suffer his wounds or wound his man to death.
– Homer
The Iliad, Book 11, lines 383-386. Odysseus probes his fighting heart when he is left on his own on the battlefield, the other soldiers having fled. He doesn’t retreat, but stands his ground. His courage and desire for everlasting glory make him stay and fight.