“War is the father of all things.” This is the most familiar version of a famous saying by the Presocratic philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus. In Homer's Iliad, the first work of Western literature, Ares, the personification of war, is the most hateful of all gods even to his father Zeus. As terrible as war always has been, it is often presented to be justifiable or necessary, especially as a supposed guarantor of peace: si vis pacem, para bellum (“if you want peace, prepare for war”). So many regard war for the sake of peace, war in defense of one's country, or preventive war outside one's own borders for the sake of homeland or national security as necessary, mainly those who can safely stay home. Most people who are against war can speak or act in its favor when duty calls and go as far as to demand or make what is euphemistically called the supreme sacrifice. Again and again one more war is to be waged to end all wars. “Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more” – for king and country, home and family, freedom and our way of life, and all the values of civilization threatened by the enemy. Mission accomplished, we will lay down our arms, study war no more, and enjoy the fruits of lasting peace. In retrospect Cato the Elder appears to have put it most aptly: “War feeds itself.” Patriotic fervor may well be the most nourishing dish on war's menu.