To Entertain Immortals

Words do indeed have power, each containing a meaning, allowing us to communicate. This is what allows us to preserve knowledge of all sorts: facts, songs, stories, and legacies. Words have the power to immortalize. Galileo says "looking to things even more stable and enduring, others have entrusted the immortal fame of illustrious men not to marble and metal but to the custody of the Muses and to imperishable literary monuments." He places this honor only under having a portion of the heavens, a constellation of stars, named after oneself because he believes only that is more enduring than having ones name and deeds preserved within words. 

This can be either a blessing or a punishment to men, depending on the deeds they perform throughout their lives. Compare the legacy of Julius Caesar to that of Brutus, Peter to Judas, Gandhi to Hitler. Each is remembered to this day for the choices he made during his life. This increases the accountability men have for their actions. Many discoveries and victories are the result of men searching for glory, trying to transcend their brief lives by having their accomplishments remembered. It is a constant concern of leaders. For what will they be remembered? It is  a guiding force in the back of every mind, affecting every choice, for with each man is creating his own legacy. 

Not all things are preserved in a truthful or accurate way. Often, the victor gets to tell the story. But even so, writers have a great responsibility - they must tell the story.