Final answer:
The quoted statement highlights the long-term separation of Greek soldiers from their families, depicting the enormous emotional sacrifice of war. Heroic sacrifices were commemorated through cults and myths, with characters like Achilles symbolizing the personal and familial costs of destiny and war.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Those who became the war God's victims had forgotten what their children looked like" indeed reflects the huge sacrifice made by ancient Greek soldiers, as it illustrates the long duration of their absence from home, leading to a profound disconnection with their own families. This separation was not just physical but also emotional, as the statement implies that the memory of their loved ones had become distant or unclear, a tragic cost of their involvement in war.
Hero cults, the honoring of the dead, often revolved around those who made sacrifices in war, like in the Trojan War. The sacrifices of heroes and their families were commemorated through worship and retelling of their stories.
The societal norms surrounding family, as seen in the reference to Achilles' life, showcased parental struggles against destiny and societal expectations, especially when it came to the survival and upbringing of their children. In Greek mythology, heroes often faced huge challenges, and Achilles' life was filled with attempts to escape his prophesied fate, including being hidden as a woman and raised by a centaur, which underscored the sacrifices made by those who became entwined with war, both directly and indirectly.