Final answer:
The topic of spies and espionage is explored in the provided text, stressing its importance in military strategy and statecraft, and highlighting the need for intelligence, deception, and ethical considerations within these practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of using spies and gathering intelligence is a common theme in literature and pertains to the strategic element of deception and information gathering in military engagements, espionage, and subterfuge. In the passages provided, we see various examples of espionage activities, from finding out information about enemy commanders to using spies to gather the most critical and intimate details for achieving objectives.
The role of spies and espionage is not limited to information gathering but also extends to creating mistrust, sowing misinformation, and other deceptive practices to gain advantage—as highlighted by the use of doomed spies and the idea of divine manipulation of the threads.
Intelligence gathering, as mentioned across these quotes, is particularly highlighted as an art that requires wisdom, sagacity, and even benevolence. This aligns with the broader theme of espionage as a critical yet morally complex aspect of warfare and statecraft, often depicted in epic narratives and intricate fiction.