Is there such a thing as a て particle?


While browsing through some chapters of the Bleach manga, I stumbled over a
sentence that puzzles me. A chapter is called:

立ちて死すべし

I know what 立ち means and I know that the べし is a suffix that kind of means
that the verb is an obligation or something that should be done(?). But I
can't make sense of the て kana and why it is 死す and not 死ぬ.

Link to where it appeared is
[here](http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/THE_FIRE#cite_note-trans-2), chapter 511.

Would a correct translation be "those who stand shall/must die"?




> 立ちて死すべし

The 立ち is the continuative form (連用形) of the archaic verb
[立つ](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E7%AB%8B%E3%81%A4).  
The て is the conjunctive particle (接続助詞), i.e. 立ちて is the te-form of 立つ in
Classical Japanese.  
[死す](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E6%AD%BB%E3%81%99) is a literary, bookish
way of saying 死ぬ. As in @broccoliforest's comment below 死す is the archaic form
of [死する](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/96874/meaning/m0u/).

So in modern Japanese I think it would be like 「立って死ぬべき(だ)」 or 「立って死ぬべし」,
"should/must die while standing".




> 立ちて死すべし

The 立ち is the continuative form (連用形) of the archaic verb
[立つ](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E7%AB%8B%E3%81%A4).  
The て is the conjunctive particle (接続助詞), i.e. 立ちて is the te-form of 立つ in
Classical Japanese.  
[死す](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E6%AD%BB%E3%81%99) is a literary, bookish
way of saying 死ぬ. As in @broccoliforest's comment below 死す is the archaic form
of [死する](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/96874/meaning/m0u/).

So in modern Japanese I think it would be like 「立って死ぬべき(だ)」 or 「立って死ぬべし」,
"should/must die while standing".

