Homeric Heroes The Heroic Hero - 1249 Words

In accordance with temperance, battle is the most important aspect of Homeric Heroes. It is on a battlefield that heroes gain glory for fighting, prizes for their accomplishments, and honor for their actions. However, hero he may be, Achilles â€Å"was not to be seen in council, that arena for glory, nor in battle† (Book 1, 518-519). He was â€Å"throwing his heroism away† by not taking part in the event that made people heroes. Prior to this, Achilles was a well-recognized hero. Goddesses said â€Å"when godlike Achilles used to enter battle the Trojans wouldn’t so much as leave their gates out of fear of what his spear could do† (Book 5, 840-842). He was among the greatest of heroes and he was turning away from what made him that hero. He was†¦show more content†¦He assured the pain of losing a battle was the worse pain a hero could endure, saying to his wife, â€Å"All that pain is nothing to what I will feel for you, when some bronze-armored Greek leads you away in tears, on your first day of slavery† (Book 6, 477-479). Hector wanted to win because as a hero, glory and honor were best achieved through winning battles. Achilles would have much rather gone home to his family than win the battle. The standard Homeric hero was characterized by glory, honor, and justice, all of which was achieved through winning or fighting in battles. When Agamemnon recognized he was losing the battle, he sent messengers to convince Achilles to join the battle. He offered him numerous prizes and gifts. These gifts were perceived as necessary elements for a hero entering battle. Without them, their level of honor decreased immensely. They said to him, â€Å"Come while there are gifts, while the Achaeans will still honor you as if you were a god. But if you go into battle without any gifts, your honor will be less, save us or not† (Book 9, 619-623). Despite their efforts, Achilles denied their gifts, boldly stating, â€Å"My honor comes from Zeus† (Book 9, 625). This suggested he did not need gifts to feel honored. He already had honor, and he did not seek more but maintain his already achieved honor. He did not need gifts to be a hero either. The gods had made him a hero (meaning they gave him skills that achieved him honor in the past), and that wasShow MoreRelatedEssay about Heroic Code in the Iliad and the Odyssey979 Words   |  4 PagesHeroic Code in the Iliad and the Odyssey In Websters Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked or sacrificed his life. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the code which administers the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a straightforward idea. The aim of every hero is to achieve honor. Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey, different characters take on the role of a hero. Honor is essential to the HomericRead MoreHeroes Are The People In The Society That We Admire For1048 Words   |  5 PagesHeroes are the people in the society that we admire for or venerated for the courage they portray, noble qualities, and the outstanding achievements associated with them. In every community, anyone who attains the hero status, he/she creates ideals and ideas that the community creates and strives for. Heroes are individuals who assist in shaping the culture of the community they are associated with in the literature, the community also shapes the h eroes too. The motivation and zeal of the heroesRead MoreThe Code Of Honor In The Iliad And The Odyssey1684 Words   |  7 PagesIn Webster’s Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked or sacrificed his life. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the code which administers the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a straightforward idea. The aim of every hero is to achieve honor. Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey, different characters take on the role of a hero. Honor is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much that life would be meaningless withoutRead MoreThe World Set Up By Homer754 Words   |  4 Pagesdraw attention towards the passionate individuality of the warriors, who by the very nature of the heroic complex, are defined by their participation, or rather success, in battle. As Agamemnon visits the front lines, he calls forth a series of great Achaean heroes: Idomeneus, Nestor, Odysseus , Diomedes, Stehnelus, and Ajax, each of whom is portrayed as the brave, proud, loyal archetypical Homeric hero caught up within this test of excellence. En masse, the Achaean army is seen gathering under theRead MoreWhy Do We Consider Odysseus to Be a Hero797 Words   |  4 PagesWhy do we consider Odysseus to be a hero? Was he all bullets and bravado like the â€Å"heroes† of today? Was he a testosterone and power armor kind of hero we see in video games? No, but he was heroic nonetheless. His loyalty, valor, humanity and most importantly, his intelligence, sets him apart from many other heroes from his era and from ours. He exemplifies the most important ideals of Homeric Greeks and is portrayed not only as a proud adventurer, but also as a caring father and a husband. LoyaltyRead MoreSatan Is Evil Or Evil?1330 Words   |  6 Pagesnegative characteristics, some groups have very different beliefs. Throughout literature, Satan has been represented as the evillest entity to ever have existed, but Satan is not truly as evil as he is portrayed because he is more of an anti-hero or Byronic Hero in texts such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost as well as other academic scholars arguments, rather than being a complete antagonist. According to the Christian’s perspective of the Bible, before Adam and Eve, God made the angels. The mostRead MoreThe Iliad Herioc Code1444 Words   |  6 Pages202: Classical Epic: Gods and Heroes Paper #1 The heroic code in the Iliad is expressed by many characters throughout the book, whether it be through their actions, intentions, or teachings. The heroic code stems from the belief that honor is, above all, the most important virtue in life and all men must honor themselves, their families, and their fellow comrades through specific character traits and actions. This concept is the primary goal in a Homeric hero’s life. Specifically, courageRead MoreEpic Passages of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Odyssey921 Words   |  4 Pagesdefinition of a hero has evolved over time through both written word and human experiences, so what is a hero? In the two epic passages The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Odyssey, heroism appears to be a clear distinction with the literature, and has the same basic framework as today’s definition of a hero. Historically, in the texts, heroes such as Gilgamesh and Odysseus are protagonists viewed and credited with great bravery and mos t certainly heroism. Nearly all of the heroic figures throughoutRead More The Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad In Homer’s Iliad, a warrior can only attain heroism and immortality by embracing an early death. Jean-Pierre Vernant describes this paradox in his essay, â€Å"A ‘Beautiful Death’ and the Disfigured Corpse in Homeric Epic.† According to Vernant, heroes accept the fact that life is short and â€Å"devote themselves completely and single-mindedly to war, adventure, glory, and death† (53). 1 Curiously, this is because heroes overcome death only when they embrace itRead MoreThe Iliad: Literary Analysis1552 Words   |  7 Pagesupon as heroes; some of these heroes included Achilles, Ajax, Diomedes, Hector, and Glaucus. All of these individuals were heroes because of their remarkable mental and physical strength: they were courageous and were better fighters in war than other ordinary men. The trade of battle was a way of life to the Greeks back in Homer’s time. Children were raised to become great servicemen to their country, and warriors lived to fight for and defend their nation with pride and valor. The heroic code was