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Differences Between Achilles And Achilles

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In his book, The Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology, Roman states that,
The Greek concept of the hero was not based on a calculation of the warrior’s social utility and helpfulness in straightforward terms; rather a hero’s greatness is defined by how extraordinary he is, how far he transcends the lives of ordinary mortals (2010:8).

This essay will compare the greatest hero of the Trojan War, Achilles with the strongest hero of Ancient Greece, Herakles. It will also discuss how they compare to their modern day representations in cartoons, movies and pop culture.

These two very well-known heroes of Ancient Greek mythology were both born from one mortal and one immortal parent. While their bravery, battle skills and strength have earned them a place in the history books there are also some differences between these heroes. Achilles, the protagonist of Homer’s epic, the Iliad, was the son of Peleus, a mortal king and Thetis, a sea nymph and daughter of Neseus (Roman 2010:7). One version of the story describes Achilles as the only surviving child of this marriage, after Thetis had murder six of her children by burning them (Pinsent 1983:114). A later version states that his mother tried to protect him when he was born by dipping him in the river Styx (Roman …show more content…

His impulsiveness and emotional instability often got him in trouble. Hera used this to her advantage yet again after the birth of his children from his first wife, Megara. She drove him mad, which caused him to kill his sons and abandon Megara (Roman 2010:209). For the crime of murdering his sons he was ordered to perform the famous Twelve Labours in order to purify himself (Roman 2010:210). This would also later ensure his immortality however. These would not be the last tasks he would have to complete in penance for his anger and impulsive

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