Diomedes: The Heroic Hero

A hero can be described as someone who goes through various obstacles and is able to overcome them. Both the Bible and The Odyssey depict heroism through two similar characters, David and Odysseus. In the Bible, David rises above all others through his heroic qualities and by ending the war between the Israelites and the Philistines with the aid of God. On a related note, in The Odyssey, heroism is demonstrated by Odysseus in the way that he conquers multiple enemies, also with the assistance of the gods. However, heroes are not always perfect and they often make mistakes throughout their journey. David and Odysseus are successful as heroes because of the positive and negative characteristics that they possess, as well as their firm relationship with the divine that ultimately assists them in overcoming their challenges. This demonstrates that individual efforts were not enough to be a hero in their community and the help of the divine was crucial.

In Greek literature of mythology, we have examined Odysseus. Students and scholars alike have held debates about Odysseus. The discussion is whether Odysseus was a true hero, as read in The Odyssey. There is abundant supportive evidence to verify all sides of the debate and opinions held about Odysseus. Odysseus had encompassed many qualities that I believe make him a hero. The qualities he embodied were mental strength, physical strength, and spiritual strength. I would like to advocate for why Odysseus was a hero.

Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.

Diomedes follows the heroic code, finding glory and honor on a battlefield and does so humbly while caring for his men.Diomedes lives and is prepared to die by

Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and Achilles are all known as epic or homeristic heroes. They have all had their legendary battles and journeys that have classified them as an epic hero. Epic heroes all have good and bad qualities, for example Hercules is known as the strongest man in the world, but he is not that smart. Odysseus is a great example of an epic hero. He is smart, strong, and protected by gods and goddesses, but he does have faults in his actions considering he is only just a mortal. In Homer’s book, The Odyssey, Homer shows how Odysseus is truly an epic hero, by showing his journey back home to Ithaca.

Odysseus tends to use strategy over strength to be a hero when it comes to challenges. Instead of beginning with fighting the Cyclops, he takes his time and sets up a plan. Everytime he enters a new island, he does not start telling everyone that he is Odysseus, king of Ithaca. Instead, he charms the people he meets and uses his wise words that cause them to help and pity him. Odysseus represents what being a hero is actually all about. Throughout the novel The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus continuously shows his personality of being an admirable hero to everyone by using strategy instead of strength.

Ten years after the fall of Troy, Odysseus a great hero has yet to return to his home in Ithaca. It begins with Athena and Poseidon who helped the Greeks during the Trojan War. Athena turned against the Greeks and convinces Poseidon to do the same. The Greeks are hit by storms on the way home and many ships are destroyed and the fleet is scattered. The war and his distress at sea keep Odysseus away from Ithaca for twenty years.

For generations, heroes have always fascinated people and people have strived to achieve certain qualities of their heroes. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is considered the hero of the story. While Odysseus does demonstrate some qualities that are not heroic, he is still defined as a hero because of his better, more heroic qualities in which he is far superior in than any other man. The qualities in which define Odysseus as a hero are courage, intelligence, and leadership.

The stories from both epics start in almost identical ways: two brave men set out to the enemy’s camp in an attempt to collect information from the enemy. Upon closer review, however, it is apparent that the intentions of and relationships between the pairs are not quite the same. Diomedes takes up the challenge because he feels he needs to as one of the most powerful Greek warriors, saying, “ ‘Nestor, my pride as a man urges me / To go into the enemy camp over there,’ ” (10.227-228). He chooses Odysseus for strategic reasons, stating that Odysseus “ ‘has what it takes for any kind of work, / The heart, the courage - and is Athena’s

On the way to the ships Odysseus plotted to kill Diomedes and take all the credit, but Diomedes saw the glint of moonlight reflected off the sword, spun and grabbed it with his bare hands, he then trussed Odysseus up like a chicken and tied his hands behind his back and drove along in front beating him with the flat of the sword all the way back to the ships. During the sack of Troy Odysseus spots an injured Aeneas fleeing the burning city with his young son and carrying his feeble father. Odysseus right away runs to inform Diomedes, who has lusted for the blood of Aeneas, Diomedes rushes to make the kill, but his heart is softened upon seeing the brave soldiers efforts to save his family. Diomedes then allows them safe passage from the city. After the fall of Troy Diomedes was one of the few Achaean kings to return home safely and without much delay. Upon reaching Argos he found his wife had taken another lover in his absence and under her orders he was barred entrance into the city. He then set sail for Atolia but was shipwreaked of the coast of Lycia there he was captured by the king Lycus, and was to be sacrificed to the war god Ares, but the kings own daughter took pity on him and helped him in escaping. He set sail again and landed in Italy where he founds

Homer highlights the superiority and inferiority of nature compared to culture with the scenes of Homeric heroes in aristéia. In Book 5, Diomedes appeals to Athena for aid, who answers by inspiring extraordinary courage and skill within him, leading Diomedes to bring destruction upon the Trojans and even wounding the goddess

During the conversation, Diomedes is fighting for the Achaeans against the Trojans at full force. Kill after kill, nothing seems to be stopping Diomedes at this point in the war, until he suddenly encounters a warrior for the Trojans that he has not noticed before. This prompts Diomedes to ask the Trojan ally about his background in order to determine whether he will kill him as well.

On the Greek side, the greatest champions were Diomedes, who wounded Aphrodite and Ares, and

According to the criteria presented in the Republic book eight, Diomedes is most related to the Timocratic soul being spirited and rational. The Timocratic soul has good and bad qualities that Diomedes falls under. The Timocratic soul, in part, is explained as “being in love with honor” that to no surprise were most characters in the Iliad like Diomedes who put his life on the line for that honor. I also say that he fits the Timocratic soul most because he is a man who is spirited and rational, his spirited soul will not deny him a mission and his rational soul won’t deny him reason. During a small gathering before raiding the Trojan camp Diomedes rose to the occasion and said to Nestor “My pride urges me to go the enemy camp over there, but

If Achilles, Ajax and Diomedes all represent the Hero archetype with their supernatural strength, indomitable courage and unquenchable thirst for battle glory, Odysseus is more. He is just as virile and courageous as the other heroes—ties Ajax in boxing and wrestling—but in Homer’s depiction of Odysseus we see a focus on intelligence, eloquence, and rationality. Compared to Achilles who would rather die young for his “kleos aphthiton”, Odysseus is much more concerned about how to win the war and return home safely; if the former represents muscle, impulse, and id; the latter stands for brain, calculation, and ego. By killing Achilles the hero and having Odysseus the trickster come up with the ultimate solution, the Trojan War story evidences the human understanding that intelligence rather than brutal force solves