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The Definition Of Heroism In The Trojan War

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Heroism is a trait that is valued in arguably almost every society. From ancient Greece to modern day America, heroes are praised for their actions and honored in their communities. While heroism has remained an honorable thing, our ideas of what constitute heroism have changed since Homeric times. While who we consider a hero is more personal, societal ideas of heroism are different. Everyone has their personal heroes, children often view their parents as heroes, and people even view their favorite musicians and actors as their heroes. But from a societal perception, there are certain actions that qualify someone as being a hero. Heroism often requires some sort of service that is viewed as benefiting the people. This applies to people such as firefighters, paramedics, and police officers. But more commonly viewed as a platform of heroism is through military service. Often soldiers are who we consider heroes, those we view as fighting for our nation in war. As a society we put even more emphasis on those who go above and beyond, or complete special missions viewed as important to the war. This modern standard for heroism is similar to how heroes were classified in Homer’s stories. Some of the greatest heroes in Homeric stories are Achilles and Odysseus. Considered heroes in the Trojan War, both men have their aristeia in the Iliad, proving their tenacity in battle and worthiness of their title of hero. Achilles goes on a rampage, killing Trojans and throwing them into the river (p. 199-200). This merciless fighting, his effectiveness in battle, is what makes him so significant in the war, and what makes him a hero. Another similarity between Homeric heroism and modern heroism, is that who is considered a hero is very subjective. While U.S. soldiers may be considered heroes by Americans, those in the Middle East directly in contact with war and the U.S. military likely have an entirely different perspective. Soldiers’ actions won’t be viewed as heroic, but as barbaric instead. Similarly, while Achaeans view Achilles as a brave and heroic, when he wages his aristeia on the Trojans it’s unlikely they feel the same. Hector, one of the strongest soldiers in the Trojan army,

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