The Greek Hero

Hercules is a well-known Greek/Roman hero. He is a great hero and the son of the great god Zeus. Like all prominent heroes, he had enemies. His most hated enemy is no other than Zeus’ wife, Hera. Because of the goddess Hera, he is known for one of his greatest qualities, bravery. Even though Hercules’ life was dark, he was the most powerful and famous hero in all of the Greek mythology.

In ancient Greek mythology there were gods and goddesses, heroes to their people. Today there are just hero’s, that people of the modern world thank and look up to for their inspirational acts. Just like the Gods and Goddesses, hero’s today are known to show strength, wisdom, bravery, and many other heroic characters. Jacqueline Cochran showed her heroic attributes when she came into WWII looking for a way for women to make a difference and fight in the war. Jaqueline founded WASP, Women Airforce Service Pilots, she made an impact in so many women’s lives by making them more included in the war instead of staying at home waiting for updates. Jacqueline shows the heroic traits that goddesses such as Athena showed in ancient Greece.

Who was given gifts by gods and goddesses? Who was almost killed by his grandfather? Whose father was the biggest man on campus? Well, that was Perseus, son of Zeus, and killer of Medusa. Perseus was a descendant of Zeus and Danae, Acrisius, his grandfather did not like him, so he sent him and his mother away in a chest in the ocean. Perseus should be in the Greek Hero Hall of Fame, for multiple different reasons. When considering why he should be in the Greek Hero Hall of Fame, Perseus must be important because if he wasn’t why would there be so many books and movies, all about him. For example, Percy Jackson book series and movies, and The Clash of the Titans. Perseus is a Greek hero because he was born of a royal birth, had extreme feats, and died a usual death.

How would you feel if your uncle took the throne of a kingdom that your dad was supposed to have, and wanted to kill you after just being born?This is what the Greek hero, Jason, had to go through. He was born of royalty, selfless, and had extreme feats. He was accompanied by some heroes on his journey, including, Heracles and Atalanta. Many people, in the beginning, thought he was a weird man, because he only had one sandal. While Jason was a very heroic hero, Jason did not have a very noble death. He died by being crushed by his rotted ship, after he broke his oath to love Medea.

Heroes are those who have gone above what the average person would do to ensure the welfare of others. Natural disasters, terrorism, poverty, and war are some of the many things that destroy and end people’s lives. Throughout history, many people have made a difference. However, as history progresses, what we consider to be socially normal changes along with our definition of a hero. In Ancient Greece, Theseus, Hercules, and Perseus were considered heroes, but today only Theseus and Perseus would be considered heroes because Hercules would be shunned by society.

Whether in mythological times or present day, there has always been heroes. There are many differences in the heroes of mythological times and today, but one key similarity is courage. Whether it was Odysseus fighting for Greece to overtake the Trojans, or Martin Luther King Jr. standing up for his civil rights, courage was required for both of these actions. It takes courage to fight for one’s country, and also courage to stand up for oneself. A key trait that can be seen in mythological times is the trait of Greek “kleos.” Kleos is the term used for glory and honor that the hero seeks for himself or for his family. In modern day, our heroes can be associated with self-sacrifice and fighting for a greater good. In both mythological

Tragic Greek dramas featured tragic heroes, mortals who suffered incredible 
losses as a result of an inescapable fate or bad decisions. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a character, usually of high birth, which is pre-eminently great, meaning they are not perfect, and whose downfall is brought about
 by a tragic weakness or error in judgment. The three Greek heroes Oedipus, Medea and Agamemnon, who each killed a member of their family, carry most of the qualities that make up a tragic hero: being of noble birth, being surrounded by an extraordinary circumstance, and gaining self-awareness or some kind of knowledge through their downfall. There is an important need for the audience to identify with the Aristotelian hero through

Greece undoubtedly has one of the most interesting cultures in terms of its mythologies. Within Greek myths, the hero can be seen as representing good and can be either mortal or a demi-god. A mortal is an individual who is 100 percent human, and an example of a mortal hero within these myths Jason, of Jason and the Golden Fleece. A demi-god is defined as someone who is part human, but is also part god. In Greek myths, Hercules and Perseus are examples of demi-god heroes in their myths. Whether he be mortal or a demi-god, the hero may receive some help from a god in completing his task in some myths. However, it is still the hero, not the god that accomplishes the task and is recognized for it.

The second greek story starts off with mentioning that the son of King Aegeus, and the great Athenian hero was Theseus. Theseus grew up with his mother in Greece and his father moved to the city of Athens. Just before Aegeus left, he placed a pair of shoes and a sword behind a large and heavy rock. He told his wife that when his son was strong enough to move the stone, send him to Athens to find his father. When Theseus grew older and was able to remove the stone, he set off for Athens. His journey was dangerous, and when he reached Athens he was known as a hero and was made a banquet at his father, the king. His father did not yet know it was Theseus and was even becoming threatened by his popularity with the people. The plan of Medea,

In Greek mythology Achilles was a very independent, strong willed, and is a very courageous hero. Achilles was raised by his mother and his father, and both of them were very strong willed people as well. This paper talks about how he was involved in the Trojan war, had a very weak achilles heal, and was raised by his parents who wanted him to be as strong as he could.

Heros have been relevant for a multitude of years. From big-time Greek heroes like Perseus and Theseus to heroes like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. All can be connected by similar qualities. In the Ancient Greek myth, Hercules, Hercules must embark on a journey of 12 labors to rid of a blood guilt he obtained after becoming mad and killing his wife and children. After the hard parts of his life, he eventually achieved peace. There is also a modern hero who eventually achieved peace. His name is Aaron Valencia and when he was younger he made some made choices when it came to drugs and alcohol. He is now sober and living a better life teaching kids to make wise choices through sharing his stories with local adolescents and building classic cars. Hercules and Aaron Valencia are both heroes from two exceedingly different time periods, but they do share comparable heroic qualities: relatable, clever, and bodacious.

Zeus the Greek God of the heavens and supreme God over all other Gods. Zeus's story begins with his mother hiding him from his father Cronus the Titan who was eating all his children. Cronus being a hector, did this in fear that one of his children may take his power. At this time Zeus was impassioned and unable to defeat his father so his mother sent him to earth to be raised. Zeus grew to be a adonis and soon found the golden fleece a powerful aegis that would help in his battle against Cronus. Though defeating Cronus would be a herculean task it did not intimidate him. Thus surviving through the martial times until he became a man, he seeked aid from another titan to create a chimerical brew that when his father Cronus drank it he would

There are many heroes, but there are those who sit back and question what or who makes a hero in today’s society. It has never been a set standard for heroes. In this modern world, there are many types of heroes. In today’s media, there is a contrast between million dollar sports figures, glorified celebrities, and the normal people we call heroes. Some heroes receive no recognition and others receive hero status with ease. However, it has yet to be determined whether our meaning of heroes has changed due to this influence. We have known about the

Heroes play a significant part in Greek myths as well as Roman. The Greeks have the greatest amount of hero myths, it is thought to be because not all myths have such great impression on human capability (Allan, 7). In the Hellenistic trait where adding to the accomplishments and outstanding aspects of mortals are viewed as advantages given by the given by the distant gods by other cultures (Allan, 7). The Greeks view things as realists. This means that they look at things, comprehend, and believe them as they really appear. They understand that due to the hero’s good deeds they were no longer protected and now exposed to risks of divine disfavor, occasional defeat, and the inescapable physical decline of old age (Allan, 7). The Romans took

The heroes in Greek and Roman mythology had the characteristics of violent masculinity and bravery, the ideology of a patriarchal society in which all the men were elite than the women. According to Kampmen in Gender Theory in Roman Art, “Roman society evolved in such a way as to enable elite men to establish and maintain power over everyone else, ” such men included heroes like Hercules, Achilles, and Pentheus (1996, p.152). They represented the elite males who had stable physical attributes that emphasized their masculinity and heroism. Heroes like the ones mentioned above had been idolized and worshiped with cults due to their works in helping their societies to fight monsters, the gods also favored them. Gender is emphasized by one 's appearance, dressing being the primary attribute. The mythic narratives of Achilles on Scyros, Hercules and Omphale and lastly Pentheus and Dionysus give a rather strange definition on the characteristics of heroes when they crossdress. In this essay, I shall discuss how male heroes characteristics become subverted than emphasized due to the myths of cross-dressing.