The Iliad and Greek Heroes

Menelaus obviously won the fight, so he deserves Helen. Paris would’ve been dead if it weren’t for Aphrodite, yet he still doesn’t give Helen back to Menelaus. Rather, the war continues and thousands of people continue to die at the greediness of Paris.

Throughout The Iliad, an epic poem written by Homer, there were numerous warriors and other characters that could be looked upon 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 a strict morality that dealt with matters relating to honor and integrity in battle.

Warriors of ancient Greece were considered heroes by following the Heroic Code of excellence. They achieved this by acquiring a kleos; establishing fame, glory and a positive reputation. It was not an easy task to become a Grecian hero. Building and maintaining kleos meant that a warrior must be brave and strong, be “a speaker of words and a doer of deeds.” The solider had to protect his friends and harm his enemies, respect the gods and his elders, and most of all value his honor over his life. To die in battle, and be spoken of after death was the most important act of honor for a hero. The Greek tragedy, Iliad, attributed to Homer, portrays Achilles as the most gallant hero of the Athenian army. The story tells of Achilles, who develops into the greatest hero of the Trojan War. While the end of the end of the poem does portray Achilles as the solider that the story foretells throughout the poem he does not act like that. Many times in the story Achilles actions are perceived as unheroic but ultimately they shape the course of the few weeks of the Trojan Wars described in the Iliad, the Achaean’s final victory at Troy and his emergence as a hero.

Honor; honor is something that all will strive to achieve in life. Honor shapes people and without it, the world would be very contradistinct. But the concept of honor has changed over time. Today, honor is telling the truth, putting others before oneself, being kind, and protecting people no matter the cost. However, in the French epic, The Song of Roland honor is a very incommensurable thing. Honor is idealized by characters like Roland, Ganelon, and Marsilion as bravery to the point of stupidity and ultimately even death. Honor was not defending others, but safeguarding one’s own reputation and legacy. And a multitudinous amount of characters in this epic put honor above all else, and it’s not always smart.

The concept of honor and the connection of living our life with honor has been pondered by philosophers, intellectuals, and the common people. Even as far back as medieval times, the idea of honor is a key factor in what shapes the rules of society. Knights would try their best to apply the Code of Chivalry to their everyday lives. The Code of Chivalry is a compilation of rules that guide the knight to be what was considered honorable in their time. Most knights would try to live to the code, but it could be seen that knights would violate the code which create a horrible consequence for him and the people around him. An example could be seen with Roland in The Song of Roland, and Perceval in “The Story of the Grail”. Two knights trying their

Many heroes attain kleos in Homer’s literature, but none so much as Odysseus. His main competitors, the other prominent Homeric epic heroes, are Agamemnon, Menelaus, Diomedes, Hector, Aeneas and of course, Achilles. While all of these heroes were praised for their actions, a few stand above the rest. Menelaus, Diomedes, and Hector were incredibly skilled soldiers and heroes, but their claims to kleos are based solely on their battlefield accomplishments

Personal glory has played an important role in most of the ward throughout history, if not as a driving force then just as something that could be attained in battle. It has been an object of desire for many men and, as can be seen in the Iliad, can drive men to feud with one another. Every person wants to be remembered by

He describes the people as, "lavish in their offerings to the gods, frugal in the home, loyal to their friends." So traits such as humbleness, generosity, and loyalty were highly valued in civilian life as they were in the military. Sallust goes on to say, "no labour was unfamiliar, no region too rough or too steep, no armed foreman was terrible: valor was all in all. " This shows the societal and military emphasis on valor and how ingrained its importance was to both civilians and soldiers.

Achilles’ insolent pride backfires on him when he becomes ultimately responsible for the death of his best friend Patroclus. Although Achilles still refuses to fight, he allows Patroclus to where his armor into battle. The sight of what the Trojans think is Achilles terrorizes them at first, but Apollo pushes him down and knocks off Patroclus’ armor. Hector sees the injured imposter on the ground and delivers a fatal wound. Only now, out of personal grief, does Achilles return to the battle.

motivation for any Homeric Greek is glory, or “Kleos”, that is to be honored and

The Iliad is a story in which many men should be recognized as great war heroes.

The Iliad, a Homeric epic that depicted the age of heroes in Archaic Greece. An age of giant, god-like, men, and a time of true heroism. The themes of the Iliad encompass a realm consisting of the principles of justice, vengeance, and honour in Greek society. A monumental theme that Homer brought through the Iliad was the idea of Greek Shame culture, which Involved public praise and blame, to honor and shame one before others in one 's society. The assemblies, called by the Achaean commanders, where the Achaeans would discuss and delegate battle strategy, acted as a perfect place for one to gain/denounce ones honour. These assemblies represented the political make-up of the Achaean coalition force, where commanders could effectively voice their concerns and opinions on matters that face the council, all while fostering discussion that unified the Achaean force. Agamemnon was head of the Achaean army, with his royal scepter, but he still needed the confidence of his commanders in order to rule effectively. He established this confidence in the assemblies throughout the Iliad. The assemblies acted as forums of discussion and delegation, where those who were worthy, could speak and voice themselves.

The Iliad is the first written document, of anything. Never before the Iliad was the tool of writing used to such an extent. The Iliad is a marvelous piece of work. Great in its fame and content, the Iliad was used as the first historical text, philosophical writing, and storybook. Historians use it for an account of an era. Philosophers use it as one of the basis of human thought. To children, it is a wonderful story of battles between man and their gods. It is a writing of many uses. One such use of the Iliad is that it is an illustration of humanity. It is an illustration that a man or womans life exists with conflict. The Iliad illustrates that it is human nature to create and live with conflicts, whether by

During book 16 of “The Iliad” the Achaeans are pushed dangerously close to the coast by the Trojan army. It was at this time that Patroclus seeks the aid of his dear friend Achilles. Patroclus explains to Achilles the carnage that surrounds him and begs his comrade to rejoin the fight. Achilles, still sore over his disagreement with Agamemnon, refuses to fight. As a compromise Achilles offers his armor to Patroclus ensuring his safety: “Up now, Zeus-born Patroclus, master of horsemen. Lo, I see by the ships the rush of consuming fire. Let it not be that they take the ships and there be no more escaping! Do on my armour with all haste, and I will gather the host" (Book 16). This decision brings Patroclus

The Iliad is one of the greatest and earliest works of Greek literature beautifully written by Homer. The poem was set at the last year of the Trojan War prior the fall of Troy, that was indeed ten years long. Moreover, the focus of this poem is a conflict that rose among Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and commander-in-chief of the allied Greeks, and Achilles, the greatest warrior, rather than the events and battles that occurred in the Trojan War between the Greeks and Trojans. Throughout the Iliad, the conflict rose due to numerous issues regarding pride, honor and power. This epic poem was written in a distinguished manner that made it easier for the readers to identify the important themes of the poem. For