Sunday, May 24, 2020

Homeric Heroes The Heroic Hero - 1249 Words

In accordance with temperance, battle is the most important aspect of Homeric Heroes. It is on a battlefield that heroes gain glory for fighting, prizes for their accomplishments, and honor for their actions. However, hero he may be, Achilles â€Å"was not to be seen in council, that arena for glory, nor in battle† (Book 1, 518-519). He was â€Å"throwing his heroism away† by not taking part in the event that made people heroes. Prior to this, Achilles was a well-recognized hero. Goddesses said â€Å"when godlike Achilles used to enter battle the Trojans wouldn’t so much as leave their gates out of fear of what his spear could do† (Book 5, 840-842). He was among the greatest of heroes and he was turning away from what made him that hero. He was†¦show more content†¦He assured the pain of losing a battle was the worse pain a hero could endure, saying to his wife, â€Å"All that pain is nothing to what I will feel for you, when some bronze-armored Greek leads you away in tears, on your first day of slavery† (Book 6, 477-479). Hector wanted to win because as a hero, glory and honor were best achieved through winning battles. Achilles would have much rather gone home to his family than win the battle. The standard Homeric hero was characterized by glory, honor, and justice, all of which was achieved through winning or fighting in battles. When Agamemnon recognized he was losing the battle, he sent messengers to convince Achilles to join the battle. He offered him numerous prizes and gifts. These gifts were perceived as necessary elements for a hero entering battle. Without them, their level of honor decreased immensely. They said to him, â€Å"Come while there are gifts, while the Achaeans will still honor you as if you were a god. But if you go into battle without any gifts, your honor will be less, save us or not† (Book 9, 619-623). Despite their efforts, Achilles denied their gifts, boldly stating, â€Å"My honor comes from Zeus† (Book 9, 625). This suggested he did not need gifts to feel honored. He already had honor, and he did not seek more but maintain his already achieved honor. He did not need gifts to be a hero either. The gods had made him a hero (meaning they gave him skills that achieved him honor in the past), and that wasShow MoreRelatedEssay about Heroic Code in the Iliad and the Odyssey979 Words   |  4 PagesHeroic Code in the Iliad and the Odyssey In Websters Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked or sacrificed his life. 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