One of the examples is Iliad, which is extremely important from the European literary standpoint because it constitutes the beginning stages of the development of European literature (Hanczakowski 2001:23). The Iliad, followed by Odyssey are the examples of epic poetry in the early Greek literature, they "emphasized the ideals of honor and bravery and had an enormous influence on Greek culture- (Myrsiades 1997). ... The hero's goal, as Betcher points out in her article The Heroic code in The Iliad, "is to achieve honor", which "is gained through engagement in life-threatening activities...

• Word Count: 2885
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The epic of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and the Iliad, with its focus on the menis of Achilles, provide a look at heroic life and its relationship with death and immortality. ... Enkidu does develop more than Patroclus, and this may mean that he is a more complex character, or it may mean that the background and character of Patroclus was simply well-known in the epic tradition and the necessity to explicitly develop him in the Iliad which is extant did not exist. ...

• Word Count: 4256
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate