definiton of a hero

            Hero, a noun commonly used across America today, means so much more than this word portrays. Everyone has heard of it at some point in his or her live, either a superhero or a mythological character. Hero a Latin word from the fourteenth century has a definition in Webster's College Dictionary that reads-a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent and endowed with great strength or ability. But after September 11 the various meanings of heroes changed to one view of those who save lives. .
             Heroes sometimes are actual people, sometimes real or imaginary ancestors or even ancient Gods demoted to human status that comes from a variety of different people. One may look up to the firefighters and policemen who risked their lives to save others in the September 11 tragedy. After this tragedy occurred the word hero came to be a whole new perspective. The firefighters and policemen roaming through the dark, dusty collapsed buildings risking their own lives to save the men, women, and children that were left amongst the remains of the Twin Towers. Without thinking twice these men and women put their lives on the line for other that they didn't even know. Most people would not go out of their way and risk their lives to help someone that they do not know. Why put your life on the the line for someone else? Or why put your family through such pain of loosing a loved one? To me in my mind the firefighters and policemen that helped out on this sad day of grief is a true hero. .
             While, in Greek mythology, famous persons worshiped after death as quasi-divine. Most heroes worship performed at night with blood sacrifices, was celebrated at the supposed place of the heroes tomb. When heroes are mentioned in mythology there are three distinct names that come up, they are Odysseus, Achilles, and Hercules. Hercules was known as the strongest and swiftest man ever to walk the Earth. Hercules performed nearly twelve impossible tasks which made him a hero.