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Excellence and Honor in The Iliad

This affects Achilles' honor as a warrior because he used his special excellence and strength to fight for her and he eventually developed love for Briseis that makes him eventually leave Agamemnon's' army and the war. .
             This also shows Agamemnon's arête as a leader and a warrior. Agamemnon questions Achilles' honor as a true warrior by implying that the only reason Achilles accomplishes anything is because he has help from the gods. When Agamemnon took away Briseis, which you could also call Achilles' honor because she was given to him for his duty, he gained honor in his own right because he took her away from the great honorable Achilles'. He only did this to take away Achilles' honor because after he was done using her for his own pleasure and needs; he gave her (Achilles honor) to his men which only angered Achilles even more. For example Agamemnon went on to say "But here is a threat: in the same way as Phoebus Apollo is robbing me of Chrysies, whom I propose to send off in my ship with my crew, I will come in person to your hut and take away fair-cheeked Briseis, your prize, Achilles, to let you know how far I am your superior and to teach others to shrink from claiming parity with me and playing the equal to my face." (Book 1 lines 183-189) This shows that Agamemnon is a warrior who only cares about his own honor and would turn against his best fighter just to show that he has strength and power and is the only who should gain honor from the spoils of war. .
             In today's definition of arête there are many similarities and differences to the meaning of the word as there was so many years ago. In the Iliad many warriors and Gods fought and battled for individual honor and prizes for themselves. In today's time period arête holds a different, but in some ways similar meaning. For example in today's sports you have a group of individuals all on one team competing together to win glory and prizes for a particular state or organization in order to win a championship.


Essays Related to Excellence and Honor in The Iliad

1. Greek Ideals: Excellence and Concern for Community

Greek sculpture also pursued excellence. ... These physical trainings were then tested in the competitions of the Olympics and those who achieved physical excellence were honored in these competitions. ... In Homer's Iliad, we see Hector, show great concern for his community. Hector is to go to war against Greece in honor of Troy. ... We see his concern in the following passage from the Iliad "All this weighs on my mind, too dear woman. ...

  • Word Count: 858
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography

2. Epic Heroes

Epic Heroes The authors of the magnificent Iliad and Crito wrote what is a reflection of the Greek society at that time. ... Honor, pride, and personal values were the characteristics of a man. ... Honor was a common characteristic of men in that period. ... In order to do virtue and excellence he must take heroic action and so he did, this idea is central in the Iliad. ... Honor is also reflected in Plato's Crito, although it is shed under a different light. ...

  • Word Count: 568
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

3. The Hisrorically Correct Gilgamesh

GREECE TOPIC: TEXT: The Iliad IMAGE: Contest of two Warriors The Iliad is the quest for individual honor and glory. Iliad is also the current way of life living it to the fullest in some eyes. The Iliad is simply the a story of the Achaean hero Achilles. ... Heroism was important action to prove virtue and excellence to Greeks, even if it meant that while doing something heroic and it resulted in a bad death. ... The Iliad and the contrast of two warrior show that the were equal in some ways. ...

  • Word Count: 430
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Iliad and the Glorification of War

In Homer's epic, "The Iliad," there is a major conflict between Troy and Greece. ... This turns out to be the core of their issues with one another, in that both believe in their own superiority and their own subjective notion of the pursuit of excellence (Gill). ... This insults Achilles personal belief of honor and his anger causes him to rage against Agamemnon. ... Achilles does not accept Agamemnon gifts and still holds a grudge against him; the slight to his honor has not been forgotten by him. ... The relationship between Agamemnon and Achilles was one of the most important and impa...

  • Word Count: 1247
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

5. Athenian Contributions to Western Civilization

The Iliad was an epic that depicted heroes and their trials at the time of the Trojan war. His poem left the listeners with a powerful ideal called arete, where you were to strive for excellence, show courage and win fame and honor. ...

  • Word Count: 735
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. History of the Olympic Games

Homer devoted much of Book 23 of the Iliad to an account of the funeral games, really just sporting events, that Achilles gave in honor of his dead friend, Patroclus. ... There was no team competition, and the stress on individual achievement through public competition was related to the Greek ideal of excellence, called Arete. Like our modern athlete, men who competed successfully would win fame, honor, and oftentimes rewards for themselves and for their city or state. ...

  • Word Count: 1795
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Aeneas in the Aeneid By Andrew Rambo

Unlike the Iliad and Odyssey, which are "oral" epics, the Aeneid is a "literary" epic, for it is the product of a settled, highly civilized society. ... Their virtues were much like ours in the fact that they are a particular excellence in a person that is admirable and meet standards for the cultures morals. ... There were many virtues that the Romans would have honored, but the ones they prized most were steadfastness, courage, patience, obedience to the will of the gods, and prize of their elders. ...

  • Word Count: 2516
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Grade Level: High School

8. The Odyssey

Clearly, "The Odyssey" incorporates materials that are older than the poem itself, and foremost among them in all likelihood was the tale of Odysseus" wanderings immediately falling the Fall of Troy which is narrated by Odysseus at the banquet given in his honor by the Phaeaceans. ... I could not imagine that William Shakespeare was not influenced by tales such as "The Odyssey," and the "The Iliad," et.al., as the writings appears so much as his own. ...

  • Word Count: 2705
  • Approx Pages: 11
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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