The Iliad by Homer is an epic poem that has several heroes. Heroism is the most important aspect of the characters" lives, giving definition to their actions and their raison d"etre. A hero is always of noble birth, strong, intelligent, and a great leader. Another way the reader can differentiate a hero from a mere mortal is by the help that he receives from the gods. The gods intervene on the side of a hero and give him whatever aid is necessary to achieve victory. One may believe that there is only one hero in the Iliad, Achilles. However, Hector is the true hero. By examining Hector, Odysseus, Diomedes, and Nestor, one can see that these characters surpass all others.
A hero is usually of noble birth with one parent being of divine descent. However, Hector is an exception to this rule. It is believed that Hector is the 1st born son of King Priam and Queen Hecabe of Troy. Since Priam is a descendant of Zeus, this divine lineage is passed down to all his sons. Therefore, Prince Hector is considered to be of divine decent which allows him to be regarded as a hero. .
In Hector's speech about his son Astynax, the reader gains invaluable insight into what it means to be a hero:.
Zeus, and you other gods, grant that this boy of mine may be, like me, .
pre-eminent in Troy; as strong and brave as I; a mighty king of Ilium. .
May people say, when he comes back from battle, "Here is a better man.
than his father." Let him bring home the bloodstained armour of the .
enemy he has killed, and make his mother happy. .
To Hector the ideals of strength, intelligence and being magnanimous are important. It is important for a hero to display his strength and prowess, and thus kill many in battle. One can see the truth to this statement through the epithet "man-killing Hector." Men are said to fear Hector because he kills many, especially when he storms the Greek wall. When Hector fights Patroclus, he is said to fight like a " [lion] on a mountain height".
The Illiad is one of the greatest artifacts of Western civilization. ... He says that the Illiad is more like a heroic epic. He informs us that the Illiad has a narrative impact and brilliant imagery. ... The Illiad is by for most a great epic poem. ... The Illiad is the oldest and in some ways. ...
In the Illiad, Zeus takes an impartial stance with the war unfolding, not choosing a side over the other. ... Virgil takes a similar situation from the Illiad and uses it in the Aeneid. ... This is similar to the situation in the Illiad where Athene shows Diomedes the gods on the battlefield. ... Virgil parallels the climactic combat between Turnus and Aeneas with the fight of Achilles and Hector in the Illiad. But unlike in the Illiad, the outcome of the battle is predetermined in the eyes of the gods, with Aeneas as the victor. ...
This continuing evolution is evident in Homer's prolific poems the Illiad and the Odyssey, Whether mortal or immortal, caregiver or monster, the women in each tale played various important roles as each story is set within the timeframe of the Trojan War. ... A key evidence of this is in Book 1 of the Illiad when she uses Athena to appear before Achilles as he prepares to kill Agamennon, the Achaen commander. ...
On the other hand, the Greeks and Trojans in the Illiad fought their wars as if it was game . ... The battles between the Greeks and Trojans in the war of the Illiad, however, were much different from the primitive holy wars of the Bible. ... Therefore, the battles of the Illiad only involved the men, unlike the book of Joshua. ...
This flaw shared by many other heroes of the Illiad, is the reason I see these two men as cursed, not heroic. In the beginning of the Illiad, Agamemnon has been counseled by the seer to return the priests daughter to him at once. ... His stubborn pride will stay intact through out the majority of the Illiad. ...
The Odyssey, told by "Homer", is one of the most famous poems ever. Many ideas, phrases, and references from the story and the Illiad, such as the infamous Trojan Horse, are emulated in various cartoons and movies. The story tells about the travels of Odysseus, a war hero in the Trojan War. He is...
Many epic poems such as The Illiad, and The Odyssey were also written, as well as historical accounts depicting the Persian Wars, and the Peloponnesian War. ... Is not The Illiad still read in our schools, portraying war itself as an artform? ...
Many epic poems such as The Illiad, and The Odyssey were also written, as well as historical accounts depicting the Persian Wars, and the Peloponnesian War. ... Is not The Illiad still read in our schools, portraying war itself as an artform? ...
