The Greek Concept of the Epic Hero Essay - 1135 Words

In classical Greek literature, the epic hero is usually defined in terms of the contrasting characters of Achilles and Odysseus, the most important figures in Homers great epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greeks in the Trojan war, is actually a demi-god rather than a human hero, having been dipped in charmed waters by his mother and given the gift of invulnerability. Odysseus, on the other hand, is a fully human character, and his heroism consists more in his cleverness, boldness and cunning than his martial ability. The contrast between these two models of the epic hero could not be stronger, for although Achilles is godlike and almost immortal in his fighting prowess, he is childish and†¦show more content†¦Then he leaves to sulk in his tent. These is no question that Achilles is indeed the best of the Achaians in combat, but since he is the son of a goddess and blessed with invulnerability in battle, it is hardly his heroism that makes him a great warrior. His counterpart among the Trojans, Hektor, is in truth a much nobler character-- loving to his parents, wife and children, fearless in battle, and willing to sacrifice everything for his people. In comparison with Hektor, Achilles seems to be a mamas boy; in fact, we see him crying to his mother Thetis that the gods have not done enough for him by punishing the Greeks. Sounding like a little boy, he tells her, I wish you had gone on living then with the other goddesses/ of the sea, and that Peleus had married some mortal woman./As it is, there must be in your heart a numberless sorrow for your sons death, since you can never again receive him/ won home again to his country (Lattimore, 1967:377). There is great irony in Achilles obsessive desire to kill Hektor and revenge the death of his friend Patroklos, since as Thetis reminds him, it is decreed your death must come soon after Hektors. As a demigod, Achilles does not possess immortality, and the fatal flaw in his makeup (his mother held him by the ankle when she dipped him in the water) means that he must someday die. Yet after killing Hektor in the great fight scene that concludes his struggles, Achilles does not hesitate to defyShow MoreRelatedEpic Heroism And Values Of The Iliad1030 Words   |  5 Pages DWC 101: Paper 1 November 1, 2017 Epic Heroism and Values of the Greek and Roman Culture The image of Achilles killing Hector and the image of Aeneas killing Turnus classify them as epic heroes. In the Greek epic poem the Iliad, Homer portrays Achilles as an enraged warrior fighting for revenge for a woman he loved. 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