Classics 320

Prewriting
What are the main characteristics of the Homeric hero? * A vital complex person who is on a quest * Changing emotions * Faces complex and important decisions * Strives for excellence * Goal is to achieve the greatest glory, to gain the greatest honor from his peers, commander , and his warrior society * Has supernatural help * Public approval is crucial to self-esteem * Has super-human strength * Associated with beautiful women * Birth/death dates unclear or unknown
Do you think the poem promotes the qualities or are they sometimes shown to be problematic? * I think the poem shouldn’t be promoting these qualities as characteristics of a Homeric Hero and that is shown to be problematic.
How do they compare to our modern notions of heroism? * The Greek word for hero pertains to a religious dimension which is completely absent in the English word which is derived from it.

Why is that important?

Raj Patel
Laura McClure
First Essay: The Hero in Homer’s Iliad
Friday June 21, 2013

The central … is the hero. A Homeric hero when comparing to the English meaning of hero is very different in that it pertains to a religious dimension which is completely in the English definition. The characteristics of a Homeric hero according to the Iliad are characterized as achieving the greatest glory, having supernatural help, and having courage (being a doer of deeds and speaker of words). These characteristics are shown through various quotes and quarrels between main characteristics.
In the Iliad it is expressed that a hero is someone that strives to achieve the greatest glory when you look at the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles. In this situation Agamemnon forces Achilles to give up his prize in Briseis due to being forced to give up Chryseis. Agamemnon really shames Achilles in front of the entire Greek army showing how much superior Agamemnon is. According to the Greeks glory can be shown by the amount of timee you have. Timee can be accumulated and taken away in many different one good way to accumulate timee is too conquer a hero or a major warrior; one way to decrease someone’s timee is to insult them or bring them down in some way especially affective when done in public. Maybe add some quotations here Agamemnon: You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me. Are you to keep your own prize, while I sit tamely under my loss and give up the girl at your bidding? Achilles: We have followed you, Sir Insolence! for your pleasure, not ours--to gain satisfaction from the Trojans for your shameless self and for Menelaus. You forget this, and threaten to rob me of the prize for which I have toiled, and which the sons of the Achaeans have given me.
The Illiad also expresses that a hero is someone that gets supernatural help. Throughout the Illiad there are many situations where different characters both on the Achaian and Trojan sides received help from the Greek gods. For example in Book 3 Paris and Menelaus decide to wage the war on a fight between them for Helen. As Menelaus is about to kill Paris in the duel Aphrodite comes and whisks Paris away. The men are all wondering where Paris has gone not knowing what had just happened. Maybe add some quotations here The Illiad also expresses that a hero is someone that has super-human strength. I believe that this characteristic is proven through the wow and the way that