Prevailing Ideas of Heroes through literature

The succession of heroes through time has been controlled by the prevailing culture from
which they are created. Their attitudes and standards have been reshaped according to the
ideals generated by societies over time, heroes have become more virtuous and noble, a trend
which has been cultivated to fulfil the changing spiritual and moral demands of humankind.
The evolution of the hero can be charted through literature, where notable heroes such as
Achilles and Aeneas occupy a status below the gods and the divine but above humans,
therefore the depiction of heroes in literature enables a modern audience to understand the
values and ideals of civilizations over time through these characters, who epitomize what it
meant to be extraordinary in different cultures and ages. Two prevailing heroes who proved
extraordinary within their cultures were Achilles, and Aeneas. Though both are fictional, their
feats enable them to ascend from the normal scope of human experience into a sphere of
worship akin to the divinities of their respective cultures.
Despite obvious differences between these heroes, some ideals and character traits have
persisted into modern times, which can be noted by modern day depictions of heroes. This
proves that certain ideals and characteristics appeal to a universal human consciousness, and
show an inherent attraction towards fulfilling and glorifying these ideals. Achilles is a hero of
ancient Greek creation. While he was already a popular icon, appearing on a variety of artistic
mediums; the most notable depiction of Achilles came from the poet Homer, who outlined his
courage and strength during the Trojan war. The hero Aeneas was a figment of Roman
design, crafted to remind Romans of the values which they had abandoned, and had to return
to in order to re-enforce the greatness of the Roman Empire in the wake of Augustus
becoming Caesar. The Aeneid was an epic by the poet Virgil, commissioned by the Caesar
Augustus as a piece of political propaganda. Both heroes were flawed, perhaps to remind
their admirers of the human weakness which plagues us all, and to warn of the mistakes these
weaknesses can provoke. The film Gladiator made in 2000 gives the account of a fictional
Roman hero Maximus. The juxtaposition of modern ideals and values imposed onto a
character from ancient Rome shows how far the hero has been moulded and reshaped, but
also which ideals have prevailed. Ultimately, though we can agree the specifics of the hero
have changed over time, a general definition can be discerned: a hero was someone who
expanded and surpassed the sense of what was possible for a human.
Achilles: A Greek hero.
Achilles is the focal point of Homers epic The Illiad. The traits that lend his character most
favourably towards the distinction of Hero are his courage, bravery and unrivalled skill on the
battlefield and in war. His flaws, however, are not easy to overlook, and a modern audience
may question whether he is worthy of being considered a great hero.
Achilles is consumed with a thirst for Kleos (Glory) and Tim (Honour). Achilles honor
makes him proud, and is the cause of all his mistakes. In Book One, Agamemnon is forced to
release his prize: a young Trojan girl named Chriseis. Agamemnon proceeds to confiscate
Briseis, the young woman that Achilles has taken as his prize, as a replacement. Achilles
perceives this as a massive mark upon his honour, and as a result withdraws from the war,
refusing to fight with the Achaeans. On this I swearthe time will come when Achaeas sons
all miss Achilles, a time when, in distress, youll lack my help, a time when Hector,that man
killer, destroys many warriors.Then grief will tear your hearts apart,because you shamed
Achaeas finest man. and even praying to his mother Thetis to influence Zeus to favor the
Trojans, so that Agamemnon must face the ultimate humiliation of losing the war.1 To a
modern audience Achilles places more weight on personal honor than on being a hero of his
1 The Illiad: Book 1, Lines 263-269

people, who he leaves to suffer the war without their greatest fighter. In Book Nine when
Agamemnon appeals to Achilles and offers him wealth and prizes in an attempt to convince
him to return to the battlefield, Achilles rejects the offer. By accepting the offer, he would
diminish his honor even further. Later in Book Nine, Achilles tells of his two fates: My
goddess mother, silver-footed Thetis has said two fates may bring about my death.If I remain
here, continuing the fightagainst the Trojans city, that meansI wont be going home, but my
glory will never die. But if I go back home,my fame will die, although my life will lasta long
timedeath will not end it quickly.2
Despite coming to Troy seeking glory, a fate he chose over a long and happy life, knowing he
would meet his end, he chooses to go home to Pthia, forfeiting the promise of eternal glory at
war so as not to further offend his own honor. The catalyst that provokes Achilles to rejoin he
battle is the death of his friend Patroclus, and thus his motives are revenge.
To a modern audience, the Greek concept of a hero seems detached from the morality of
those whom we choose as our heroes today, but perhaps this difference can be explained if we
explore the cultural values of Ancient Greece. The events of The Illiad take place during a
war which goes to last twenty years. The Greek camp, away from their own lands would have
been made up of the warrior class. Under these circumstances; in order for men to become
leaders and heroes; their contributions to their peers must epitomize what it meant to be a
warrior and man in Ancient Greece. Similarly Homers reader were likely to have been those
that lived during the Greek Dark ages, where Greek society had become well accustomed to
war, and the ruling warrior class. Therefore, in both the poem and real life, the features that
Greeks looked for in their heroes did not need to appeal to morality or humanity, but rather to
skill and excellence on the battlefield. Likewise, the epic was written for an audience during
the Dark ages of Ancient Greece, where in reality the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization
had thrown Greece into war like times again. The warrior class ruled and was glorified, so
heroes of the time were not condemned for their brutality on the battlefield, but respected.
Aeneas: A Roman Hero
Virgils The Aeneid was written in .. which was ..after Homers Illiad. Virgil was
inspired by Homers epic, and sought to create a poem just a rich which simultaneously
aligned with Roman values that Augustus wished to re-install into Roman society. Aeneas,
like Achilles is known for his skill on the battlefield, which is shown when he wins a duel
against Turnus in Book for the hand of Lavinia.
One obvious commonality between all three heroes is that they are male. While men have
dominated the distinction for many years, simply due to the role of women in their societies
as being less than, or under the man, a key feature that these male heroes share is their talent
and skill during combat. This has obvious connotations of masculinity but also illuminates an
underlying theme of heroes and what societies wish them to embody. A skilled fighter is an
admirable and desirable trait because it shows that the hero can protect and serve his
cause/people. Achilles fulfils this notion of a hero. Aeneas fulfils this notion, and goes even
further, exceeding not only in combat but in spirituality and piety, values that were valued by
Romans.

2 The Illiad: Book Nine, lines 516-523