The Theme Of Individual Honor In The Iliad By Homer

The idea of individual honor is common all through the Iliad. The honor of each individual in Homeric society was crucial, yet to the hero, his honor was foremost. He couldn’t allow slander, and he felt that he needed to secure his name regardless of the conditions, including death. The hero 's obligation was to battle, and the main way he had of everlasting glory was through heroic acts on the battlefield. The hero was to be ready for the risks of battle, including loss of life. The Homeric hero trusted his fellow men to stand together in battle, honoring each other, and restrain themselves from savagery. The third was fundamentally critical for the Homeric hero. He despised conscious demonstrations of savagery and dishonor. When it came to killing, he trusted that he would do it rapidly. He was not to ruin his opponent, as Achilles carries out with Hector 's …show more content…
Being a hero was a social duty that qualified a man for societal position, and for a warrior this was accomplished by showing their worth on the battlefield. The hero in Homeric society respected the correctness of his people 's vexation. When Agamemnon strips Achilles of his war prize, Agamemnon puts the blame for his wrongdoing on Zeus and destiny. In another instance, Achilles contemplates whether he should draw his sword against Agamemnon, Athena holds him by the hair and cautions him against battling with Agamemnon. Unmistakably, Achilles does not accept accountability either for his irritation or for his not slaughtering Agamemnon. Actually, neither Achilles nor Agamemnon perceives a moral obligation regarding their emotional or physical reactions, despite the fact that both men are on the edge of brutality. In the perception of Homeric hero, an external power starts activities and ideas. Moral duty is not a problem for a hero 's choice to take after the will of an external