Is pride the mischievous culprit to the downfall of ancient warriors? In Homers epic the Iliad he reveals the main values that ancient Greek society strived for. One of these values is pride. They believed that in order to be thought highly of you must earn honor and pride. Although pride was glorified in ancient Greek society Achilles, Agamemnon, and Hektor all prove how it could be damaging.
Agamemnon’s pride led to many innocent Achaians fatalities. As king he’d taken the daughter of priest Chryses and was holding her captive. When the priest came pleading to the leader to give him his daughter back Agamemnon refused. He wasn’t going to ruin his pride by giving the girl back. After he refused the priest was still desperate to get his daughter …show more content…
When Achilles is forced to give up Bresis to Agamemnon he becomes infuriated. Achilles is helping fight this war to help the Achaians, he is doing most of the work and he is dumbfounded at Agamemnon’s lack of respect. Achilles says, “And now my prize you threaten in person to strip from me, for whom I labored much, the gift of the sons of the Achaians…” (Iliad.1.161-164) He is so mad that he refuses to fight in order to keep what he has left of his pride. Days go by and the Achaians are getting destroyed by the Trojans. Since he refuses to fight Patroklos gets permission from Achilles to take his place in battle; he wears Achilles’ armor as a disguise. Hektor ends up killing who he thought at the time was Achilles but he really took the life of Patroklos. If Achilles hadn’t cared so much about keeping his pride he would not have been so foolish as to let his best friend go out to fight Hektor for him. Hektor’s pride leads to his own personal downfall. In the battle with Achilles it was obvious to everyone, except Hektor, that Achilles would win. Hektor was blinded by his pride, his peers tried to warn him and offer their advice but Hektor would not listen. He let his pride and ego get the better of him; he decided to fight. It wasn’t until he saw Achilles approaching that he realized his mistake. He began thinking about how people may remember him. He thinks they may say, "Hektor believed in his own strength and
Agamemnon’s pride led to many innocent Achaians fatalities. As king he’d taken the daughter of priest Chryses and was holding her captive. When the priest came pleading to the leader to give him his daughter back Agamemnon refused. He wasn’t going to ruin his pride by giving the girl back. After he refused the priest was still desperate to get his daughter …show more content…
When Achilles is forced to give up Bresis to Agamemnon he becomes infuriated. Achilles is helping fight this war to help the Achaians, he is doing most of the work and he is dumbfounded at Agamemnon’s lack of respect. Achilles says, “And now my prize you threaten in person to strip from me, for whom I labored much, the gift of the sons of the Achaians…” (Iliad.1.161-164) He is so mad that he refuses to fight in order to keep what he has left of his pride. Days go by and the Achaians are getting destroyed by the Trojans. Since he refuses to fight Patroklos gets permission from Achilles to take his place in battle; he wears Achilles’ armor as a disguise. Hektor ends up killing who he thought at the time was Achilles but he really took the life of Patroklos. If Achilles hadn’t cared so much about keeping his pride he would not have been so foolish as to let his best friend go out to fight Hektor for him. Hektor’s pride leads to his own personal downfall. In the battle with Achilles it was obvious to everyone, except Hektor, that Achilles would win. Hektor was blinded by his pride, his peers tried to warn him and offer their advice but Hektor would not listen. He let his pride and ego get the better of him; he decided to fight. It wasn’t until he saw Achilles approaching that he realized his mistake. He began thinking about how people may remember him. He thinks they may say, "Hektor believed in his own strength and