Greek and Jewish society have been the basis for the development of modern Western civilization. Although certain aspects of each society were similar (ex. The quest for intellectual development), the diverging foci of both societies, the Judaic emphasis on spiritual needs/cleansing versus the Hellenic prioritization of physical desires (ex. Revenge), affected not only societal and religious practices, but also the interpretation of heroism in each culture (spirit versus flesh). Generally, Greek heroes are identified as exhibiting or acquiring aretē (excellence/virtue), timē (honor), geras (prize), and kleos (glory/fame), which are gained through extensive participation and victory in large-scale combat. Contrastingly, biblical heroes typically
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The didactic teachings of the Book of Job exemplify the elements of Judaic heroism, as through personal suffering and testing by the Satan and the Lord, Job refused to denounce his faith. In terms of modern literature, Job (the protagonist) struggled internally and externally due to the tests of the Satan/ “accuser” (the antagonist) to serve the Lord (sacrifice for the greater good). In the commencement of Job’s test, Job lost his home, his livestock, his servants, and his children. Despite this, Job stated, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21). In Job’s second trial, he was struck by painful illness, and instead of cursing God like his wife suggested, he replied, “[we] accept good things from God; should we not accept evil?” (Job 2:10), further exemplifying that faith in God should not be out of self-interest. Throughout his suffering, Job did not sin against God and did not fall under the temptations of the accuser in questioning Job’s undying faith in God. Eventually, Job began to question God, due to his lack of understanding that humans are not at the center of God’s universe, while still maintaining his faith. Yet, in …show more content…
Traditional practices that immortalized, in this case, to create and preserve a heroic image after the death of a character, consisted of honorable participation in society through victory in battle (aristeia), collection of “prizes”, and honorable treatment of the enemy. In addition to the actions of a character, Greek (epic) heroes are also characterized by immortal origins, support from the gods, and personal flaws. A human-structured configuration of heroism necessarily incorporates the human nature of imperfection. An honorable war hero, Achilles refused to accept Agamemnon’s disrespect in dishonoring him by robbing Achilles’ “prize” (wife). For this reason, Achilles refused to fight more battles where it concerned the possible benefit of Agamemnon, an act that displayed both honor and hubris (fatal flaw), when this same honor prevented him from diminishing/ceasing the death of his helpless warmates in Book 9 of the Iliad (the Embassy Scene). Eventually, due to Patroclus’ death, Achilles’ best friend, Achilles refused to let Patroclus’ death go unavenged, once again attempting to restore honor. Like a true Greek hero, Achilles, despite knowing that he was fated to die if he went to war, prepared for combat, “… not even I will voyage home again. Never. No embrace… from
The didactic teachings of the Book of Job exemplify the elements of Judaic heroism, as through personal suffering and testing by the Satan and the Lord, Job refused to denounce his faith. In terms of modern literature, Job (the protagonist) struggled internally and externally due to the tests of the Satan/ “accuser” (the antagonist) to serve the Lord (sacrifice for the greater good). In the commencement of Job’s test, Job lost his home, his livestock, his servants, and his children. Despite this, Job stated, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21). In Job’s second trial, he was struck by painful illness, and instead of cursing God like his wife suggested, he replied, “[we] accept good things from God; should we not accept evil?” (Job 2:10), further exemplifying that faith in God should not be out of self-interest. Throughout his suffering, Job did not sin against God and did not fall under the temptations of the accuser in questioning Job’s undying faith in God. Eventually, Job began to question God, due to his lack of understanding that humans are not at the center of God’s universe, while still maintaining his faith. Yet, in …show more content…
Traditional practices that immortalized, in this case, to create and preserve a heroic image after the death of a character, consisted of honorable participation in society through victory in battle (aristeia), collection of “prizes”, and honorable treatment of the enemy. In addition to the actions of a character, Greek (epic) heroes are also characterized by immortal origins, support from the gods, and personal flaws. A human-structured configuration of heroism necessarily incorporates the human nature of imperfection. An honorable war hero, Achilles refused to accept Agamemnon’s disrespect in dishonoring him by robbing Achilles’ “prize” (wife). For this reason, Achilles refused to fight more battles where it concerned the possible benefit of Agamemnon, an act that displayed both honor and hubris (fatal flaw), when this same honor prevented him from diminishing/ceasing the death of his helpless warmates in Book 9 of the Iliad (the Embassy Scene). Eventually, due to Patroclus’ death, Achilles’ best friend, Achilles refused to let Patroclus’ death go unavenged, once again attempting to restore honor. Like a true Greek hero, Achilles, despite knowing that he was fated to die if he went to war, prepared for combat, “… not even I will voyage home again. Never. No embrace… from