Patroclus

The Shield of Heracles shows heroic values in a different, less developed and complex way than epic poetry does. The poem is a very short, almost 500 line description of Heracles traveling to Thessaly and challenging, fighting, and killing Cycnus, son of Ares along the way. This enrages Ares, who then attempts to fight Heracles but is wounded and then carried back to Olympus, writhing in pain, by two of his other sons. Due to this poems limited length, Hesiod had little time to provide narrative…

The contemporary reaction to Seamus Heaney’s translation of, and indeed all translations of, Beowulf reveals a fundamental shift in the understanding of what makes a hero, let alone an epic hero. Gone are the days of extolled honor, glory, and superhuman feats without acknowledged, human, flaws. Now an individual’s ability to accomplish such feats in conjunction with, and in spite of, their human imperfection is idealized as heroic. This modern view is in stark contrast to that of the ancient…

“Leaving his friends in haste, Akhilleus [Achilles] wept, / and sat apart by the grey wave, scanning the endless sea. / Often he spread his hands in prayer to his mother:” When the readers first meet Achilles, he is in the midst of a situation which called for someone to step up and be a leader, or act like a hero. The situation does not turn out the way Achilles would have liked, and he responds in a less than heroic manner, weeping and essentially calling his mother. This was the first…

A hero is someone who did ordinary thing in an extraordinary way. through thousands of years of reading about heroes in Greek mythology. Seeing rights activist give their life for their cause. Heroes have helped and inspired people to do unbelievable things. Heroes are usually selfless and show humility through their entire life. Some heroes do not show humility till an eye opening experience, or even death . Humility is what separates a hero from a regular person. Ancient heroes, or epics had…

In Homer’s Iliad, Achilles’s rage is a major element of the plot, as he withdraws from battle based on spite, essentially, when the Achaeans desperately need his help. Agamemnon therefore sends an embassy consisting of Ajax, Phoenix, and Odysseus to convince him to return. Odysseus in particular is often described by Homer as a “tactician,” one who is generally calm and logical; his speech somewhat reflects these aspects of his personality in that he skillfully uses rhetorical strategies such as…

Introduction to the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Aeneid It is suggested that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed as an oral composition perhaps in the late eighth century BC (Kirk 1) whereas the Aeneid, a literary composition, was perhaps composed in the last half of the first century BC (Quinn 2). Despite the many centuries between them, the epics are built around the story of the Trojan War fought around 1200 BC. The Iliad focuses on a short period in the penultimate year of the war whereas…

Aristotle once said, "The roots of education are bitter but the fruit is sweet." Now it is thought that education should be made easy and comfortable, but that 's not how Aristotle seems to understand the concept, and it is a fair assumption that Socrates didn 't feel this way either. In his allegory of the cave when the prisoner is dragged out by his hair, is he greeted by a nice comfortable learning experience? No, he is blinded by the light and has to wait for his eyes to adjust, because…

1) “ . . . Men of Athens . . . I’ll obey the god rather than you and as long as I draw breath and am able, I won’t give up practicing philosophy. . . “ a. This quote is said by Socrates in the text “The Trials of Socrates” the apology section written by Plato. In this text, Socrates is a philosopher who often challenges and questions things that were traditionally understood and accepted at the time. Socrates is accused of many things such as corrupting the young, and not believing in the gods…

Homer’s Iliad is a portrayal of a momentous battle fought by magnificent warriors. This battle has raged for nine years, this story taking place in its tenth. The fighters are fearless warriors, each with some legend of their own. Many are renowned on both sides of the war: Achilles, the “swift running” warrior of the Greeks, or Achaeans, and Hector the “last defence” of the Trojans. the Iliad focuses on the trials and tribulations of these, and other, warriors. Though they are certainly…

The Trojans are aroused and upset with they see Hector and ten days later, Hector is at peace.  Commentary: This is where the ultimate battle between Achilles and Hector shall finally end. Hector’s family can finally grieve as Achilles did with Patroclus. I’m glad Achilles surrendered over the body and I’m glad he came to the realization that what he was doing was wrong. Achilles has completed his biggest task and done so with success. I guess one could say that the story ended peacefully, but…