Shield of Achilles

When reading The Odyssey, most think of the main character, Odysseus, as a true and epic hero on his adventures. In reality, Odysseus is not as much of a hero as his made out to be. His decisions are cowardly and unwise of him to make. The Greek gods do most of the work during his venture to Ithaca. Plus, Odysseus’ motives are almost entirely for his own self gain. The Odyssey is not a tale about heroism, but about a man who simply is trying to go back home. Odysseus is thought to be a wise man…

Achilles, one of the quintessential Greek heroes, embodies the moral dilemma of what constitutes as good. He is a highly celebrated man, but his exaltation could strictly be attributed to just his prowess at warfare. Throughout the Iliad, Homer has consistently stressed the veneration that just the mere presence of Achilles demands from those around him by giving him the major moments of the battle. Additionally, his strength is highlighted at a myriad of instances in the epic by comparing…

Overall, Achilles’ brutality was exceptional and even the gods took pity on Hector which demonstrates the severity of Achilles actions as the Greek gods were amoral and rarely showed sympathy towards mankind. This demonstrates the extent of Achilles’ fury and hatred towards Hector for killing Patroclus. Another important aspect of the Iliad is the involvement of gods in comparison to their almost total absence in Troy. In the Iliad, the gods have a massive influence on the course of war. This…

Odysseus has a multitude of traits for him to be qualified as a true hero. In the classic novel The Odyssey written by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the reader experiences Odysseus’s journey back to his home after the Trojan War. Odysseus experiences many obstacles and encounters many mythical creatures and Greek gods and goddesses who help and hinder his journey home. Odysseus is considered a hero because he exhibits many characteristic of the “Archetype of a Hero”. The main two…

sent a dream to Agamemnon convincing him that yielding war will result in victory, but that was just a trick. Zeus knew that if Agamemnon fought now, he’ll lose for sure and that is what Zeus hoped for, so he convinced Agamemnon to fight. Even when Achilles prayed to Zeus, Zeus wouldn’t save Patroclus, and he sat and watch Patroclus die. Zeus spared no mercy to the mortals even though his own son prayed to him. Each and every one of the gods used the death of a mortal hero in order to take a…

The facts of the case the Speculean Explorers is that there were five cave explorers which got trapped inside a cave due to a landslide and they had only scant provisions. Therefore, to stay alive they decided to play a dice game and whoever lose, will have to sacrifice himself. In The Case of the Speluncean Explorers, Justice Foster has put forward his argument in favour of the accused and has put forward his arguments on two independent grounds in support of his views that the law does not…

crew eats from the sacred cattle of the sun. He his spared as Zeus strikes down his crew in a righteous fury; however, Odysseus is cast adrift until he lands upon the isle of the Nymph Calypso, who refuses to let him go until Zeus takes pity on the weary king and orders his release. Odysseus tirelessly pursues his journey, yet he does not control his fate as he is not above immortal pettiness. It is only when he shows himself truly humble to the gods and to man that he is allowed to return home.…

The History of Peloponnesian War was written by Thucydides who is reportedly born around 460 BCE and suspected to have died somewhere between 411 and 400 BCE. Thucydides is a known was an Athenian and a General in the Athenian military when the Peloponnesian War began in 431 BCE. Thucydides led men into battle during the Peloponnesian War and in 430 BCE would contract the same plague that would ravaged the Athens during the war. Eventually, Thucydides would recover and was exiled by the Athen…

Heracles and the Twelve Labors Imagine that you're a happy married man and have children, then the next thing you know you are drenched in the blood of that wife and those children that you loved dearly. That’s what happened to Hercules, and the beginning of his heroic story. Heracles were known as the strongest man due to his father being Zeus and his incredible strength, he was also courageous and wanted to restore his honor for his wrong doings that he did not even do. Heracles were loved…

Hades was the Greek god of the underworld and the dead. He was one of the oldest and most powerful gods, being first born male of Cronus and Rhea. He was very complicated and would rarely ever show himself, but when he did it could be very interesting. Hades was the fourth child of Cronus and Rhea and was swallowed by his father, Cronus, as all the others before him had. This happened because it was prophesied Cronus would be overthrown by his children just as he did father, Uranus. This is…