Thomas Homer-Dixon

Perseus and Heracles are both boys and they could be considered Greek heroes. Perseus and Heracles are half-brothers and Zeus if their father. Both of them are the protagonists in their stories. Perseus defeats Medusa and Heracles does 12 labors assigned to him by Eurystheus. Perseus and Heracles may both be considered Greek heroes, but they led completely different lives. Perseus and Heracles were very different people at times. One example of a difference between them is Perseus…

Epic Hero Essay The Iliad, a 15,693 line epic poem written by Homer in around 800 B.C., is one of the first of its kind. It covers the tenth and final year of the Trojan War, in which the Achaeans lay siege on the city of Troy. Specifically, it explains the conflicts between Achilles and Agamemnon, and how they affect the Achaeans’ defeat of the Trojans. In the Iliad, Hector and Achilles are both considered Epic Heroes, but I believe that Achilles has friends and enemies that are more powerful…

Homer’s The Odyssey details the journey of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who goes through many hardships. He solves dilemmas with his intelligence. Without his clever thinking, he would not have been able to reach family and his wealth ruined by the suitors. Intelligence has the power to resolve any problem if a goal is in mind. (lengthen intro). Many situations can be avoided and are dependent on intelligent decisions. Odysseus went through predicaments where death were avoided due to his quick…

life. The most important act of honor for the warrior was to die in battle. In short, the highest form of kleos is to be a warrior that accomplished great things and everyone lauds him after his death. In the Greek tragedy, the Iliad, attributed to Homer, the warrior Achilles is portrayed as the finest hero of the Athenian army and while it may be true that in the end he finally becomes that gallant solider,…

In the Iliad, arete is fulfilled through actions, specifically through battle. Hector had to make a choice when his wife, Andromache, asked him to stay and not go to battle. Andromache begs him to stay because she knows he will die and leave her a widow and his son an orphan. Hector replied, “…I’ve learned it all to well. To stand up bravely, always to fight in the front ranks of soldiers, winning my father great glory, glory for myself” (p. 210, 527-529). You can see Hector’s courage and…

Achilles and Gilgamesh are both demi-god who fought many battles. Being demi-gods made them far superior to ordinary men. Achilles was a hero of Trojan War who was consumed by fury which led to his short but glorious death. Gilgamesh was a brute King who later on became a hero who tried to find immortality but failed. The main similarity that I find between these two characters is that both lost a dear friend of each own. Achilles had a friend in the name of Patroclus who died on the battlefield…

Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and brother people, to fight one another. I do not feel happy for this victory of mine. On the contrary, I would be glad, brothers, if I had all of you standing here next to me, since we are united by the same language, the same blood and the same visions.” Alexander the Great once said said. Alexander the Great was a king of Macedonia and son of King Philip II and…

Thousands of years ago, Greek Mythology rose to the surface and enchanted the feeble minds of mortals. Stories of Gods among men swept throughout Ancient Greece, telling of Olympians atop Mount Olympus. Wildly far-fetched in today’s world, these stories gave meaning to the seemingly inexplicable questions and occurrences of life (“Greek”). The purpose myths served in Ancient Greece differs tremendously from todays. If they no longer fulfill the need for explanation, why are they still pertinent…

Honor and leadership lead to bravery. This is portrayed into two of the greatest myths ever “Perseus” and “Theseus”. Perseus is the great son of the Olympian Zeus and Danae, the daughter of the king of Argos. Perseus is famous for his slaying of the most ferocious monsters, known as Medusa, and Cetus, the sea monster of Poseidon. Theseus is the son of Aegeus, best known for helping the region of Athens and the Athenian power through politics. Having honor is a big leading to bravery. When you…

Gods for everything. The works of the Odyssey by Homer, Oedipus both show the Gods as not only helping individuals and societies but also as destroying and hating humans. Both novels shows heroes who try to outwit Gods after they send destruction upon them. In Oedipus, the Gods attack and berate one individual throughout the novel. However in the Odyssey, humans have nearly constant contact or guidance with the Gods and Goddesses. In the Odyssey, Homer makes the Gods function as helpers to…