Greek Heroes

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Recommended: Greek concept of a hero

Emily Medeiros Humanities 101 Section #4169 September 10 2014

Though we don’t share the same Heroes with the Romans and Greeks, and despite the concept of Heroism evolving and changing through time, most of the qualities that defined their heroes and how they were celebrated, are really not all that different from today. While the Greeks mainly celebrated and spoke of their mythical heroes, the Romans tended to reserve that title for real life individuals such as generals, emperors, and soldiers. A great example of the Romans paying honor to one of their heroes is the Equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius (LM pg. 81) This gorgeously detailed sculpture shows one of ‘The Last Good Emperors’, as he was known, atop his horse, addressing perhaps his soldiers or citizens. The sculpture was created in celebration of the return of Marcus Aurelius, and in recognition and commemoration of all his good deeds, bravery and achievements while ruling over Rome. The piece makes Marcus Aurelius seem as if he is larger than life and his pose gives off a sense of confidence, power and control, showing just how much he meant and was thought of by his people. Though this wasn’t a memorial piece, it is …show more content…

2.12 pg. 47 in Discovering the Humanities), On it we can see the valiant display Arête between two warriors. The poet Homer talks about arête as being one of the most important values in Greek culture, the term was used often when describing Greek heroes, highlighting their goals and dedication at being the best that they could be, and striving to reach their highest possible potential. We can even see the concept of arête demonstrated by our very own military heroes today, as we are all very familiar with the slogan “Be all that you can be” that is commonly used on US Army posters, merchandise and recruiting

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