Ancient Greek Idelologist for Heroism

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Of the many conflicting philosophies, morality, when referring to one's sense of ethics, is the greatest and most intriguing disparity between the Ancient Greek ideologies of heroism and the contemporary views of today. By the standards of the Greeks, Achilles was a Hero. He was the embodiment of the individual, a man of unwavering principle, not only unwilling but incapable of allowing his values to become compromised. His credo and the actions determined though it, while certainly irreconcilable with present ethical standards, are strongly rooted in his own idea of justice. Jason, the archetype of the tragic hero, used Medea for personal gain, and then discarded her, but in so doing, avenged his family and freed a kingdom from a tyrant. Heracles, despite having killed his children and wives, rose above the confines of mortality through heroic deeds, and excruciating pain, both physical and emotional, to transform into an immortal god. The Ancient Greeks did not differentiate between the Hero and the Anti-Hero, judging them not by their methods but by their justness.

The rivalry between Achilles and Hector demonstrates foremost, examples of these concepts. However, it is necessary to take into account the driving forces behind the heroes before judging their actions. The warrior ethic, and the influences that society and religion had on it, direct these two heroes to their confrontation. Faced with the inevitability of their deaths, both come to the conclusion that they must define themselves through battle, choosing eternal kleos over a long, yet insignificant life. ¨There you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he...

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...ot be the greatest good.” (Plato 22)

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”
-The Sandlot

Works Cited

Parry, Richard. "Ancient Ethical Theory." Stanford University. Stanford University, 03 Aug. 2004.
Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Nagy, Gregory. The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours. New York: Belknap, 2013. Print.

Plato. "Apology." The Death of Socrates. Web. 23 April 2014.

Homer, and Richmond Lattimore. The Iliad. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1951. Print.

Gill, N. S. "The Iliad By Homer Critical Essays Themes in The Iliad." Themes in The Iliad. About.com,
13 Mar. 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York: Little, Brown, 1942. Print.

Nagey, Gregory. "Shades of the Hero." Harvard Extension School Distance Learning Education.
Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
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