Characteristics Of Agamemnon In The Iliad

The ancient Greek civilization, including those from current Greece and surrounding areas, had a singular perception of what an “ideal” man was and what characteristics this man should have to be considered one. The ancient Greeks venerated those with more intellectual and noble attributes, with qualities such as bravery, responsibility, and esteem. Homer’s the Iliad encompasses these traits and portrays them through various characters, scenarios, and comments made in the epic. Based on these ideals, one can come to the decision that Hector, the Trojan hero in the Iliad, is a better man that the Achaean king Agamemnon. By observing the epic, the Iliad, a main character presented throughout is the king Agamemnon. As king, it was only natural that Agamemnon was well respected by his men and soldiers; however, by further observation, it seems as though he is only respected as the head of the Achaean army, rather than respected solely as

There are men who take responsibility for their actions and men who blame others for their mistakes. Agamemnon was seen to be the latter of the two. He was never one to take full responsibility for his actions or the effects that occur due to them. This is proven during a quarrel with Achilles when Achilles returns to battle and states that he will forget his anger, Agamemnon replies, “but I am not to blame! / Zeus and Fate and the Fury stalking through the night, / they are the ones who drove that savage madness in my heart…” (19.100-103). He avoids admitting his wrongful doing and blames the gods for their interference on his choices. Hector, on the other hand, takes responsibility for his actions without hesitation. When he states, “Now my army’s ruined, thanks to my own reckless pride” (22.124), readers can see that Hector does not place blame on anyone or anything other than himself. He faces the fact that he did something wrong and takes the blame for