Homeric Code Of Heroism: The Epic Of Gilgamesh

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Heroism
Whether a hero is fictional or not, they should possess the traits to be selfless. Since the beginning of time, everyone has an idea of what a hero is, and what heroism represents. Heroism means many things to people, but all ideas of heroism have common features of encouragement, strength, and inspiration. A hero gives people hope and puts the needs of others before their own. Heroism has been described at times, as someone who is willing take a risk despite the danger there may be. Ordinary people have been inspired to help others and put their own safety at risk. While others, such as firefighters and police officers do it on a daily basis.
The epic of Gilgamesh …show more content…

The hero’s duty was to fight. “He who saw the deep/everything”. ( ) “Against the king the small ones were thrown”.( )Through his heroic action on the battlefield, he gained glory and immortality.
The heroes in the lliad were both male and female. They had superhuman abilities and were descendants of the immortal gods. “warfare in the Iliad depends entirely on the strength and courage of the individual fighter.”( ) This epic and the stories within it set standards for heroism by revealing the deeds and actions of heroes such as Achilles and Thetis. “Let glory zeus of the wind blows go fourth with him.”( ) These standards were based on personal honor and courage.
The heroic code is also prevalent in Beowulf. This epic poem is dedicated to conveying and acknowledging the attributes of strength, courage, and honor. Over the course of the poem, the hero Beowulf, transforms from gallant warrior into a wise leader.
Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon hero, is not only strong and courageous, but unlike many other warriors is humble and honorable. He shows in the epic that a hero may need strength, but it is not enough if he does not have courage. “Each of us must abide accept the end of our life in this world and gain glory before death”.( …show more content…

He has learned that the responsibility of being a ruler is that all those lives depend on him and his decisions. He evolves as a brave warrior and fighter into a wise and noble leader.
A hero is a person that will do anything for another no matter what the cost. Many times, acts of heroism just occur without hesitation or thought. One of the stories that makes me think of heroism was on the news recently. A man had a seizure and fell onto the subway tracks, without hesitating another young man jumped on the tracks to save him. He was unable to get him to the platform, but was able to keep them both safe down between the tracks while the train passed over them. He said he didn’t feel like a hero or did anything spectacular, he just reacted.
Across cultures, heroism is deeply valued. It consists of actions that help others in need despite the possibility of personal consequences. At times, personal risk and sacrifice define a hero. At other times, a small act of kindness, generosity, compassion or even kind words make a

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