Essay on Hector as the Ideal Homeric Man of Homers Iliad

Hector as the Ideal Homeric Man of Homers Iliad Homers Iliad enthralls readers with its’ valiant heroes who fight for the glory of Greece. The Iliad, however, is not just a story of war; it is also a story of individuals. Through the characters words and actions, Homer paints portraits of petulant Achilles and vain Agamemnon, doomed Paris and Helen, loyal Patroclus, tragic Priam, versatile Odysseus, and the whole cast of Gods. Ironically, the most complete character in the epic is Hector, enemy hero, and Prince of Troy. Hector is in many ways the ideal Homeric man: he is a man of compassion and piety, a man of integrity and bravery, a man who loves his family, and above all, a man who understands and fulfills his social†¦show more content†¦Had Agamemnon demonstrated the same sort of compassion towards the supplicant Chryses, the Greeks would have been spared the wrath of Apollo. Hectors compassion and his respect for the gods, engenders the trust and respect of his people, and makes him an ideal leader. Hector continues on to the palace, where he is embraced by his mother Hecuba, who offers him wine with which to refresh himself and to honor the Gods. Hector politely answers, Mother, not now-Id lose my nerve for war. And Id be ashamed to pour a glistening cup to Zeus with unwashed hands. Im splattered with blood and filth-how could I pray to the lord of storm and lightning? (VI, 179-183). He then recommends that his mother go with offerings to Athenas shrine to make sacrifices for the success of the Trojans. Hectors respectful address to his mother, his humility before the Gods and his understanding of the appropriate forms of supplication, stand in sharp contrast to Achilles earlier whining and self-serving demands made to Thetis. Once again, in the matter of piety as well as compassion, Hector is the superior man. Nowhere in the Iliad is Hectors superiority more obvious than when he is contrasted with his brother Paris, the man who bears the sole responsibility for the chaos and terror that engulfs Troy. Hector finds Paris polishing (and) fondling his splendid battle-gear, his shield and breastplate, turning over and over his long curved bow (VI, 243-245).Show MoreRelatedThe New Hero of Aeneas Essay2008 Words   |  9 Pagescontinue. The objective of this essay is to clean the bifocals of those whom I presumed after reading the Aeneid as a botched-up replica of the Iliad and the Odyssey conclude that it is indeed so and go about perpetuating such calumny. Hence, to answer the obvious, if we strip Vergilius of his diction and metre, we leave him a new type of hero. Well, actually he leaves us a new type of hero, a hero that is foreign to the golden age of Homer. He presents a new ideal of heroism and shows us in whatRead More The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad1951 Words   |  8 PagesThe Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad The Iliad presents a full range of valorous warriors: the Achaians Diomedes, Odysseus, and the Aiantes; the Trojans Sarpedon, Aeneas, and Glaukos. These and many others are Homer’s models of virtue in arms. Excelling all of them, however, are the epic’s two central characters, Achilleus, the son of Peleus and, Hector, the son of Priam. In these two, one finds the physical strength, intense determination, and strenuous drive that give them first place