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Heroes
Harmony Kim
B3
10/31/11
Epic hero is a brave and noble character, who achieved heroic effects in an event through ages,
in an epic poem. Epic heroes tell a reader about the values of the culture in their age. Heroes as
Achilles and Hector in Iliad from Book 22, tell the reader about their achievements, Greek
cultures, and cultural effects. Greeks admire Hector’s great leadership and his respects to gods.
They admire Achilles’ strength as an armor and leader, also they admired his great friendship.
Hector was a great leader as his wife mentioned death pride “[Hector] never kept his place amid
the chariots but drove ahead.” 540-542. He wanted to die with stroke and glory, and wanted to be
remained as a hero “I would not die without delivering a stroke but in some action memorable to
men in days to come.” 360-363. Also Hector held gods in reverence in name of the king of the
Troy as sacrificing for the mighty gods. As a result, Apollo stayed his side and helped Hector
because he was weak against Achilles and because it is less percentage that Hector will win the
battle.
Achilles, the king of the Greeks, remained as a strong and mighty king. He was arrogance when
he said to Apollo “Apollo saved Achilles’ enemies with ease and stole Achilles’ glory, having no
punishment to fear. Achilles would take it out of Apollo, if Achilles had the power.” 23-25.
When Hector killed Patroclus and take his armor, Achilles revenged his best friend’s death by
killing Hector “… slaughter you and eat you raw… dogs and birds will have you, every scrap.”
412-422. Also Achilles drags Hector’s dead body around the city, ‘… hector’s body outrage and
shame. … he pierced the tendons, heel to ankle…’ 467-477. Athena, the great goddess in Greece,
was in Achilles side while Apollo and Zeus were Hector’s side. But then Zeus turns to Greece
because Athena persuaded Zeus to help Achilles to win the battle.
Both Hector and Achilles remain as Greek heroes. Greeks valued Hector’s great leadership as a
leader of the army. Also they valued his respects to the gods, not only him, his family, and his
country too. Then Greeks valued Achilles’ strength as a armor and leader, his great friendship,
and his boldness acts to the gods.