Hum I: Philos. Thought (HUM-101-OL010)
Written Assignment 2
18 May 2013

The Evolution of the Hero

Heroes are part of every culture’s mythology and the most famous and diverse is that of ancient Greece. In order for us to assess the development of the Heroic ideal in ancient Greek culture, we must be able to identify where the Hero’s identity comes from. The Heroic identity has been useful for thousands of years, serving as a perfect representation of a super-human, a human that is capable of dealing with problems that require unique skills and knowledge beyond that of a normal person. But where does it come from? The answer is simple. A Hero’s identity has its roots in the culture it lives in. That is to say, the Hero’s identity is a direct reflection and embodiment of the values and ideals of its society. The Hero is society’s way of reproducing its values and beliefs for the next generation. As a result, the characteristics that make up a Hero are as varied and different as the cultures that created them. When examining the evolution of Heroic ideals, one must be aware of the always changing cultural conditions and the necessity of the Hero’s criterion to fit an ever evolving society. If you look at Homer’s The Illiad, his portrayal of a Hero is someone who is famous, has great strength, kills many people and governs strongly. The Homeric Hero must obey all of society’s customs and religious rituals, and if threatened, was required to defend those ideals through combat. Homer’s Hero is portrayed as savaged, angry, and merciless, which may offend people by today’s modern standards. However, reader approval is not what is required, but knowledge of the motivations behind the Hero’s actions. Homer portrays a very individualistic Hero, a Hero responsible for his destiny and his personal honor is of utmost importance. Honor is essential and valued above life. If patriotic and personal honor come into conflict, personal honor will be upheld first. Another example of the evolution of the Heroic ideal can be found in Plato’s Apology, which is an account of the speech given by citizen-hero Socrates, as he defends himself against a jury of 500 fellow citizens. Socrates was charged with corrupting Athenian youth, disbelief in the deities of the city-state, and inventing new gods. At the time, Athens was recovering from its humiliating defeat in the Peloponnesian Wars and Athens was questioning whether democracy was an efficient form of government, to which Socrates appears to have been a critic of. Socrates was man willing to question the government and policies of his time, without fear of punishment. Socrates did not have great physical strength or military prowess, but he was brave and faithful to his philosophical standings. He was determined to defend his honor at all costs, even with the threat of execution. Socrates primary concern in life was arête ("heroic excellence"). When offered escape by Crito, a wealthy friend, Socrates refuses, saying "Then we ought not to retaliate or render evil for evil to any one, whatever evil we may have suffered from him” From the citizen-hero, comes the development of the Aristotelian tragic Hero. According to Aristotle in his Poetics, the tragic Hero is a character of noble status and greatness, but because of hamartia (“error in judgment”) and hubris (“excessive pride”), the Hero falls and is dealt great misfortune. The tragic Hero bares no responsibility for his character flaw, but is responsible for his actions. When the Hero falls, his tragedy evokes pity and fear, because the tragic Hero is one all citizens can identify with because the tragic Hero is neither all good, nor all evil. The Hero continues to evolve with the arrival of Stoicism, a Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium. Stoicism became the most influential school of philosophy in the Greco–Roman world, and Marcus Aurelius is sometimes considered the only philosopher-king to have lived. In the Stoic world view, the drama of the previous tragic Hero is repressed, and replaced with a Hero of benevolent disposition. Despite Marcus Aurelius’ lineage and power, he was a simple man who lived modestly and is a prime model for Socrates' benevolent monarch. As discussed, the elements of Heroism has developed and evolved over time according to the culture it represents, but there are certain tenants of Heroism that remain unchanged. Plato’s theory of forms postulates the existence of ideal forms which are templates that serve as the ultimate reference point towards everything we experience in the material world. Thus there is an ideal form for the concept of Heroism regardless of cultural surroundings. The ideal form of Heroism will always contain honor and determination, and according to Plato, the ideal Hero will always conform to societies rules. Therefore, the cultural values that have caused the Heroic ideal to evolve will also have the greatest impact on the Hero’s actions more than anything else.

REFERENCES

Homer, and D. B. Monro. Homer, Illiad. Oxford: Clarendon, 1893. Print.

Cahn, Steven M. Classics of Western Philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1977. Print.

Marcus, Aurelius, and Gregory Hays. Meditations. New York: Modern Library, 2002. Print.

Plato. "The Internet Classics Archive | Crito by Plato." The Internet Classics Archive | Crito by Plato. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. Web.