...In the Ancient Greek epic poem The Iliad by Homer, warrior culture is based on gaining loot, glory, and respect. Loot is what the warriors receive after winning or killing someone in war, glory is gained by heroic deeds and actions done in combat, and respect is the guideline that the warriors have to follow in war, and when a honorable act is done, the warrior receives respect. Warriors in The Iliad have ambitions to obtain these three components in order to improve their reputations. Loot, glory, and respect are the currencies that the warriors strive to gain to enhance their prestige. Loot creates controversy when it is being divided amongst the soldiers after a raid because loot is not always spread fairly. Loot is basically money in this epic. For example, an army raids a enemy territory and whatever they find in it is loot. People argue over loot, like Agamemnon and Achilles, the best fighter in the kingdom. Achilles accuses Agamemnon of taking more of the loot for himself and giving a minimal amount to Achilles and the rest of the soldiers. Achilles is very distraught because he believes that especially...
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...a long but inglorious life. Ancient Greeks often believe that the Gods decide everyone’s destiny and fate. Achilles also had a predetermined fate, which is fighting and dying as warrior in the Trojan’s war. However, in reality, Achilles had faced a dilemma before he went on towards his destiny. At the very beginning, Achilles decided to join the Trojans war for the glory that every Greek man desired. However, in Book one of Iliad, Agamemnon, the son of Atreus who started the war, humiliated Achilles by taking his glories of war away. Since then the dilemma had been created. According to the Iliad, Achilles called his mother, “Since, my mother, you bore me to be a man with a short life, therefore Zeus of the loud thunder on Olympus should grant me honor at least. But now he has given me not even a little.”(IL. 1.352-354) It’s a universal fact that the Ancient Greeks took glory more seriously than life. Therefore, it is not surprising that Achilles called his mother to beg Zeus to bring glory to him. It is his desire for glory that brought him to Troy and led him to live a short life. But Agamemnon dishonored him and took away his glory. Achilles got no reasons to stay and fight if there would be no glory for him until Zeus helped the Trojans in order to grant Achilles the glory that he desired to earn. Since the situation became worse and worse for the Greeks, Agamemnon who was the leader of the whole army tried to ask Achilles back to fight for them. In Book Nine of Iliad, Achilles...
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...Demonstrate your understanding of Iliad books 1, 22 and 24 with specific examples and details by integrating quotes and explanation from each book and “lost stars” in examining beliefs in glory, honor, pride and personal excellence and how they apply to Greek life and your life. Although the heroes, Achilles, Agamemnon and Hector, are proud and have achieved glory, they did not earn it in an honorable way. The way the heroes react or deal with their problems is not exemplary, because they dealt with them in a selfish way. In book 1, 22, and 24 of the Iliad we can all see examples of the hero's actions, seeking glory, thinking they have honor, being full of pride and sometimes achieving personal excellence. Agamemnon doesn’t want to give Chryseis back to Troy because of his greed for a wife that is a trophy. The only way Agamemnon will give her back is if his trophy is replaced, with Briseis instead. Because of his rash, harsh and selfish actions, Achilles runs off and leaves the army and begs, his mother, Thetis for vengeance. Thetis on behalf of Achilles asks Zeus to avenge her son, thus Zeus tells Apollo to cast a plague on the Achaeans. Agamemnon gives in and returns Chryseis and gets Briseis. Achilles is throwing...
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...unnecessary problems. In the Ancient Greek epic The Iliad by the poet Homer, the actions of nearly all of the characters are influenced by their sense of pride. In the story, arrogance is the main reason behind all of the conflicts that take place, and throughout the entire epic, pride is depicted as a destructive force. Pride is the cause of the war, the source of sub-conflicts between the characters, and the motive behind the actions taken by Achilles throughout the story. The entire epic of The Iliad occurs in the middle of a ten-year conflict in the city of Troy between the Trojans and Achaeans. As is the case with most wars, the cause of the Trojan War is arguably quite pointless because it stems from nothing more than wounded egos. The clash of the egos begins when Paris “launches the war” (Homer 14. 33) when he offends Athena and Hera by choosing Aphrodite in a beauty contest between the goddesses. The two who lose the contest feel dishonored, and as a result they take the side of the Achaeans in the war, which causes the Trojans to have a huge disadvantage on the battlefield. Paris continues on his path to starting the war when he insults King Menelaus by charming his wife, Helen, and taking her back with him to Troy. Menelaus, who is offended by his wife running...
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...“someday may they say of him, as he returns from war ‘He’s a better man than his father”, and may he bear home the blood-stained armor of those he has slain, so his mother’s heart may rejoice.” The ending of Hectors prayer for his son in Homer’s the Iliad. The one thing that meant more to the Greeks than their own city-state is their honor. It is a common theme in Homer’s book, however, it is not the only reoccurring theme. When it comes to Greek life the Iliad is a good source for learning about the honor and duty felt by Greek citizens as well as the gender roles of men and women, and finally the outlooks and way Greeks viewed life. In the Iliad, it quickly became clear that war is something the Greeks celebrate and find immense glory in....
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...shows his readers the dialogue between Andromache and Hector, the true nature of love is revealed. In fact, Andromache speaks against Hector going out in the war, for the loss of him, to her, is not as great as him gaining honor and glory in the battle. To provide context, Hector is the only one left for Andromache in this world due to the bereavement Achilles has brought on her by killing her father, her brothers and leaving her mother to die by the arrows of Artemis herself. For Andromache, Hector is her mother, father, brother and her “blossoming” husband, and in this way Andromache would rather die before Hector does, so that she would not have to live in his absence caused her by his fall upon the battlefield as so many of her loved ones before him. In the Iliad, most characters display strictly the carnal aspect of love: for example Paris, after escaping from Menelaus with the help of Aphrodite, goes back to Helen and all that he wants from her is to go to bed with her. The love between Hector and Andromache is far deeper than any other seen in the poem by virtue of their child. In the meeting between Hector and his wife, Andromache accuses Hector of fighting only for glory and honor and that he “[has] no feelings left for [his] little boy or for [her],” [Lombardo, 124]; however, Hector is not fighting for glory or honor, rather he only wants to protect his home and his family. The dynamic...
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...Charles C Professor Nancy Blair Mythology-HUM 1015 28 July 2014 Compare the Values in The Iliad With the Values That People Hold Today: To What Extent Are Dignity, Pride, Honor, Glory, Fame, and Revenge Still Important? How does People Achieve Them Today? Throughout history we are shown war and the many countries and times it has taken place. War of course is filled with violence and we tend to see it as it is. Homer’s The Iliad we are given a look at the human dimension of war. The story has us reflect on the actual nature of war itself. With the use of force our understanding of virtues is formed, such as honor, dignity, and pride. Unfortunately, with these virtues vices are often developed, such as fame, glory, and revenge. In history these virtues were very important, however due to most seeking them the vices were a huge downfall for most. Some would go to great measures to uphold their honor, but excess of pride and dignity could cause one to seek out glory and fame. In the Iliad Achilles decision to not fight Agamemnon and withdrawal from the battle. He is close with the gods and has superhuman strength. As a modern reader however I would consider him to be less than heroic. His deep-seated flaws in character impede this great warrior. Even though he proves to be the mightiest man in the Achaean army these flaws hinder him from acting with nobility and integrity. As in modern times a person can allow their character to be affected by something like pride. Pride...
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...Mortality is the timeless equalizer of all living beings. Life ends sooner for some people than for others. Lifespans shorten in the world of The Iliad, where warfare is the norm. Glory is won through battle and honor comes from dying young. The most revered members of a society are those who display the highest level of battlefield aptitude. It is in this world that Prince Hector of Troy and the great Achilles rise to fame. These two men have much in common, regardless of their allegiances. Despite being the most fearsome warrior in their respective armies, both show kindness to the people they love. Both often find themselves at odds with their conscience and principles over the war. Further, they know their participation in the battle will...
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...outweigh the benefits. As The Iliad progresses, all the gods restrain from modifying any soldier’s fate. In summation, the disparity between Zeus experiencing grief and Achilles, is that Zeus does not undergo death, war, honor, and fate in the same manners Achilles does. Although the gods have similar emotions, Zeus will not experience any death or battle in any war in the book. Additionally Zeus is cognizant of the fate of everyone and everything, unlike Achilles. There is no necessity for honor as Zeus is the most powerful Olympian. After Sarpedon’s death, Zeus ceases experiencing grief and does not seethe like Achilles. Achilles’ moment of suffering occurs after Patroclus’ death and continues until the end of the story. Achilles reacts more intensely to grief than Zeus, because he allows his emotions to influence his decisions. He uses his free will to avenge the death of Patroclus. The mourning phase for Achilles’ is seduced by his fury to kill. We see in Book 19, “I have no taste for food-what I really crave is slaughter and blood and the choking groans of men” . Achilles reacts differently to grief than Zeus by seeking retribution. Unlike Zeus, who has no desire to pursue revenge, Achilles transforms his sorrowfulness into wrath. He ignores any thoughts of honor or fate. Achilles wants Hector dead, even knowing the consequence of his is death. Although the death of Patroclus prompts him to seek reconciliation with Agamemnon, it does not alleviate his rage, but instead redirects...
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...Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front was revolutionary in how it spoke not about the glory and honor of war, but instead the cruel, dark reality of it. World War I was very different than any other war that had come before it through the combination of the number of large, powerful countries fighting in it and new, innovative fighting techniques that came about. In this novel, Remarque wrote about reality; the complete destruction that comes with war and how nationalism was used to trick men, but the themes and ideas of this novel still stand true today and it should not be forgotten. World War I was completely different than any other war the world had seen so far, it was gruesome and violent; the majority of this novel follows...
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...people around them? Achilles, Agamemnon, Odysseus, and their companions believed in a heroic code of sorts that defined how one should act in order to prove their honor and glory. In the eyes of the ancient Greeks and Trojans, there were two things that defined a hero: the quest for glory and the duty to protect. In Achilles’ speech to his companions Achilles attempts to hold up his own honor while shying away from his duty to protect. This juxtaposition of heroic and anti-heroic behavior creates an internal conflict within Achilles that causes the reader to question how heroic Achilles truly is. By abandoning his duty, Achilles also raises questions about his loyalty to his brothers, companions, society, and his own King. Achilles’ speech raises the question whether certain parts of the heroic code can be ignored or to what extent the code among heroes is actually followed. Arguably the most important part of the heroic code is kleos. Kleos is glory, prizes, and fame earned through fighting in battle. Achilles deeply desires everlasting kleos, but at what cost? Achilles has two choices according to Thetis, he says, “Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting; but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly” (9. 411-416). He makes it clear that he is not willing to...
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...him to his ultimate quest for manhood. Henry, often referred to as ‘the youth’, enlists in war with the belief that he’ll achieve manhood through a valiant soldier’s life. The premise of his enlistment is his endeavour to attain self-worth and a heroic stature, a microcosm of the need for human beings to achieve recognition. The novel is spanned across two days of heated battle between the Confederate soldiers and the Union during the American Civil War (schmoop,2012). This essay will bring to light Michael Walzer’s opinions on the rules of war and moral decencies in battles in situ to Henry’s red badge of courage. Walzer, a political theorist, insists on the importance of ethics and need for conventions for the abolition of war rather than it’s toleration. As Henry is exposed to the realities of war, his conceptualization of manhood evolves from a naïve lust for glory to a noble and selfless rationale of life. This essay will identify the changes in Henry’s perception of manhood as a result of his experiences on and off the battlefield by analyzing his inner turmoil of self-doubt and insecurity. The heroism associated with military exultance intoxicates and thus misleads Henry into believing that war brings glamour and honor. This resonates with Walzer’s argument that “military honor is still the creed of the professional soldier” (Walzer, 1977). Henry’s decision to enlist in the war is spurred from his desire for a reputation and place in society, as opposed to the ‘farm boy...
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...Their lost soldiers simply cannot rise back up from the dead and fight (335). After praising the power of their country as essentially being infallible, they begin to lose and the pagans start conquering Russia. A strange thing for a story so heavy in the nationalist imagery is that “the princes forged discord against their own selves (352),” the brothers who signify the glory of Russia begin to fight with each other, though not with weapons it seems. The great country of Russia is basically tearing itself apart while the enemy is tearing them apart as well. Though riddled with failures, the mighty power of Russia is not easily stopped. The enemies who are below their mighty power are ruling their country, disgracing Russian glory and singing the glory of themselves. Revenge is taken upon the pagans, the Russian might smites “Konchak, the pagan slave (547),” “turbulent Roman, and Mstislav! (551-553).” The glory of the strong nation must be regained, though the soldiers are dead and “Igor's brave troops cannot be brought back to life (577-578).” The violence brought about by the conquests in hope of expanding the glory of Russia have in fact, caused the downfall of...
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...moral in war? Countless stories have been told about the honor, glory and courage about war. In present day, veterans are perceived as heroes, the defenders of our freedom. However, in the novel The Things That They Carried, Tim O’Brien says otherwise. The novel portrays the concept of moral ambiguity regarding war. Tim O’Brien’s concept of moral about going to war vary from the people. Most people would agree that going to a war would be courageous, rather than running away from it. However, that idea is totally the opposite for Tim O’Brien who doesn’t believe in the cause of the Vietnam war. “I was a coward. I went to the war.” Moreover, Tim O’Brien instead expressed his disappointment in himself for going to the war, saying “I survived, but it’s not a happy ending.” Sometimes, morality is defined by the eyes of the beholder....
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...Literature 1 20 September 2012 Treasure as a Symbol of Honor and Success Throughout the entire text of Beowulf, the accumulation and re-distribution of t reassure serves to have symbolism regarding acts of bravery, honor, success, and reward. Treasure is both gained through the brave battles that Beowulf fights against the three monsters he encounters, and his rewards reflect upon his success and honor in victory. Treasure is also redistributed throughout the text form king to warrior and vice-versa, symbolizing the acknowledgement of honor and reward from one generation to the next. Treasure is viewed in each of the battles as proof of victory and with this proof of success, the holder of such treasure proves that he is worthy and deserving of loyalty from and by brave warriors. After slaying Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, treasure is gained and passed along to the next generation, such as when Hrothgar gives gifts to Beowulf, who distributes it among his people, to show and symbolize the potential sacrifices made to gain the treasure, and thus the bravery, honor, success, and reward that the treasure surely represents throughout the text. After Beowulf slays the monster Grendel, King Hrothgar rewards and thanks Beowulf for his efforts by offering him several objects considered treasure. Among the multitude of objects that he presents to Beowulf: “He gave to Beowulf the blade of Healfdene/ a golden war-standard Roberts: 2 as a reward for victory” (Beowulf...
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