The Myths of the Heroine – Achilles, Hector and Odysseus

We all know heroes. They are the epitome of strength and bravery. Sometimes they are depicted as mere figures on a canvas while at other times they are written about in great detail. Whether you are looking for action, adventure, tragedy, romance or comedy, heroes exist everywhere. One thing we do know for sure is that no matter where a person comes from, there is always a superhero within that person’s heart.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes but the exact definition, character, and face of a particular hero must be shown through the various colors of light. Those that live in the south America often have hero types that are mythological such as the snake in the grass. Often these are characters that are cast in films and comic books as the bad guys. The heroes of south America are much more than just killers and bad guys because their qualities are ideals that everyone can understand and respect. The most prominent of these are school teachers that mold the young minds of individuals into individuals that have courage to overcome hardship and the strength to continue on.

The classical heroes of classical literature are of course Achilles, Pele, Hector, and Achilles dead. In ancient Greece, there was the heroes Heracles, Odysseus, Paris, Alexander, Aeneas, and Plato. These individuals exemplified the classical ideal of virtue by standing up for what is right. They did not waver on their humanitarian ideals even when it was not politically expedient.

Not only did these classical heroes overcome adversity but they excelled in every area of life. They labored hard, practiced often, and thought deeply. They did not allow petty problems to bring them down. They never lost faith in themselves and their fellow man and they did not let trivial events distract them from their ultimate mission which was to participate in the greatest experiment in Greek literature. They stood firm and refused to waver no matter what the circumstances were.

The Greeks did not believe in heroes. They did not see any real distinction between heroes and non-heroes because all humans are equal. All were to become great heroes and if one chose not to then they had failed. This does not mean that there is no difference between Greek heroes and those from other cultures as different people draw from different wells of inspiration.

Homer puts Odysseus in the center of the story as the Greek hero, while Alexander is put on a pedestal as the Greek prince and conqueror of the world. The subplots within the work are interesting and relevant to current political issues. There were enemies within the kingdom to defeat and defeats at sea to survive. The characters in the fairy tales that surround Achilles and his Trojan War are far more complex than we would like to admit.