Greek Mythical Warriors - Essay Example

Achilles was the son of Thetis and Peleus whereas Thetis was a goddess and Peleus was human. Achilles got his superpowers from his parents, which made him more powerful than any other warrior on the battlefield. According to Homer, Achilles was a warrior of the Achaeans who was proud, merciless, and furious. Achilles was driven by his pride and glory he would do anything in his power to make sure that his name was remembered. Achilles’ relationship with the gods was close. According to Homer, Agamemnon takes Chrysies, daughter of Chryses, who was the priest of Apollo. The Achaean commander Agamemnon threatens Chryses for pleading with him to return his daughter in exchange for a reward. Chryses returns to Apollo and begs him to be vengeful to Agamemnon. Apollo strikes back with a plague that killed men and animals on the land as a way of revenge
Achilles' relationship is also seen when he convinces Agamemnon to return Chryses daughter. Achilles is rewarded for returning Chrysalises daughter but Agamemnon decides to take away Achilles' prize Briseis which makes Achilles angered and want to kill the king (Lawall and Mack). Athena a god stops Achilles before he kills the king. Achilles' argument with Agamemnon provokes him not to fight for the Achaeans and sits back to watch his fellow warriors being attacked by Hector the Trojan warrior. The relationship between Achilles and his fellow warriors is reflected when he sits back while his fellow warriors were killed on the battlefield and his friend Patroclus is killed.

Question 2
Odyssey is a Greek warrior who was mighty, brave, intelligent, cautious, and courageous. According to Homer, Odyssey reveals his courageous trait when he escapes from Polyphemus by stabbing him with a pole. Odyssey being a courageous man was a good influence on his fellow warriors. According to the Greek culture leaders who possessed Odysseus traits were highly honored for their good leadership skills. Odyssey is also a cautious warrior in that he hesitates before taking any action that would endanger the lives of his fellow warriors. According to Homer, Odyssey in countless encounters he has saved the lives of his fellow warriors and also his family. When he disguises himself to look like a beggar was cautious action for him to save his wife from the suitors and waited for the right time to reveal him to the suitors. Odyssey was also cautious when he realized the intentions of the suitors to kill his son Telemachus (Lawall and Mack 77).
Odyssey has also overcome many temptations in the situation where he overcomes the temptation of the lotus plant. Odyssey and his fellow men after arriving at Cyclops Island were tempted to eat the leaves of the lotus plant. The plant affects their minds and makes the warriors forget their families and return journey home. Odyssey realizes the effect of the plant on the men he reverses the effect with apportion hence saving the life of his men. Odyssey also evades the temptation of Calypso when she tries to hold him captive his will to return home to his family is heard by the gods who come to his rescue.
Odyssey shows affinity to the Greek people, family, and his fellow warriors. His will to return home from Calypso Island to his wife and son shows he was loving and affectionate for his family. Odyssey also shows affinity to his fellow warriors by joining them in the war against their enemies. His courage, bravery, and war tactics can be related to present-day films such as Rambo where Sylvester Stallone is the hero.

Question 3
The ancient Greeks had a religious background where they believed in beliefs, rituals, and practices. According to Homer, the Greeks would make offerings to the gods to help them during the wars. In the epic story of Achilles, the Greeks offered sacrifices to the gods during the war with Trojan warriors. Greece had a ruling class Basileis were the rulers of Ancient Greece. These rulers had a variety of roles with the main one serving the people as kings and judges. In the epic story of Achilles, there is a hierarchy of leadership with the commander-in-chief being Agamemnon. Additionally, these leaders also had religious roles like blessing warriors before leaving for war (Lawall and Mack 300). Read More