Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid - Essay Example

Heroism and Glory in The Illiad and The Aenid The Illiad and The Aenid are epic poems that each have significance for the culture for which they were written. Both poems have connections to Troy, but The Illiad is written for the Ancient Greek culture and The Aenid is written for the culture of Ancient Rome. Two common elements in the epic poems are heroism and glory. These two elements were vital characteristics of the literature of the respective cultures. In examining the epic poems The Illiad and The Aenid, examples of the way in which heroism and glory were exalted elements within the cultural beliefs of Rome and Greece can be observed.

Heroism can be defined by actions that require bravery, nobility, and often sacrifice. Heroism is exemplified by the character of Achilles in The Illiad. Achilles is a great warrior who also reveals deep emotional complexities for the events that take place in the story. Foley defines the Greek hero as being unseasonable, either negatively or positively extreme and antagonistic towards the god who has the most similar characteristic to the hero (87). Achilles follows all three of these categories, including the last in his antagonism towards the god Apollo, with whom he shares not only character attributes, but similarities in physical appearance (Foley 88).

The role of heroism, however, played an important part in culture for both the Greeks and the Romans as it represented the beginnings of the notion of salvation. The stories of Greek and Roman gods portrayed some of the worst characteristics in humanity, but often it was the hero who redeemed the nature of man kind by his actions (Progress 343). Glory can be defined by exaltation of its subject matter. In the case of The Aenid, the glory of Rome is justified through the exalted nature of the emotional context of the actions within the poem.

The intent was to glorify the community of Rome, thus bring unity. This kind of positive connotation upon a group through the actions of a hero was an aspect of Greek epic poetry that was passed to the Roman aesthetics in literature (Duckett 15). In The Illiad, Homer writes “Everywhere along the parapet/one Aias and the other, acting marshalls/ roamed and cheered the Akhains on” (Homer and Fitzgerald Book 13, Lines 295-297). This provides a discourse on the public need for glory and the importance that it held for pride in one’s community.

More than just the warriors were participating, thus glory belonged to all who were represented by the victors and by those who acted heroically. The opposite of glory can be seen in the way that Hector is described, his defeat by Achilles stripping him of honor. Virgil writes “And black with bloody dust/His puffed out feet cut by the rawhide thongs./Ah god, the look of him!” (Virgil and Fitzgerald Book 2, Lines 26-28). Hector was a hero, yet in losing to Achilles, all dignity of his personage no longer existed.

Thus, the sense of loss and victory are specifically addressed in regard to heroism and glory. Glory belongs to those who survive, while heroism is defined by both action, and in the circumstance of Hector, through fate. Had Hector killed Achilles as he had thought, he would have held glory, but fate took that away from him, instead dying at the hand of Achilles in revenge. Heroism is a state of grace to the Greeks and Romans as they explored their human nature through the pettiness of the gods.

Glory was the celebration of that state through community, all who were represented by the heroism and the victories sharing in the exaltation that came from deeds that were accomplished through the actions of heroes. Even in exploring heroism, the human frailties and flaws were examined honestly. Works Cited Duckett, Eleanor S. Hellenistic Influence on the Aeneid. Northampton, Mass: Smith College, 1920. Print. Foley, John M. A Companion to Ancient Epic. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2005. Print.

Homer, and Robert Fitzgerald. The Iliad. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. Print. Progress. Chicago: The University Association, 1800. Print. Virgil and Robert Fitzgerald. The Aenid. New York: Random House, 1983. Print.