An Antique Way of Thinking - Essay Example

It is necessary to notice, that the basis of epic friendship is not feelings, but actions, the display of mutual support. Friends in Homeric works - Patroclus and Achilles, Glaucus and Sarpedon - are connected, first of all, by mutual military obligations. They battle side by side, live in one tent, share a table and a bed. In order to encourage the friend and to lift his morale, Sarpedon uses some arguments. First of all, he appeals to the feeling of social duty. The matter is that belonging to aristocracy imposes some personal obligations.

Fruits of heroic honor - the glory - in antique society has not only spiritual but also material value. It is an honor of possession of certain wealth; it is an honor and respect connected with high social status. Being kings gives them a lot of privileges, they 'both in honor, first by far with pride of place, choice meats, and brimming cups, in Lycia where all their people look on them like gods', they are 'lords of estates along the Xanthus's banks rich in vineyards and plowland rolling wheat'.

Hence, to justify the credit rendered by people and really to be worth all honors and privileges, they should fight bravely and declare themselves as real heroes: So that now the duty's ours- we are the ones to head our Lycian front, brace and fling ourselves in the blaze of war, so a comrade strapped in combat gear me say: "Not without fame, the men who rule in Lycia, these kings of ours who eat fatty cuts of lamb and drink sweet wine, the finest stock we have.

But they owe it all to their own fighting strength- our great men of war, they lead our way in battle!" We may compare the attitude of Sarpedon to the attitude of other great heroes of the Illiad. One of the bravest fighters of the epos, hector, for sure may be called the ideal hero of Homer. He also has an extremely developed sense of social obligation and even knowing that people are already doomed keep on fighting.

But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy And the Trojan women trailing their long robes If I would shrink from battle now, a coward. The other argument of Sarpedon is connected with the people's believes that one way or another, the destiny of a human being, its mortal lot, is always predetermined, and nobody is able to avoid it. Homer's Hector on the book VI states that not a single mortal person can avoid fate.

It seems like, such a belief should evoke the feeling of absolute hopelessness, but it does not. In such a mortal fatality Homeric heroes unexpectedly find a stimulus to the realization of their pride aspirations. It is rather a paradoxical state of spirit, which however reflects the paradox of human life in general, so short in the physical sense, but immortal in the sense of the development of humankind and a celebration of its spirit. That is why on trying to give his countenance to Glaucus Sarpedon says: Ah my friend, if you and I could escape this fray and live forever, never a trace of age, immortal, I would never fight on the front lines again or command you to the field where men win fame.

But now, as it is, the fates of death await us, thousands poised to strike, and not a man alive can flee them or escape- so in we go for attack! Give our enemies glory or win it for ourselves! Let us compare Sarpedon's attitude to fate with the attitude of gods. It is remarkable that even Gods believe in the predestination of human life and do not interfere in the fate of heroes.

Zeus, who was the father of Sarpedon, wished to save his son from death. But Hera persuaded him not to break the existed order, not to interfere in Sarpedon's fate and recalled to his sense of duty: Do, as you please Zeus But none of the deathless gods will ever praise you. And I tell you this - take it to heart, I urge you - If you send Sarpedon home, living still, beware!

Then surely some other god will want to sweep His own son clear of the heavy fighting too So we may conclude that the speech of Sarpedon presents us the viewpoints of ancient people. According to Sarpedon's attitude, we may understand, who was a hero of ancient times and what did he believe in. The main feature of any Homeric hero is heroic behavior based on a sense of social obligation and fatalistic understanding of predetermination of a human's life and death.