The hallmarks of our heroes are acts of courage and valor, along with nobility of purpose; even sacrificing their own fleeting life by supporting the lives of brothers in arms or ideals greater than themselves. In the Iliad, the heroic code administers the underlying conflict between the Achaeans and the Trojans, both acknowledging the presence of their unwritten code. For the ancient Greeks, a hero had only one task to accomplish: live with honor and depart with glory. How this was achieved varies from hero to hero. Yet honor and glory were held in the highest esteem. For Homer's heroes, a life without honor meant a meaningless existence. The heroic code displayed by Homer is easily identifiable, as it is at the heart of warfare. In fact, the Trojan War was precisely the result of Paris' sin of adultery with Helen, wife of a foreign king. Yet despite the presence of the code, the hero's group drastically differs perceptions of how religiously he should be revered or what it means to be a "hero." Evident in Achilles and Hector, greater heroes than the stories they live in, present an interesting contrast in how these men live by the code. Hector, champion of Troy, demonstrates a more human, or humble, idea of heroism. Hector does not fight for glory for the sake of having it, but seeks it as a means to prolong his own life and that of his neighbors. In contrast, Achilles is motivated primarily by his own desire and status. Diverging from Hector, Achilles plunderes only to glorify himself, even at the expense of those close to him until the end. Hector, from the beginning of this epic, is shown as an archetype of heroes. While Hector is killed by Achilles, Hector is, in... middle of paper... nor quells his guilt. War is the great crucible of heroes: such darkness forces men to question their ideals, their identity, their hearts, forcing participants to draw on unknown reserves of energy. It is interesting then to see how Hector and Achilles grow, diverge, converge, and ultimately change as the Iliad unfolds. At first, Hector is the human warrior who shows restraint, yet by the end the war has left him little more than a brute. Achilles, once full of vanity, who would have gladly abandoned his friends; however, at the conclusion, Achilles unleashes his rage on the Trojan army, destroying anyone who opposes it. War, therefore, can make a man stronger, like Achilles, or even break him down, like Hector. Basically, war, crime, murder and other horror shows were men who truly support and are willing to defend in the face of death..
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