Achilles and Hercules - True Heros

The subject of mythology deals a lot with the notion of battle, or good versus evil. In this struggle many individuals are singled out for either the evil they cause, or from the good they bring to people. When you mention heroes in mythology, there are two distinct names that a majority of people bring up, Achilles and Hercules. Each of these heroes has at least one thing that separates them from regular men, something that is special about them. For Achilles it is his invulnerability and his incredible courage that make him a great Greek hero. For Hercules it is his god-like strength, and his luck of being the son of the king of the gods. Each of these Greek heroes was destined to be great at a very early age. Just after Achilles was born he was dipped in the River Styx by his mother which made him invincible. In the case of Hercules, his heroic effort was shown when he was less than one year old when he saved himself and his brother from two deadly serpents. Both of these warriors fought great battles and suffered tremendous hardships, yet neither of them were perfect, they both had their faults. In the case of Achilles during the Trojan War, in the middle of battle his favorite slave girl was taken away from him and instead of continuing to battle, he stayed in his tent and sulked until his close friend, Patroclus, was killed. For Hercules, his temper was his weak spot. It could easily become deadly if he was told to do something that he did not want to do. One thing that both men possess is a great deal of courage. Neither of these great heroes would back down from a challenge or battle that would come before them, no matter how hard the battle may be both of these great men would die trying. Out of all the many stories told about mythology, the stories of these two great men will never be forgotten. Both of these men conquered hardships, and turmoil. They overcame all of these ailments to conquer their task and fulfill their goal, qualities which could