Ancient Greek Heroes Research Paper
Ancient Greek Heroes
In the article Ancient Heroes, from The Courier Mail on June 11, 2013 it was stated that “A hero was a man admired for his great strength and super-human abilities…The stories of these people have passed on through time, from present, to story, to history, to myth, to legend.” Heroes were very courageous and went through tough times; but if they are also said to be somebody who does something dangerous to save someone, then they don’t fit that definition. Greek heroes were actually quite selfish and conceited. They were not someone you would want your children to look up to as role models in this time. Though in that time you probably wanted to be just like them. There were many heroes that did very courageous things or did things and shouldn’t have lived. There was even a hero who believed he got through and finished all his quests because the gods had a …show more content…
soft spot for him!
Bellerophon {Buh-lair-uh-fahn} was his name. After he accidentally killed a man, he was sent to King Proetus so he could be assigned a task so he could make it up to his father, the king of Corinth. While Bellerophon was there, King Proetus’{proh-tee-us} wife saw the young prince and fell in love. Bellerophon did not feel the same way about her, she was furious and sent him to her father with a note saying to kill him, but to kill a guest? No way! So the king of Lycia sent him on a very difficult quest to kill the fire-breathing Chimaera, which had the body of a lion, tail of a serpent, and a head of a goat in the middle of its back, hoping he might just die while trying to kill it. Bellerophon got on the back of a Pegasus, which was a gift from the goddess Athena, with his bow and arrows and slayed the monster. After the king found that out, he sent Bellerophon on many different and equally as difficult quests, and he completed them all. In December of 2012, Charles Baker said in his article, On To Olympus, “Bellerophon began to consider himself equal to the gods. One day, he decided to visit Mount Olympus.” Bellerophon went to fly up to Mount Olympus on Pegasus, the gods were very furious and shot him down, making Bellerophon fall to the ground ending with him becoming blinded and crippled.
Another boastful hero was Hercules. Hercules was very strong, the strongest mortal and stronger than most gods. Hercules had a rough childhood, he was Zeus’ son and Hera was not happy at all that Zeus had a child with a different woman. In Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, from September 2013, it is said “A few months after his birth Hera set two serpents in his cradle, but the prodigious infant promptly strangled them.” Obviously, Hera was not happy when she found that he had survived the snakes. Later, when Hercules got older, it was easy to see him as a buffoon. His strength was extreme, but so was his taste for food, wine and many different women; his selective weapon was a giant club. He threatened many gods, which could’ve gotten him in much trouble, but he fought monsters and won. Making some places safer to live. Hercules is one of the most remembered and most popular heroes of ancient Greece times.
Likewise, there was Theseus {thee-see-uhs}.
Theseus had many quests, though in the article Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, from September 2013 it says “His (Theseus) most famous exploit was against the Minotaur of King Minos.” Theseus promised his father that on his return of slaying the monster he would change the ships sails from black to white. While on his quest, King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne {air-ee-ad-nee} fell in love with Theseus and gave him a magical ball of string that would help him get out of the Labyrinth once he was finished with his quest. It led Theseus to the monster, which he killed, and then left the Labyrinth and started his voyage home. On his way back he realized he forgot to change the sails. His father saw the black sails, and thinking his son was dead, he threw himself into the sea. Theseus lived for many more years and went on many more quests but returned to his kingdom and found it to be in rebellion. He regretfully sailed away and was murdered by King Lycomedes. Theseus is usually thought of only mythical, but some still remembered him as an early
king.
In closing, remember what Rick Riordan said in The Mark of Athena, “Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.” I’ve talked about three very different heroes who all had one thing in common. Yes, they were all brave to do the things they did, but they were all stuck-up in some way; Bellerophron was too proud, Hercules was very arrogant, and Theseus ditched Ariadne in Naxos to make sure he would be available when he returned home. All three of them wanted what was best for them and not what was best for others or their kingdom.
In the article Ancient Heroes, from The Courier Mail on June 11, 2013 it was stated that “A hero was a man admired for his great strength and super-human abilities…The stories of these people have passed on through time, from present, to story, to history, to myth, to legend.” Heroes were very courageous and went through tough times; but if they are also said to be somebody who does something dangerous to save someone, then they don’t fit that definition. Greek heroes were actually quite selfish and conceited. They were not someone you would want your children to look up to as role models in this time. Though in that time you probably wanted to be just like them. There were many heroes that did very courageous things or did things and shouldn’t have lived. There was even a hero who believed he got through and finished all his quests because the gods had a …show more content…
soft spot for him!
Bellerophon {Buh-lair-uh-fahn} was his name. After he accidentally killed a man, he was sent to King Proetus so he could be assigned a task so he could make it up to his father, the king of Corinth. While Bellerophon was there, King Proetus’{proh-tee-us} wife saw the young prince and fell in love. Bellerophon did not feel the same way about her, she was furious and sent him to her father with a note saying to kill him, but to kill a guest? No way! So the king of Lycia sent him on a very difficult quest to kill the fire-breathing Chimaera, which had the body of a lion, tail of a serpent, and a head of a goat in the middle of its back, hoping he might just die while trying to kill it. Bellerophon got on the back of a Pegasus, which was a gift from the goddess Athena, with his bow and arrows and slayed the monster. After the king found that out, he sent Bellerophon on many different and equally as difficult quests, and he completed them all. In December of 2012, Charles Baker said in his article, On To Olympus, “Bellerophon began to consider himself equal to the gods. One day, he decided to visit Mount Olympus.” Bellerophon went to fly up to Mount Olympus on Pegasus, the gods were very furious and shot him down, making Bellerophon fall to the ground ending with him becoming blinded and crippled.
Another boastful hero was Hercules. Hercules was very strong, the strongest mortal and stronger than most gods. Hercules had a rough childhood, he was Zeus’ son and Hera was not happy at all that Zeus had a child with a different woman. In Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, from September 2013, it is said “A few months after his birth Hera set two serpents in his cradle, but the prodigious infant promptly strangled them.” Obviously, Hera was not happy when she found that he had survived the snakes. Later, when Hercules got older, it was easy to see him as a buffoon. His strength was extreme, but so was his taste for food, wine and many different women; his selective weapon was a giant club. He threatened many gods, which could’ve gotten him in much trouble, but he fought monsters and won. Making some places safer to live. Hercules is one of the most remembered and most popular heroes of ancient Greece times.
Likewise, there was Theseus {thee-see-uhs}.
Theseus had many quests, though in the article Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, from September 2013 it says “His (Theseus) most famous exploit was against the Minotaur of King Minos.” Theseus promised his father that on his return of slaying the monster he would change the ships sails from black to white. While on his quest, King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne {air-ee-ad-nee} fell in love with Theseus and gave him a magical ball of string that would help him get out of the Labyrinth once he was finished with his quest. It led Theseus to the monster, which he killed, and then left the Labyrinth and started his voyage home. On his way back he realized he forgot to change the sails. His father saw the black sails, and thinking his son was dead, he threw himself into the sea. Theseus lived for many more years and went on many more quests but returned to his kingdom and found it to be in rebellion. He regretfully sailed away and was murdered by King Lycomedes. Theseus is usually thought of only mythical, but some still remembered him as an early
king.
In closing, remember what Rick Riordan said in The Mark of Athena, “Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.” I’ve talked about three very different heroes who all had one thing in common. Yes, they were all brave to do the things they did, but they were all stuck-up in some way; Bellerophron was too proud, Hercules was very arrogant, and Theseus ditched Ariadne in Naxos to make sure he would be available when he returned home. All three of them wanted what was best for them and not what was best for others or their kingdom.