The Grecian Hero Archetype

Everyone knows the hero or heroine as the most important character in a story, but the ancient Grecian hero takes an even bigger role throughout the literature and culture of his age. In Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey Achilles and Odysseus represent typical Grecian heroes. Theseus, Persius and Oedipus, three other famous heroes also represent the Greek heroic archetype. These heroic tales were well known to Grecians of the time and had a great impact on the Greek culture. When speaking of the Iliad Moses Hadas writes that, “throughout their history the Greeks were as closely familiar with its text as Puritans with the text of the Bible” (Hadas). The extreme importance placed on these pieces of literature explains much of the ethical and moral conduct of the time. In many cases morals were not even in tact. Men did what they saw fitting in their own eyes. In an article on the ethics of ancient Greece, one author states that, “in the poetic literature of the 6th and 7th centuries B.C. there were, as in other cultures, moral precepts, but no real attempts to formulate a coherent overall ethical position” (“Ethics”). The lack of a strict religion in Greece allows for these heroic qualities to become more and more important in Grecian society. They use these heroes and their conduct as role models. Moses Hadas also writes about the concepts presented in Homer’s writings. He explains that “glory is the driving force and the object of existence and honor is the paramount code” (Hadas). Many of the qualities prized in Grecian heroes can be viewed as both good and bad qualities. These controversial qualities such as pride and glory are very common, but viewed by Grecians as completely acceptable. The Grecian hero is portrayed similarly throughout many writings and this universal archetype of masculinity, pride and selfishness, courage, and glory display the morality and social values of ancient Grecian culture. Masculinity is one prized quality in the

Cited: “Ethics.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition Monsell, Carol Moulton, Susanna Nied, and Eileen Hillary Oshinsky. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2001 Hadas, Moses. “Homer,” in his A History of Greek Literature. Columbia University Press, 1950, pp Hamilton, Edith. “Persius.” Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: New American Library, 1969 Monsell, Carol Moulton, Susanna Nied, and Eileen Hillary Oshinsky. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2001 Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Allen Mandelbaum. New York: Bantam Books, 1991. Publishers, 1986. 205-212. House Publishers, 1988. 127-149.