What makes Achilleus and Hektor the heroes of the Iliad

A detailed Summary of What makes Achilleus and Hektor the heroes of the Iliad

Homer's Iliad, is a book about war. It was a war between the Greeks and the Trojans around 1100 BC. This story is mainly about two warriors: Achilleus and Hektor, both of them are the greatest in their own country. However, what makes them heroes of this book? Besides their great combat skill, I would suggest their way to face their own death distinguished them from other characters in the book.

In the story, Achilleus knew his fate,

"For my mother Thetis the goddess of the silver feet tells me I carry two sorts of destiny toward the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting; but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life left for me, and my end of death will not come to me quickly." (Book IX: 410-6)

Therefore, when Agamemnon sent his embassy, Odysseus, Phoinix, and Aias, to ask Achilleus to come back to battle to win the war, he refused Agamemnon offered, no matter what the offer is,

"Neither do I think the Son of Atreus, Agamemnon, will persuade me, nor the rest of the Danaans" (Book IX: 314-6).

It is because he is very afraid of his own de

Both warriors, Achilleus and Hektor, knew they would face their death once they decided to go back to the battle. Both of them had their own chance to turn away from the battle and moved on for their own life with their families. However, both of them returned to the battle because of their own reasons: Achilleus fought for his best friend's revenge, and Hektor fought for his family's honor. This distinguished them from the other characters.

On the other hand, Achilleus's enemy, Hektor, also knew his fate,

and he "stood up before them, shedding tears, like a spring dark-running that down the face of a rock impassable drips its dim water" (Book IX: 14-15). Also, when Zeus threatened Hera by saying "go then, sit down in silence, and do as I tell you, for fear all the gods, as many as are on Olympos, can do nothing if I come close and lay my unconquerable hands upon you". Hera was "frightened and went and sat down in silence wrenching her heart to obedience" (Book I: 565-569).

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Approximate Word count = 981
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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What makes Achilleus and Hektor the heroes of the Iliad

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