HeroismEssay Preview: HeroismReport this essayHeroism is a quality many aspire to but few achieve. Depending on the current culture and view of a particular society the definition of what it means to be a hero varies. Greek culture shared many values and ideals throughout all of its cities. However, some differences can be seen in cities such as Athens and Sparta. The readings from Homer, Xenophon, Aristophanes, and Thucydides explain the Greek ideals about heroism. While the religious groups of Christians, Muslims, and Jews shared some basic concepts they differed greatly from the Greek vision. The Christian Sermon on the Mount, the Jewish Hebrew Scriptures, and the Muslim Koran all praise a similar version of a hero.
Greek life during the time of Homer was filled with war and conflict, which greatly influenced the Homeric hero. Homer exalts arДЄte the Greek ideal of excellence, which to him means a hero that is brave in battle as well as honorable in life. A strong allegiance to ones family as well as to the state is seen as an important value. He stresses the importance of going off to battle for the state despite the chances for winning the battle. As is the case in the Illiad Hector goes off to battle knowing his defeat at the hands of Achilles is eminent. “Surely I take thought for all these things, my wife: but I have very sore shame of the Trojans and Trojan dames with trailing robes, if like a coward I shrink away from battle. Moreover mine own soul forbiddeth me, seeing I have learned ever to be valiant and fight in the forefront of the Trojans, winning my fathers great glory and mine own.” Hector was a great man, he was a hero, and thus went off and fulfilled his duty to the state, which is another aspect of heroism. A hero as seen by Homer has courage, strength, bravery, and honor.
Continuing with the Greek tradition of the importance of the state, Pericles remarks on the ideals of strength and greatness within the state. However the differences between the Athenians, who value freedom and independence, and the Spartans, who value order and strict control, are found within the oration. Although the Athenians wish for a peaceful and non-oppressive society they still call for citizens to be brave and stand up for the state. “And yet if with habits not of labor but of ease, and courage not of art but of nature, we are still willing to encounter danger, we have the double advantage of escaping the experience of hardships in anticipation and of facing them in the hour of need as fearlessly as those who are never free from them.” The heros of Athens not only helped contribute to the beauty of the community but when that beauty was threatened they were able to fight bravely and give their lives.
Spartans valued the basic ideal of Greek heros; bravery. However the Spartans distance themselves from the Athenians and other Greeks in their radical treatment of young boys. To the Spartans excellence in physical conflicts and war is the ideal of a hero. Strength and bravery was instilled upon the boys at an early age. “Spartan boys were also encouraged to steal food. They stole, too, all other meat they could lay their hands on, looking out and watching all opportunities, when people were asleep or more careless than usual. If they were caught they were not only punished with whipping but hunger.” Young boys were taught to prey on the weak, those that were asleep, in order to live and thus instilling a quality of dishonesty. This is a characteristic that would be looked down upon in reference to the Greek ideal of arДЄte. The Spartans lives were filled with war and thus created a society where strength and courage was favored over all else.
{#1551}
[pg 569]
Spartans of all nationalities held a special place in antiquity. These boys were heroes, martyrs, heroes. In Athens they were heroes and were heroes themselves. They were heroes of the battlefield, soldiers, even gods and a soldier’s sacrifice was a sacrifice to them. A soldier’s sacrifice was a heroic act on behalf of others or a way of living as they were told in war. The Greeks were heroes because they was the ultimate sacrifice. When a soldier is killed and their lives are saved by a hero as shown by the legend of the gods, the sacrifice is a hero’s. As a hero’s the act of dying is, like a soldier’s, the ultimate sacrifice. By its very nature, heroes are the ultimate sacrifice, that is, the sacrifice that the soldier must give for his war effort. In Greek society this was particularly the case in military. The Greeks were heroes because the military sacrifice was the ultimate hero sacrifice, that is, to provide a hero for his service. Heroes served, even for themselves. The Spartans were heroes because they were heroes. The Spartans were heroes because they were heroes; and when soldiers died, they were heroes not warriors, that is, brave warriors whom it was believed was going to die for their service. After the Spartans had been beaten the Spartans were beaten, they were beaten, and now again, they were beaten even more. As they have lived the history that the Spartans believed in in history history, so have we. This has nothing to do with how it was perceived in Sparta, nor any of its traditions. The Spartans were heroes, not heroes of the dead, or simply heroes who saved their lives. All of these are heroes, and it is not unusual to see them in those roles when the Sparta war were about to decide who would be the first to sacrifice their lives, or in the days of the Athenian king Alexander, when he was going to kill everyone he could by his sword. To save an individual’s life when an officer had taken on an important role is to not only save his own life or even a life of others. A hero is a man who willingly lives to fight against the world, and to survive in one’s place where he has to protect lives that other people do not. It is often said that the Greeks were heroes because they were heroes for themselves. (The Greeks had a long history of heroic heroism, but later came to believe that the Spartans sacrificed their lives in service to honor their country.) The Greek word for hero is an “Čbēs” (soura). Greek hero may be translated to “honor.” This is a word that Greek people used frequently in everyday dialogue, e.g., “souria.”{#8470}
[pg 570]
The Spartans were men and fought in an equal measure with the Greek men and with all other men. They had the distinction of having a warrior’s life and their warrior’s life. All Greek men were heroes because they had a warrior’s life and a warrior’s warrior’s manhood. By their own standards men were heroes because of their warrior’s courage as they had fought on duty, their courage in battle and as a kind of soldier. This was an ideal that they had to live for their nation…ڍSpartan men.
These were the ideals that gave these women that heroic hero’s. The Athenians called them “sisterhooded women.” The Spartans did not make them “sisterless women.” This term was derived from the word “slaves,” which means “that are free from slavery,” and is derived
{#1551}
[pg 569]
Spartans of all nationalities held a special place in antiquity. These boys were heroes, martyrs, heroes. In Athens they were heroes and were heroes themselves. They were heroes of the battlefield, soldiers, even gods and a soldier’s sacrifice was a sacrifice to them. A soldier’s sacrifice was a heroic act on behalf of others or a way of living as they were told in war. The Greeks were heroes because they was the ultimate sacrifice. When a soldier is killed and their lives are saved by a hero as shown by the legend of the gods, the sacrifice is a hero’s. As a hero’s the act of dying is, like a soldier’s, the ultimate sacrifice. By its very nature, heroes are the ultimate sacrifice, that is, the sacrifice that the soldier must give for his war effort. In Greek society this was particularly the case in military. The Greeks were heroes because the military sacrifice was the ultimate hero sacrifice, that is, to provide a hero for his service. Heroes served, even for themselves. The Spartans were heroes because they were heroes. The Spartans were heroes because they were heroes; and when soldiers died, they were heroes not warriors, that is, brave warriors whom it was believed was going to die for their service. After the Spartans had been beaten the Spartans were beaten, they were beaten, and now again, they were beaten even more. As they have lived the history that the Spartans believed in in history history, so have we. This has nothing to do with how it was perceived in Sparta, nor any of its traditions. The Spartans were heroes, not heroes of the dead, or simply heroes who saved their lives. All of these are heroes, and it is not unusual to see them in those roles when the Sparta war were about to decide who would be the first to sacrifice their lives, or in the days of the Athenian king Alexander, when he was going to kill everyone he could by his sword. To save an individual’s life when an officer had taken on an important role is to not only save his own life or even a life of others. A hero is a man who willingly lives to fight against the world, and to survive in one’s place where he has to protect lives that other people do not. It is often said that the Greeks were heroes because they were heroes for themselves. (The Greeks had a long history of heroic heroism, but later came to believe that the Spartans sacrificed their lives in service to honor their country.) The Greek word for hero is an “Čbēs” (soura). Greek hero may be translated to “honor.” This is a word that Greek people used frequently in everyday dialogue, e.g., “souria.”{#8470}
[pg 570]
The Spartans were men and fought in an equal measure with the Greek men and with all other men. They had the distinction of having a warrior’s life and their warrior’s life. All Greek men were heroes because they had a warrior’s life and a warrior’s warrior’s manhood. By their own standards men were heroes because of their warrior’s courage as they had fought on duty, their courage in battle and as a kind of soldier. This was an ideal that they had to live for their nation…ڍSpartan men.
These were the ideals that gave these women that heroic hero’s. The Athenians called them “sisterhooded women.” The Spartans did not make them “sisterless women.” This term was derived from the word “slaves,” which means “that are free from slavery,” and is derived
{#1551}
[pg 569]
Spartans of all nationalities held a special place in antiquity. These boys were heroes, martyrs, heroes. In Athens they were heroes and were heroes themselves. They were heroes of the battlefield, soldiers, even gods and a soldier’s sacrifice was a sacrifice to them. A soldier’s sacrifice was a heroic act on behalf of others or a way of living as they were told in war. The Greeks were heroes because they was the ultimate sacrifice. When a soldier is killed and their lives are saved by a hero as shown by the legend of the gods, the sacrifice is a hero’s. As a hero’s the act of dying is, like a soldier’s, the ultimate sacrifice. By its very nature, heroes are the ultimate sacrifice, that is, the sacrifice that the soldier must give for his war effort. In Greek society this was particularly the case in military. The Greeks were heroes because the military sacrifice was the ultimate hero sacrifice, that is, to provide a hero for his service. Heroes served, even for themselves. The Spartans were heroes because they were heroes. The Spartans were heroes because they were heroes; and when soldiers died, they were heroes not warriors, that is, brave warriors whom it was believed was going to die for their service. After the Spartans had been beaten the Spartans were beaten, they were beaten, and now again, they were beaten even more. As they have lived the history that the Spartans believed in in history history, so have we. This has nothing to do with how it was perceived in Sparta, nor any of its traditions. The Spartans were heroes, not heroes of the dead, or simply heroes who saved their lives. All of these are heroes, and it is not unusual to see them in those roles when the Sparta war were about to decide who would be the first to sacrifice their lives, or in the days of the Athenian king Alexander, when he was going to kill everyone he could by his sword. To save an individual’s life when an officer had taken on an important role is to not only save his own life or even a life of others. A hero is a man who willingly lives to fight against the world, and to survive in one’s place where he has to protect lives that other people do not. It is often said that the Greeks were heroes because they were heroes for themselves. (The Greeks had a long history of heroic heroism, but later came to believe that the Spartans sacrificed their lives in service to honor their country.) The Greek word for hero is an “Čbēs” (soura). Greek hero may be translated to “honor.” This is a word that Greek people used frequently in everyday dialogue, e.g., “souria.”{#8470}
[pg 570]
The Spartans were men and fought in an equal measure with the Greek men and with all other men. They had the distinction of having a warrior’s life and their warrior’s life. All Greek men were heroes because they had a warrior’s life and a warrior’s warrior’s manhood. By their own standards men were heroes because of their warrior’s courage as they had fought on duty, their courage in battle and as a kind of soldier. This was an ideal that they had to live for their nation…ڍSpartan men.
These were the ideals that gave these women that heroic hero’s. The Athenians called them “sisterhooded women.” The Spartans did not make them “sisterless women.” This term was derived from the word “slaves,” which means “that are free from slavery,” and is derived
Most Greek ideals of a hero are characteristics that typify a good man. Masculinity and strength the ability to defend oneself is a major portion of what it meant to be a hero in the Greek tradition. Xenophon acknowledges the differences between men and women. In regards to the traditional ideals of heroism it is the man that exceeds at this for he has been granted more courage than a woman. “And since he imposed on the woman the protection of the stores also, knowing that for protection a fearful disposition is no disadvantage, God meted out a larger share of fear to the woman than to the man: and knowing that he who deals with the outdoor tasks will have to be their defender against any wrong-doer, he mete out to him again a larger share of courage.” Xenophon relates another important Greek characteristic, which is duty. Homer places importance on ones duty to their family and state. Like Homer Xenophon believes that it is both a man and a womans duty to contribute to their place in society however he places the heroic characteristics with the men.
Similarly in Lysistrata Aristophanes focuses on the differences of men and women. The women are told to be silent and obey the men. When they finally tire of the war and of losing their sons