Epic stories started many years ago, in fact there are many epic heroes we have never heard of because they were merely passed down by voice. Luckily two epics were told by so many generations that they could be written and recorded: Beowulf and The Iliad. A man named Homer composed The Iliad around 700 B.C. 1000 years later Beowulf arose around 750 A.D, by an unknown author. In the epic The Iliad, Achilles is the epic hero and point of the story. Beowulf and Achilles were both courageous warriors and epic heroes that grew tremendously in different cultural backgrounds. Both men were mighty and honorable warriors of their generation and country. “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime/ Knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had met a man whose …show more content…
Because of them, many epics began to be later written; “An epic is a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero’s deeds” (Little pg 34, 6-7). These epics are very important, but intense poems that tell a strong pointed story. Although through the centuries of being orally passed on, these stories can tend to evolve slightly. Later on, these stories where recoded. Without heroism from these great men together, epics would have no chance in this complex world. Both great men arose in completely different times and beliefs. Both of these stories were composed nearly 1400 years apart. “For this, this gold, these jewels, I think/ Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth – For all of this, that His grace has given me” (Beowulf 805-808). By this time most people were monotheistic. In the days of the Trojan War people were mostly polytheistic. The author in Beowulf states that there is one almighty god that gives him grace, while Homer speaks of Gods like Zeus. Besides their different beliefs and time frames, both heroes shared many of the same characteristics. Beowulf and Achilles were strong worriers that fought for beliefs and others. Although Beowulf fought for different reasons than that of Achilles, they both fought for glory and honor ultimately. Granted there are many other epics in the world, I believe that these to heroes are the