Edith Hamilton's Definition Of An Epic Hero

Epic Hero Paper For someone to have tremendous amounts of courage to do something endangering and to risk dying for their people is very heroic. In Edith Hamilton’s Mythology it tells the tales from Ancient Greece that led people to believe that that is why things are the way that they are in the world. Theseus’ tale has shown he, himself is a better epic hero because he has shown he has courage and risked death upon himself for his people. An epic hero would be described as someone who is brave and noble. Also they are admired by others for their achievements. Characteristics similar to this are what people would use to describe a hero like Theseus. In the tale of Theseus, it tells us how when he found out what would happen to 14 Athenians every year he selflessly offered himself to the Minotaur who was half man and half man. “At once Theseus came forward and offered to be one of the victims” (Hamilton 212) Being selfless to risk oneself for their people is not just something that anyone would do especially when facing a monster like the Minotaur. With this heroic gesture everyone admired him for being brave and noble. The Minotaur was a frightening creature that

Once he risked himself for his people and was in the Labyrinth of the Minotaur after wandering around he encountered he Minotaur, asleep of course. It was then when he knew what he had to do. “With his fists-he held no other weapon-he battered the monster to death” (215) Not just anyone would be able to kill a monster with their bare hands, Theseus was given the gift of super strength to be able to beat the Minotaur to death. Afterwards he then made it out of the Labyrinth of the Minotaur and was loved by all for killing the monster. With the Minotaur’s death it meant that no longer would 14 Athenians have to become victims every nine