Examples Of Heroism In The Aeneid

Light of the Dardanians Heroes, epithets, and dactylic hexameter fill Greek and Roman poetry to the brim. From Achilles to Aeneas to Agamemnon to Ajax, a veritable plethora is contained within these songs of war. However, there is only one who can be the greatest. Surely in the eyes of the pagan Greeks who value glory in combat, perhaps Achilles is the greatest. However, in the virtuous eyes of God, Hector is the greatest. Even Virgil and Dante saw Hector as the most virtuous hero of the myths. In both epic and moral metrics, Hector demonstrates true heroism. As such, Hector summits greatness and heroism through his virtue and martial prowess. What defines heroism, however? Though different perceptions and values have manifested themselves

Barring the skill of his sword-and-spearman-ship, Hector’s cause amongst the heroes of The Iliad is the most righteous and ethical. While Hector’s brother shamefully started the war for an affair, the selfish Agamemnon and Achilles are the reasons for its prolongment. In contrast to these petty Greeks such as Achilles, Hector detests the war as he sees the suffering it brings upon his people. However, he still loves his brother, Paris, and fights for his safety as well. Ironically to “hector” someone is to bull them. Regardless, medieval minds considered Hector to be the most noble of the Homeric heroes. In the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri places Hector in ‘limbo,’ the afterlife of virtuous pagans. Dante’s spiritual guide, a phantasmal Virgil, lauds Hector’s righteousness endlessly. In the Aeneid, the Roman contribution to the epic library, Virgil calls Hector the “light of the Dardanians, most faithful of the Teucrians” (Virgil 281). Influential later poets laud Hector for his virtue and righteousness. These qualities make Hector the greatest hero in the sense of sacrifice and

He is reported in the Iliad to have personally killed 31,000 Greeks. As the elder son of Priam, he is the prince of Troy and as such, does what he can to serve and protect his fellow Dardanians. His quest lies in the defense of Troy and his brother in a war he detests. All manner of gods seeks to ruin Hector because of this, but just as many support him. Other heroes consider Hector to be great as well. Ajax in the Iliad fights Hector to a tie and remarks upon his swordsmanship saying, “it was he who challenged the best of us to fight” (Homer). Hector possesses great kudos in the eyes of his peers as well as those long after him. Not only in strength of arms, but the virtue of his character he is praised unanimously. Hector exemplifies a classical Greek hero in terms of epicness as well as in terms of