Benjamin Lee 11/14/28 Period 5 Modern vs. Ancient Heroes: A Character Trait Comparison. Many influential Greek figures, such as Odysseus and Heracles, are prominently displayed and well-known in today's society. In Ancient Greece, myths surrounded powerful figures with superhuman strength and intelligence who taught others certain Greek values. While ancient Greek heroes have emphasized values like adaptability and strategy, modern heroes display the power of teamwork. Heracles, a son of Zeus, gained his superhuman strength from being a descendant of Zeus and from drinking the breast milk of Hera as a baby. Heracles displayed the trait of adaptability during his fight with the Nemean Lion and the Hydra. In the website, The 12 Labors of Heracles, …show more content…
This excerpt shows Heracles' battle intelligence as he can see the lion's main strength and adapt to it midway through their fight. According to the website, The 12 Labors of Heracles, the author says in paragraph 4, "Each time Hercules bashed one of the hydra's heads, Iolaus held a torch to the headless tendon of the neck. The flames prevented the growth of replacement heads, and finally, Hercules had the better of the beast." Because Heracles had found the Hydra's quirk of head regeneration, he used the people and items around him to his advantage by having Iolaus burn the stumps where the heads would regrow to eventually kill the Hydra. Heracles displays the Greek value of adaptability by shifting his strategy to overcome the unique strengths posed by both the Nemean Lion and the Hydra. Odysseus was a Greek soldier who was sailing back to his home in Ithaca when he got lost due to many curses and mistakes made by both himself and his crew. Similarly, Odysseus displays another valued Greek trait, showing strategic intelligence during his encounter with Polyphemus, Scylla, and Charybdis. In The Odyssey, Homer says that Odysseus had planned a way to get past the Cyclops by