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The odyssey homeric heroism
The odyssey homeric heroism
The odyssey homeric heroism
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A famous actor Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Being heroic does not always mean you’re special or well known. Since a hero shows determination, it drives them to help others and go beyond what’s expected of them. Heroes are people who go beyond expectations.
We all know the name Theseus and his slaying of the minotaur. However, most do not know about his young life and his many other adventures in his life. Theseus was born in 1261 B.C. His mother Aethra was a princess of Troezen which is just which is a small city southwest of Athens.
The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word 'hero ', is comic books, avengers, justice league, super villains etc. Physically, they are usually tall, big, and super strong. On the mental side, they are described as someone who is brave, courageous, determined and are willing to help others and even risk their lives by taking sacrifices. All in all, a hero as seen by many, is portrayed as someone who represents the best qualities of ourselves. However, for someone to be considered a hero, they don 't necessarily need to have all of these qualities as described above.
After theseus saved the 14 youths by defeating the minotaur in the maze of doom, The chaos had not yet ended. King Minos was still hiding another beast, one more powerful than the las. This beast was bigger in size, strength, and had one ability that made this beast very powerful, immortality. It could not be taken down even with his horns. And then King Minos declared that the sacrificing of 14 youths every nine years shall still occur.
Theseus mother Aethra became pregnant with him by Poseidon when she went wading in the waters of Sphairia. Aethra's husband Aegeus was a great warrior and the king of Athens. He had a signature sword, shield and some really cool sandals. When Theseus was born Aegeus questioned whether or not he was the baby Theseus father. As a test he placed his sword, shield and his sandals under a heavy rock and told Aethra that if Theseus was his son and a TRUE hero, he would have no problem claiming the sword, shield and the sandals for himself and that would prove that he was Aegeus son and heir to his throne.
When the word hero is spoken, many may immediately think of a character like Superman. Superman can fly and has extreme strength, allowing him to help his city. What truly makes Superman a hero is how he puts these skills to use with his outstanding personality qualities. Odysseus, from the Odyssey, also has overlapping traits of a hero. He is not gifted with supernatural capabilities but still put in an effort to help his men and community.
Theseus is the perfect example of a hero. He shows courage, strength, and cleverness while on his many adventures battling the one flaw that keeps him human. During Theseus' very first adventure to sail back to his father King Aegeus, he said that traveling by ship was too easy. He wants to prove himself ". . .
Heroes in our society are revered and respected as Joseph Campbell reminds us: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Joseph Campbell). Heroes exist in all societies and throughout history. Maybe they are not always on the news or from the movies, but their words and their actions never fail to resonate across their feats. A hero gives of himself and dedicates himself to causes which better others and their society unlike individuals who are self serving, greedy, and cruel.
Although the word “hero” has transcended time, the definition has not. When modern-day humans go into reading about Greek heroes, expecting them to resemble our current ones, they are unpleasantly surprised to find selfish people who sometimes indiscriminately murder in the name of honor. In comparison, we value the firefighter that puts their life on the line to save others, the person standing up to the bully with pacifism rather than fists, and those that learn to forgive and forget instead of spending their entire lives seeking revenge on those that have wronged them. Thus, Achilles would not be considered a modern-day hero like he was in ancient Greece, because whilst they valued glory, brutal strength, and revenge, today we value selflessness,
On the other hand, modern heroes are just ordinary people with the ability of accomplishing extra ordinary tasks. Moreover, they are not associated to religion or religious cults. Thus a modern hero may originate from any background. For example
The Greek mythology has got to have the most fascinating and at the same time, the most detailed myths in the world. It was actually created thousands of years ago that has been passed down for generations. These myths often features stories about the gods and goddesses as well as heroic battles between monstrous creatures and mortals that teaches intelligence and bravery to its readers. These ancient tales are either painted or carved on pots and statues. That is why in this article we will bring you some of the greatest heroes in Greek myth.
Saving people, fighting bad guys, and saving the day are characteristics normally attributed to heroes. However, there are two kinds of heroes, the classical heroes and the modern heroes. Classical heroes are the old ones, the ones that are first seen in the Greek mythology, like Perseus, Theseus, and Odysseus. Modern heroes are seen in Marvel’s films or DC Comics films for example, like superman, ironman, and the Flash. The Flash represents a modern-day hero because of his characteristics and following the hero’s journey.
Theseus was considered a hero in ancient Greek times because of three traits he possessed that were immensely valued back then. The three traits are wisdom, bravery, and loyalty. Theseus shows these traits throughout his life. The trait that I feel like is the most important is
Hercules and Theseus, two great heroes from mythology, seem to be similar in many ways. Both extremely brave and noble; with a love of danger and adventure mixed with compassion, creates the perfect heroes. Their stories intertwine with one another’s when Hercules has to save Theseus from the chair of forgetfulness in Hades. Theseus saved Hercules when he was distraught with intent to kill himself. In a similar way, they both stood by their friends no matter the cost.
In many mythological stories, heroes are described to be someone with great strength or someone who possess great intellect. These special characteristics help heroes achieve dangerous goals that require great strength and courage. Theseus stands out when compared to the other mythological heroes. He not only possess great strength, but he also intellect and compassion. By deciding to make everything equal in Athens, Theseus created a very prosperous city which stood out all throughout the world.