Kshithi Bhanu Singh

II English
Seminar Paper
October 25, 2009

What are the constituent attributes of a the greek epic hero? Explicate with
reference to Odysseus and Achilles.

To define an epic hero itself possess a challenge as the definition is very wide and includes a
lot of attributes and characteristics. A general definiton of an epic hero, however, defines
him as an important figure from a history or legend, usually favored by or even partially
descended from the Gods, but aligned more closely with mortal figures. The hero
participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his
journey, gathers allies along his journey, and returns home significantly transformed by his
journey. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that
are valued by the society from which the epic originates. They usually embody cultural and
religious beliefs of the people. Epic heroes have no superpowers, but are smart, brave, and
have fears which they overcome to protect their friends, families, and countries. An epic
hero can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extraordinary tasks that most find
difficult. The epic hero is not only a warrior and a leader, but also a polished speaker who
can address councils of chieftains or elders with eloquence and confidence.

When one talks about classical Greek literature, the epic hero is usually defined in terms of
the contrasting characters of Achilles and Odysseus, the most important and central figures
in Homer's grand epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssesy. Both these characters represent
the Greek notions of what constitutes an epic hero.

Form the initial callousness and stubborn almost child - like temper of the demi-god
Achilles in the first book of The Iliad to the eventual 'humanization' of Achilles in his
interaction with the greiving Priam, father of Hektor, whom Achilles killed himself, the Iliad
shows us what contributes to make Achilles a Greek epic hero. Achilles is a hero in the epic
sense, replete with flaws and bad qualities that shape his character, but with passions and
convictions that a reader relates to. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and
virtue, tells the tale of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaca after the
end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations,
which exemplify his character. Odysseus is a fully human character, and his heroism
consists more in his cleverness, boldness and cunning than his martial ability. The 'man of
many ways' Odysseus rises above his purely human limitations to achieve a much greater
destiny, triumphing over the dangers of war and wandering to come home to his wife
Penelope, son Telemachus and his fellow Ithacans.

Both these heroes depict the two sides of human nature. They are not perfect and are flawed
and fallible. Achilles is at his best when he offers compassion and consolation to Priam
whihc reveals his profound understanding of the human condition. However, at his worst he
behaves like a selifsh child while denying to give up on his anger to rejoin the battle and
acts like a brutal beast when he goes on a rampage to kill Hektor, in order to revenge his
dear companion Patroklos' death.

The more unpleasant aspects of Achilles' character are brought home to us shortly after we
first encounter him in The Iliad, when he quarrels with Agamemnon over the possession of a
concubine, Briseis. Before the assembled Greek leaders, Achilles complains that he never
gets his fair share of the prizes, that the Achaians do not give him sufficient honor, and that
he is weary of fighting the Trojans, "since to me they have done nothing". When
Agamemnon takes away Briseis from him, Achilles has a fit of temper and warns all the
Greeks that they will be sorry they did not cater to his whims: "And then you will eat out the
heart within you in sorrow, that you did no honour to the best of the Achaians". Then he
leaves to sulk in his tent. It may be said that Achilles shows himself to be a horribly hard-
headed individual, and this is obviously true. But, in this encounter with the powerful king,
Achilles also shows some of his more respectable qualities; such as courage, honor, and a
sense of justice. Achilles does not feel that it is right that he or the rest of the soldiers should
be punished for the brashness of their commander and suffer for no cause at all.

These is no question that Achilles is indeed the "best of the Achaians" in combat, but since
he is the son of a goddess and blessed with invulnerability in battle, it is hardly his heroism
that makes him a great warrior. His counterpart among the Trojans, Hektor, is in truth a
much nobler character - loving to his parents, wife and children, fearless in battle, and
willing to sacrifice everything for his people. We see Achilles crying to his mother Thetis
that the gods have not done enough for him by punishing the Greeks. Sounding like a little
boy, he tells her, "I wish you had gone on living then with the other goddesses/ of the sea,
and that Peleus had married some mortal woman./As it is, there must be in your heart a
numberless sorrow for your son's death, since you can never again receive him/ won home
again to his country."
However, great irony exists in Achilles' obsessive desire to kill Hektor and revenge the
death of his friend Patroklos, since as Thetis reminds him, "it is decreed your death must
come soon after Hektor's." As a demigod, Achilles does not possess immortality, and the
fatal flaw in his makeup (his mother held him by the ankle when she dipped him in the
charmed waters of the river Styx) means that he must someday die. Yet after killing Hektor
in the great fight scene that concludes his struggles, Achilles does not hesitate to defy the
gods and sneer at the threatened curse of Apollo: "Die: and I will take my own death at
whatever time/ Zeus and the rest of the immortals choose to accomplish it". In achieveing
revenge for the death of his dear friend, Achilles shows us that he truly does feel
compassion for humans and reveals to us one of his more endearing qualities; loyalty.
Achilles is over the edge with the death of Patroklos and it has brought out a rage that can
only be quenched with the blood of Hektor. Achilles is in the same sense both utterly un-
human and the essence of humanity in these actions. His treatment of the noble warrior
Hektor goes beyond the bounds of normal war customs at the time to quite barbaric levels.
Achilles, it seems, draws satisfaction from the defiled corpse of his enemy. Yet, all of this
hatred is derived from the very human emotions of sadness, grief, and especially love.
Achilles does retain his human side which makes him a truly great hero. It is not his fighting
prowess or brawn but the essence of humanity and humanizing values is what actually
makes an epic hero out of Achilles.
Like Achilles, Odysseus also has weaknesses of character, but behind them lie a keen
intelligence, wit and steadfastness of purpose. In the Trojan War, Odysseus has been a
secondary character, notable mainly for his role in the episode that deals with the Trojan
Horse.
In The Odyssey, however, Odysseus assumes the dimension of a true epic hero, surviving a
long string of adventures and calamities before finally making his great homecoming to
Ithaca and his Penelope. Odysseus is reffered to by many names, such as "Odysseus of the
many designs", "Resourceful Odysseus" and others which tell us that he is to be admired as
much for his native cunning as for his strength and bravery. In nearly every way, Odysseus
is a more complete and likeable figure than Achilles, and we cannot help admiring him even
when he misbehaves. As the goddess Calypso, whom he encounters on one of the many
stops on his voyage home, says to him affectionately, "You are so naughty... you will have
your own way in all things". Yet Odysseus tells his next hosts, Arete and Alkinoos, that
neither Calypso nor any other woman could ever win over his heart, which remains with
Penelope and the home he has not seen in almost twenty years. As an epic hero, Odysseus
can best be described as a brave and cunning figure who conquers with his brain when he
cannot win with his brawn. Odysseus manages to make himself beloved not only to women,
but also to men; Alckinoos' response to him is characteristic; the knig and father of Nausica
tells him shortly after they have met, "...how I wish that, being the man you are and thinking
the way that I do, you could have my daughter and be called my son-in-law, staying here
with me."
Odysseus has his tender side, too, and we often see him in a sentimental and homesick
mood in spite of the many pleasurable incidents of his travels. In parting from Alkinoos, he
reminds us of his fondest wish: "May I return to my house and find there a blameless wife,
and all who are dear to me unharmed". We finally see the warrior in him when he rid shis
house of the suitors that wish to marry Penelope. The struggles of his journey had merely
involved beating men in trials of sport, outwitting demons and temptresses, and battling the
elements; now Odysseus shows that in the business of killing his enemies and reclaiming his
authority, he is at least as proficient as Achilles.
It can escape no one's notice that there is a sharp contrast between Achilles and Odysseus as
epic heroes whihc suggests that for the ancient Greeks the true greatness of a man lay
mainly in the ability to overcome injuries and insults, so as to triumph over enemies and
redeem one's honor. For Achilles, this meant forgetting his wounded pride and jealousy, and
returning to the battlefield to avenge his slain companion Patroklos. Although he never
doubts for moment that he can vanquish Hektor, there is real courage and determination in
his decision, since he knows that his own death will shortly follow that of the man he kills.
It is difficult to admire Achilles personally after we have seen him sulking and snarling at
his companions, but every reader must respect the loyalty and devotion he shows his friend,
and the bravery of his final decision to come out of seclusion and avenge his friends
wrongful death.
In contrast, Odysseus is a many-sided character whose commitment and devotion to his
family represents all that is best in a man. His sufferings are more serious and deeply-felt
than those of Achilles, whose only fully human attachment lies with his friend Patroklos.
The main difference between these two epic heroes, ultimately, is that Achilles' story
involves the death of many better men than himself, and ends unhappily in spite of his
victory. The story of Odysseus ends most happily with the hero telling Penelope, "Dear
wife, we both have had our full share of numerous trials now, yours have been here as you
cried over my much longed-for homecoming, while as for me, Zeus and the other gods held
me back from my own country, as I was striving to reach it".
Odysseus is a true Greek epic hero. When he is able to use power given to him by the gods,
he does so willingly. However this alone would not make him a hero. This would only make
him a servant of the gods. Odysseus uses his intellect, farsightedness, and insight to control
his fate as best as he can. For example, when he returns home, rather then revealing his true
identity Odysseus uses patience and caution to devise and execute a plan that will defeat the
suitors. Odysseus is now acting independently of the gods and his heroic personality
triumphs. Achilles also is seen to have the favors of the Gods but he never succumbs
completely to the will of Gods. Just the way Odysseus does not bow down to the level of
becoimg a slve to the wishes of Gods, so does Achilles. Even though he has full knowledge
that his death has been pre-destined by the Gods shortly after that of Hektor's, he still fights
with him for the sake of avenging his dead firend. He defies the Gods and tells them that
they can take away his life whenever they want but he will not rest until he has speared
Hektor to death. His real heroic self comes to the front with his this decision.
Odysseus’ character is challenged in many ways, starting from Book V and uptil Book XII.
In some instances he holds strong, and in others he fails. His sense of adventure sometimes
overwhelms him. The length of time that Odysseus spends away from Ithaca also dilutes his
desire to return, and possibly dilutes his desire to live. Under certain circumstances, any
man can succumb to the evils to which he despises. A perfect example is Achilles, who
starts out as an honorable man and with the death of his friend, turns into a raging maniac
who wants nothing but death for the enemy. Odysseus starts out wanting nothing but to
return to his family and his homeland. Over the course of the many years that he is away,
this feeling dwindles and he is left with nothing but adventure to prolong his reason for
living.
The Greek epic hero, as epitomized in the personalities of Achilles and Odysseus, must
always be a brave and powerful warrior and a loyal friend to those he loves. Achilles is far
more limited in his range of feeling than Odysseus, but within that narrow range he finally
acquits himself honorably. Odysseus, the great "everyman" hero of classical literature, seeks
the widest range of experience and adventure possible, but finally triumphs over life by
returning to the comforts of home and family.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. The Iliad, Homer, Penguin Edition (1987), Translated by Matrin Hammond.

2. The Odyssey,
3. The Iliad: an unpredictable classis, Essay by Donald Lateiner
4. The Odyssey and its explorations, Essay by Micheal Silk
5. www.jstor.org