Why was Achilles considered a hero? Achilles was considered a hero because he was the most successful soldier in the Greek army during the Trojan War. According to post-Homeric myths, Achilles was physically invulnerable, and it was prophesied that the Greeks could not win the Trojan War without him.
Why is Achilles not a hero?
Achilles abandons the noble qualities of a social hero and becomes disrespectful, a man without feelings. It is only because of the Gods’ intervention that he stops.
How is Achilles a epic hero?
Achilles is an epic hero because he embodied the honor that was so highly regarded in Greek society, chose to die early in battle and be remembered gloriously rather than living a long anonymous life in his homeland of Pthia, and avenged Patroclus’s death.
Are Patroclus and Achilles lovers?
It is clear that Achilles and Patroclus had an incredibly deep, intimate bond. But nothing between them in the Iliad is explicitly romantic or sexual. … Because many Greeks of the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, centuries later after the Iliad was written, did portray Achilles and Patroclus as lovers.
Why did Achilles drag Hector’s body?
Following the funeral of Patroclus, Achilles’ grief makes him restless. He ties Hector’s body to his chariot and repeatedly drags it around the tomb of Patroclus, in his furious need for retribution. However the gods protect Hector’s body so that in spite of this cruel treatment it remains unblemished.
Is Achilles loyal?
The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had one vulnerability–his “Achilles heel.” Homer’s epic poem The Iliad tells the story of his adventures during the last year of the Trojan War.
What is the moral of Achilles story?
Here’s how Achilles tells it: … Achilles knows that if he stays and enters the battle, he will be remembered forever for his exploits, but will die in battle, never to return home. If he returns home instead of entering the battle, he will live a long life but his legacy will die with him.
Is Achilles a God?
Achilles became invulnerable everywhere but at his heel where his mother held him. Because Achilles was a half-god, he was very strong and soon became a great warrior. However, he was also half human and wasn’t immortal like his mother. He would get old and die someday and he could also be killed.
Is Achilles or Hector the better hero?
Hector and Achilles are both great heroes but one is a better hero than the other. The hero of Troy is Achilles because he is brave, courageous, and he transforms from his experiences. … Knowing that he wouldn’t come back for the war in Troy, he goes and fights in the war anyway.
What is Achilles most important deed?
Achilles’ Actions Made Him a Hero of the Trojan War
He is most known for slaying Hector, the hero of the Trojans. He did so by luring him outside the walls of Troy and slaying him when he came out. This act helped secure a Greek victory.
What is Achilles main motivation?
Achilles, the central figure in the Trojan Wars depicted in The Iliad, is greatly motivated by his desire for glory. Achilles has two possible fates awaiting him, and he opts for great glory and a short life.
Did Hector and Achilles really fight?
As the Greeks stormed the Trojan castle, Hector came out to meet Achilles in single combat—wearing the fateful armor of Achilles taken off the body of Patroclus. Achilles aimed and shot his spear into a small gap in the neck area of that armor, killing Hector.
Was Achilles attractive?
Achilles was also a handsome fella to boot. Homer described him as “beautiful.” It’s fitting that Brad Pitt played Achilles in the film adaptation of The Iliad. … because Achilles wasn’t a mere mortal. His mother was a goddess, making him a warrior demigod.
Did Achilles respect Hector?
Ultimately, the interpretation of Achilles’ treatment of Hector after death would be controversial to a Greek audience. Some might feel that with the aid of Athena and in pursuit of vengeance for his dead friend Patroclus, Achilles was justified in his disrespect towards Hector’s body.
Why does Achilles refuse to fight?
When Achilles was fighting under Agamemnon, slaves were taken in the Trojan territory as the Greeks moved across the land, sacking and looting along the way. Why did Achilles refuse to fight? He was angry because Agamemnon took his war-prize from him, his slave-bride Briseis.
What stops Achilles from going out immediately to fight Hector?
Achilles is chasing Hector with no chance of reprieve unless Apollo steps in (which he does not do). Athena tells Achilles to stop running and face Hector. She adds that she will persuade Hector to do the same. Athena disguises herself as Deiphobus and tells Hector the two of them should go fight Achilles together.
What lesson can we learn from the Trojan War?
Lesson Summary
The Iliad, the story of the Trojan War, offers several moral lessons to its readers, including the importance of leaders treating their soldiers with respect, the importance of accepting apologies, and the need for respecting family bonds.
Is the story of Achilles true?
The answer is uncertain. He may have been a great warrior of human birth, or he might have been a compilation of the deeds of many great warriors and leaders of the day.
Is Achilles justified in withdrawing from battle?
From Book I to Book IX, Achilles’ anger and withdrawal from battle seem to have some justification. He retains the reader’s sympathy even though his decisions seem to be overreactions. … Later, angered by Agamemnon, Achilles starts to draw his sword to kill the Achaian leader.
How far up your leg does your Achilles tendon go?
Gradually thinning below, it inserts into the middle part of the back of the calcaneus bone. The tendon spreads out somewhat at its lower end so that its narrowest part is about 4 cm (1.6 in) above its insertion.
Did Achilles really drag Hector’s body?
Achilles, distraught and wanting to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus, returns to the war and kills Hector. He drags Hector’s body behind his chariot to the camp and then around the tomb of Patroclus. Aphrodite and Apollo, however, preserve the body from corruption and mutilation.
Did Achilles really love briseis?
Even though she was a war prize, Achilles and Briseis fell in love with each other, and Achilles may have gone to Troy intending to spend much time in his tent with her, as was portrayed in the movie.
How many days did Achilles drag Hector’s body?
Each day for the next nine days, Achilles drags Hector’s body in circles around Patroclus’s funeral bier. At last, the gods agree that Hector deserves a proper burial. Zeus sends the god Hermes to escort King Priam, Hector’s father and the ruler of Troy, into the Achaean camp.