Ideas of Heroism in The Iliad

The Greeks, or Achaeans, are in danger of being routed by the Trojans, primarily because the proud and offended Achilles has withdrawn from the war because of the personal affront from Agamemnon. Without Achilles' men and his military brilliance, the Achaeans will lose the war to the Trojans, beyond any doubt. Odysseus is sent to Achilles's tent to try to persuade Achilles, his long-time friend, to set his pride aside and come back to fight the Trojans, who are preparing their final attack. Odysseus is a proud and courageous warrior himself, but he is willing to humble himself by being a messenger from Agamemnon to Achilles. Odysseus is willing to plead with Achilles, to offer him great honors and many gifts if he will only relent and return to do battle and save his people.

Achilles, however, will not relent. He has been too offende

. . .
e offering gifts and honors to the proud Achilles. In every case, however, the individual aspects of his pleadings are subsumed in the context of the community-oriented aspects of heroism. It is not merely individual glory which Odysseus offers Achilles, but glory to be heaped on Achilles from the community which he will have helped deliver from the enemy, the Trojans. However, Achilles has no ears for anything but his own wounded pride. He cares nothing about anyone but himself. He is doing exactly what his father warned him against---putting his own resentments above the good of the nation. Achilles is a representative of the individual hero---at least in the context of this single meeting with Odysseus. He is a passionate man, in comparison to Odysseus who is a much more thoughtful man. All he cares about is that he has not received his just due for his past heroic efforts: You can take it that neither my lord Agamemnon nor the rest of the Danaans are going to win me over, since it appears that a man gets no thanks for struggling with the enemy day in, day out. His share is the same, whether he sits at home or fights his best. . . . All I have suffered by constantly risking my life in battle has left me no better off than th
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Approximate Word count = 1581
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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