The Representation of Classical Heroes

The portrayal of heroes and why they are looked up to has changed over time, this is easy to see through the comparisons of ancient and modern representations.

Heroes are a popular subject matter of movies, artworks and literature. They are interesting because it causes the reader/audience to feel the need to aspire towards them and the traits these heroes have. The changing traits and personalities of heroes over time reflect what was important to society at the specific time the source was produced. Representations of heroes in ancient sources are significantly different to modern heroes. Ancient heroes pursued great life-threatening feats and kept those who weren’t able to protect themselves safe to be considered heroes. The most accurate representation of heroes are the ones depicted in vases that date from 540 B.C to 490B.C. The vases all have very unique imagery; Kleophrades Painter hydria, Berlin Painter volute krater, Penthesilea amphora and the Exekias belly amphora. Another reliable source of the representation of ancient heroes is in books such as Homer’s Odyssey, Apollodorus’ Library of Greek Mythology^[1] and Homer’s Iliad^[2]. These texts, books and vases, enforce the ideas that heroes are violent and strategic. Modern heroes are shown to do this also but in a different way, often relating them to more relevant events to help the audience connect more, which often means losing historical accuracy and detail. Hercules^[3], Troy^[4] and Jason and the Argonauts^[5] portray this change in traits well.

The Odyssey is a valuable source for the representation of heroes because it was based off the original story which was told in ancient times by Homer. The values and traits talked about as being heroic would have been relevant to the time, which was the 8th century, and what society of the time ‘valued’ and considered heroic. Odysseus returns home after being away for twenty years but doesn’t want anyone to know he’s back so when Odysseus’ old nurse, Eurycleia, recognises him, despite the disguise that Athene put on him, it’s dangerous. It could threaten Odysseus’ plan to take control of his home again. “‘Of course! You are Odysseus, my dear child. And I never knew till my hands passed all over my master!’” (Book 19, line 473) When this happens Odysseus thinks fast, with the assistance of Athene who distracts Eurycleia, and attacks her. “Odysseus’ right hand sought and gripped the old woman’s throat…‘Nurse,’ he said, ‘do you want to ruin me...I am indeed home” (Book 19, line 486)  This is a violent and strategic solution. If anyone else found out his true identity he wouldn’t of been able to defeat the suitors which is crucial. Another scene where Odysseus is a violent and strategic hero is later on in the book when he, the suitors and Telemachus are all together in a room. While Odysseus was gone the suitors tried to woo his wife and ruined his house by eating all the food and creating mess. Antinous insulted Odysseus when he was disguised, not knowing his true identity, so the first of the suitors that Odysseus kills is him. “Odysseus took aim and shot him in the neck. The point passed clean through his tender throat.” (Book 22, line 14) His quick and accurate shot had the intention of killing Antinous when he didn’t expect it. This was very strategic. By killing one suitor before the rest it displayed Odysseus’ skill and caused fear in the other suitors, catching them off guard. “There was an uproar in the hall. They sprang from their chairs and rushed in confusion...not a shield or sturdy spear was there to lay hands on.” (Book 22, line 21). Earlier Odysseus had all the weapons and armour removed so the job of killing the suitors would be easy and successful. Odysseus is a hero who thinks ahead and plans so he always has an advantage.

The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus is another primary literary source. In the section about Heracles many labours, he is portrayed as a strong, violent and slightly strategic hero. Heracles lured out the hydra strategically so it would give him the initial advantage. “By hurling flaming brands at it, he forced it to emerge, as it came out, he seized it and grasped firmly,” (Chapter 5, line 10). At first he cuts off the hydra’s head, carelessly, which achieved nothing. The hydra then got assistance from a huge crab, trying to distract Heracles. He kills the crab first so it stops being a distraction to him. He then summons assistance of his own by calling Iolaos, his nephew. This wasn’t strategic to his labour, as it ended up not counting, but was in the way that he survived and defeated the hydra. “However, that this labour should not be counted among the ten because Heracles had not overcome the hydra on his own, but only with the help of Iolaos.” This showed Heracles as a reliant on help from others. Even though he didn’t start off that well throughout the rest of this chapter, Heracles is shown to be a successful and strategic hero, displaying many heroic qualities. The final literary source that helps show heroic characteristics from ancient Greece is the Iliad by Homer. The passage I focused on was where Achilles avenges Patroclus’ death by killing Hector. “He weighed it in his right hand with murder in his heart for godlike Hector, searching that handsome body for its most vulnerable spot.” (Book 22, line 318) Achilles is so set on killing Hector that he uses his skill and knowledge to ensure he won’t fail. “Hector charged him, godlike Achilles drove at this spot^[6] with his spear, and the point went right through Hector’s soft neck, though the heavy bronze head did not cut his windpipe and left him still able to speak.” (Book 22, line 326) Achilles strategically waited until Hector was running at him, making him vulnerable, before spearing him. It was very strategic of him to search for where Hector was unprotected by his armour. He still wanted to speak to Hector in the time before he died so he missed his windpipe on purpose so he could respond to what Achilles had to say before dieing. In this chapter, it also speaks of Achilles stripping Hector’s dead body and letting some other Greeks stab it. This is careless as it’s misuse of a dead body, not giving Hector proper funeral rights. Achilles’ violent nature and anger after the death of Patroclus. Achilles takes the deformed body back to Troy by his ankles to his parents, who are even more distraught after seeing the state of his body. Paris, Hector’s brother, sees how upset everyone around him is and kills Achilles.