Characteristics Of Aeneas A Hero

Anger can always incite irrational actions. The sight of Helen seeking shelter at the altar, causes Aeneas to remember the crimes she committed driving him to furious anger. This anger drives him to contemplate an ignoble and uncharacteristic act of revenge by murdering Helen as she sought protection from the gods. Despite being depicted as a virtuous hero, Aeneas’ strong, visceral reaction to seeing Helen shows that he is subject to the same passionate feelings all humans feel, especially when something raises his anger.

The term ‘hero’ is often used as a vague way to describe someone of great influence and importance. The characteristics of a hero remain timeless; strong, courageous, intelligent, and skillful barely scratch the surface. The idealized hero varies between cultures and countries, but Greek and Roman myths serve as the platform for our ideas. Deciding who is a hero is a simple task, but deciding the best hero requires much deeper thought. In Mythology, by Edith Hamilton, Perseus, Hercules, and Atalanta all embody the characteristics of a hero, however, Hercules is the strongest example.

A hero is someone who puts others before themselves. In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is knows how to trick anyone into anything, is helpful to his crew, and tries to learn from his mistakes. Therefore Odysseus is motivational, has leadership and has courage to do whatever he desires If Odysseus didn’t motivate his crew they probably wouldn’t have been alive for most of the story. “I drove my big hand spike deep in my embers charring it again and cheered my men with battle talk to keep their courage up” (Homer, 323).

What does it really mean to be a hero? Being a hero does not just mean you save the day, or defeat the giant monster. To be a hero, you must be a leader. People should look up to you for guidance and help. A hero would help whenever he is needed. Odysseus is not shown as a hero in The Odyssey because he is selfish, cruel, and arrogant.

However, while Gilgamesh naturally somewhat dimwitted, and thus afforded some dependence on brawn over brains, Aeneas deserves no such handicap. Like David, another hero we have seen, his brazenness is derived from his knowledge of his own fate. David relies on the Lord as his security blanket. Knowing that he is forever in the favor of God makes him bolder in his actions. Similarly, the Gods reassure Aeneas that no matter what the obstacles facing him are, he will overcome them and plant the seeds of Rome. It is his fate and his duty. With this knowledge intact, one wonders why it took so much killing and despair on his part. Assured that victory is inevitable, why not wait for a peaceable solution. Again, the classic interpreters, ironically playing the role of the cynics, would say that Aeneas has no choice. He has to kill. He has to give up love and sacrifice his present for his future, and the future of his people. Well, if the peanut gallery will keep quiet for the time being, I will attempt to explain. There are a handful of heroes in mythology that do not conform to fate, that do not surrender to the Gods. One of these heroes is Hercules, who is, maybe not incidentally, a hero’s hero. He is in the upper echelon of heroes as it were. Hercules was infamous for not only detesting the Gods, and for not accepting their ‘decrees’, but also for out and out warring against them. Like Aeneas, he was half-God, but immortal.

The protagonist of the Aeneid and known hero to many, Aeneas, was a man of many virtues. His courage and obedience towards the Roman gods are clearly shown all throughout the book, as well as his passion for justice. When he leaves his lover, Dido, at the bidding of the gods, he shows obedience even when it went against his own will. The time Aeneas travels into the underworld to find his deceased father, it shows great bravery. It is even seen by the example of the crew of Aeneas that he was an incredible person, judging by how loyal they were to him. But, even with all these wonderful attributes, Aeneas wasn’t the entirely heroic person we believe him to be.

Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.

A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.

A hero is someone who is admired for their noble qualities. For example Odysseus in the story has the necessary qualities to classify him as a hero. Odysseus shows determination throughout the book, his entire journey back from war is all determination to get home. He exhibits strength and great powers at many different points like, when he is killing the suitors. Odysseus is brave even when times are rough, he mostly can push through anything. These traits can be seen as heroic today because they all demonstrate not given up, pushing for what you want and persevering through the tough times. Odysseus is coming home from the Trojan War but faces many obstacles on his way home. Once he finally reaches Ithaca he reunites with his son,

A hero is always described as one who stands for the common good of people, whether it be an archetype of a typical hero from fabled descend or those who are unexpectedly deemed a hero in everyday lives. Bernard Evslin’s adventure fiction, The Adventures of Ulysses, illustrates the life of Ulysses ten years after fighting alongside the Greeks in the Trojan War. He encounters trials and tribulations such as, unknown seas and numerous inconceivable monsters to hopefully return to his rightful place as king of Ithaca. Some of his trials take place on the islands of Lotusland, Aeaea, and a narrow strait to Thrinacia. On Lotusland, Ulysses is met with an inescapable urge to sleep because Morpheus, the son of Hypnos and nephew of Hades, orders the natives to feed Ulysses and his crew intoxicating flowers to make them fall into a deep slumber. Ulysses also finds himself with a challenge on the island of Aeaea because of Circe, an enticing goddess-sorceress who turns any man into an animal. He also comes across the Sirens, bird-like women who lure sailors to shipwreck with their enchanting sounds of happiness, sadness, autumn, and silence, on his way to Thrinacia. Ulysses is a hero because he possesses the essential characteristics of a typical hero. He proves and displays his heroic traits of strength, intelligence, and selflessness. Obviously, Ulysses vanquishes an ordeal that no ordinary man can triumph.

Hero: a person who is admired for their courage, achievements, or qualities. The world we live in today contains hundreds of thousands of heroes, from the veterans who risked their lives every day, to the girl next door that just barely manages to make it through, but still has the courage to go on. Sometimes, heroes are bold and extravagant, while other times they are simple people. I believe that Mr. Sberna exemplifies the model of a hero made by Aeneas and other famous leaders because Mr. Sberna courageously helps others whenever he can, deeply cares about and appreciates others around him, and is able to successfully raise a family and live life to the fullest despite his physical limitations.

“The Aeneid” by Virgil is a story about true heroism in times of war. Wars have always offered many opportunities for heroes to prove themselves. Most of the characters in the Aeneid are seen entering the war enthusiastically in the hope of honoring and glorifying their names. However, Aeneas demonstrates heightened responsibility toward the people he leads. At no point does he show selfishness in the wish for his name to be glorified and honored at death. In essence, Aeneas is committed to the destiny of his people. This uniqueness makes Aeneas an epic hero unlike previous heroes such as Odysseus. Aeneas is duty-bound and he follows nothing but fate. Consequently, he is prepared to suffer any loss or harm as long as he reaches where fate directs him to go. Aeneas is an epic hero because he is a dutiful servant to fate, he performs his duties patriotically, his instills confidence in his people, and he is highly responsible for his family and his people.

Aeneas was a good leader because he was brave, strong, and selfless. The Aeneid was written by Virgil during the reign of Augustus in 19 BCE, and the character of Aeneas was meant to represent Augustus and suggest that Augustus was a direct descendant of Aeneas. Many historians think that Virgil sounded a bit sarcastic when stating how great Aeneas was, implying he himself was not a fan of Emperor Augustus. Throughout the book, Aeneas is referred to as “The Great and Good” and other phrases along those lines, and is always spoken of as a great hero. He does things such as kill deer for his men, or survive a terrible storm, and he even has the approval of the great god Jupiter. Aeneas is a demigod, (his mother is Venus), making him more powerful and respected than any other Trojan men. The Romans valued physical and mental strength, both of which Aeneas has.

In Webster's Dictionary, a hero is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of purpose, especially if this individual has risked or sacrificed his life. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the code which administers the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a straightforward idea. The aim of every hero is to achieve honor. Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey, different characters take on the role of a hero. Honor is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much that life would be meaningless without it. Thus, honor is more important than life itself.

Everyone in a way is a hero, depending on how people see other people determines how highly they think of them. Our version of a hero in modern times is someone does an action that would be unheard of, this is common when firefighters do the unthinkable and enter a burning building often risking their lives to save civilians that are stuck in the building. This is just one example of what a modern-day hero looks like, they appear in everyday life doing actions that help others. Sometimes people become hero’s by Phronesis, translated as practical wisdom. This is the concept of disembodiment and instinctual know-how exhibited by the Odysseus, as well as Wesley Autrey, better known as the “Subway Hero”. Odysseus, who is a capable soldier, diplomat, sailor and ruler, in addition to his other virtues, is the prime example of phronesis. His fast thinking gets his men out of Polyphemus’s cave alive, lets him listen to the Sirens’ song without going mad. He ensures that when he does make it home he isn’t murdered by his wife’s numerous suitors and would be pretenders to his throne. The disembodiment actions happen all of the time in the world. Wesley Autrey, the man who saved a seizing man who fell onto train tracks was saved by Wesley when he laid on top of him underneath the passing train. He said, “I don’t feel like I did something spectacular; I just saw someone who needed help,” he told the Times. “I did what I felt was right.”. He did something that was unthinkable to most