What is a Hero?

The Hero of Iliad

What is a hero? Is there a hero in the Iliad? A hero, defined by the dictionary, "refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice.". On another account, "A hero is one who lays down his own life so that others can live.".

If I were to pick a hero in the Iliad, I would choose Hector. 

 

Hector

   Hector is the mightiest warrior in the Trojan army. He leads the assault that finally penetrates the Achaean ramparts, he is the first and only Trojan to set fire to an Achaean ship, and he kills Patroclus. Yet his leadership contains certain flaws, especially towards the end of the epic, when the participation of first Patroclus and then Achilles rallies the Achaean army. He demonstrates a certain cowardice when, twice in Book 17, he flees Great Ajax.

  But although Hector may prove overly impulsive and insufficiently prudent, he does not come across as arrogant or overbearing, as Agamemnon does. Moreover, the fact that Hector fights in his homeland, unlike any of the Achaean commanders, allows Homer to develop him as a tender, family-oriented man. Hector shows deep, sincere love for his wife and child. Indeed, he even treats his brother Paris with forgiveness and indulgence, despite the man’s lack of spirit and preference for lovemaking over military duty. Hector never turns violent with him, merely aiming frustrated words at his cowardly brother. Moreover, although Hector loves his family, he never loses sight of his responsibility to Troy. Admittedly, he runs from Achilles at first and briefly entertains the delusional hope of talking his way out of a duel. However, in the end he stands up to the mighty warrior, even when he realizes that odds are against him. His refusal to flee even in the face of vastly superior forces makes him the most heroic among the characters in the Iliad.

Hector still stands strong against the waves of opposition, that is why he is the "Hero" of the Iliad, in my opinion. And now I end my post with a "Farewell, and goodnight! Tune in next time for the next post!"