The Heroic Code Essay -- Trojan Princes Epic Heroes Essays

The Heroic Code Often, epic heroes can be characterized the same way. They are portrayed as superhuman beings, possessing strength, physical beauty, and intelligence. These heroes aspired to live by a heroic code that would ensure immortality by keeping their memory alive in the people. Homer's The Iliad shows how the heroic code was ingrained in ancient Greek warriors. In many cases, the Greeks put this code of honor above their own lives. During a battle, Glaukos, a Trojan, and Diomedes, an Achaian, encounter one another in a space between the two armies. By chance Diomedes asks who his enemy is. The two men then realize that their fathers were friends. To keep the family friendship alive, the men share a handshake of peace. This embrace shows how the Greek warriors were de...