How Is Hector An Epic Hero

Throughout The Iliad, heroism stands out as a powerful central theme. There are countless traits that qualify a character as a hero: great leadership, bravery, and the possession of both strengths and weaknesses are just a few examples. Achilles and Hector both prove to be the two most dominant heroes in the Iliad. Homer truly utilizes both of their strong personalities and precarious situations to highlight their heroism. Although both men show characteristics of an Epic hero, only one stands out as the best: Hector- he is more courageous, and more in-control of his emotions than Achilles. First, one major flaw that plagues Achilles for the entirety of the Epic is his anger. There are many instances where Achilles’ quick temper negatively affects him or his men. According to Homer, Achilles’ rage even caused the Achaeans to lose battles (2). This is important because it shows how Achilles’ inability to control his temper can be detrimental to not only him, but his army as well. Another example is when Achilles pulled a sword on Agamemnon during their argument (215). It is not beneficial to have a

Dozens of times during the war, Achilles cowards away from danger while Hector is always on the front lines to protect his fellow Trojans. For instance, Hector says “But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy and the Trojan women trailing their long robes if I would shrink from battle now, a coward” (62). This illustrates just how courageous Hector is and how he is willing to die to protect his country. On the other hand, in the face of danger, Achilles tends to call on the gods for help rather than fighting his battles alone like Hector. For example, when they were fighting, Achilles received help from Athena instead of just facing Hector on his own (69). This proves that he is too afraid to handle certain situations by himself because he lacks