Hercules

From Greek mythology’s Hercules, to the American’s Paul Bunyan, myths perpetrating

the quest can be found in all cultures and societies. Stories of the mythic quest express

knowledge that is complete and coherent,1 thus the mythic quest exists to teach an idea

or principle to its audience.

Quests can be identified by several distinct elements that occur in all myths of this type,

these characteristics are: a hero, the journey and the reward. The hero is the central

protagonist character, (generally a male) who will attempt to complete the quest.

Because he is often the son of a god, the hero usually has the benefit of superhuman

powers to assist his struggle, however he could have a crucial character flaw, a type of

Achilles heel, that he must overcome to complete his journey. The journey, is the series

of obstacles that the hero must endure to achieve his goal. It is the path upon which the

hero must walk to complete in his quest. It is on this journey that he will face challenges,

battle enemies or make allies who may assist him. Upon successful completion of his

journey, the hero will receive a reward, retribution for his struggles in the form of

intellectual, spiritual or material gain.

Through comparison of King Arthur’s legendary quest for the Holy Grail and Jay

Gatsby’s quest for the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby,

it is discovered that human existence is essentially a quest; a frivolous quest for idealistic

dreams that rewards its heroes with superficial achievements or failure.

Careful examination of the ambitions, personal attributes and histories of both King Arthur and Jay Gatsby reveal that the hero can take on many different forms, yet

similarities will exist. Each hero that embarks on a quest, whether he be King Arthur or

Jay Gatsby, hopes to achieve a reward, the goal of his quest. The value of these rewards

and there cost to the hero or others effected by the quest must be examined to help

establish the validity of the quest.

In both the myth of the Holy Grail, and The Great Gatsby, very distinct, central

characters can be labeled as the hero. In the myth of the Holy Grail, it is King Arthur

who fits the heroic role. Having been raised by Merlin, a magician with superhuman

wisdom and great occult powers after the death of his biological father, Arthur was given

the guidance necessary to become a powerful King. Arthur ruled the Kingdom of

Camelot in Britain with his wife Guinevere, and it was there that he established his knights

in the fellowship of the Round Table. 2 This organization consisted of a group of

seemingly honorable, selfless men who existed to seek glory in Arthur’s name. Thus it

was through the knights that Arthur carried out his quest for the Holy Grail. In the

novel The Great Gatsby, the hero is Jay Gatsby, a man born to Ishiftless and unsuccessful

farm people (99) who was reinvented as a Platonic conception of himself (99) at the

age of seventeen when he changed his name form James Gatz and hopped aboard the

yacht of a wealthy man named Dan Cody.

Jay Gatsby

had something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the

promises of life… This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby

impressionability which is dignified under the name of the creative

temperament – it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic

readiness 

which drove him to take control of his destiny and attempt to procure a better life for

himself. Jay Gatsby was a manipulative, idealistic hero. King Arthur and Jay Gatsby

demonstrate the importance of a strong hero in a quest. Both men seemed destined to

heroism, King Arthur for his strong upbringing by Merlin and Gatsby for his incredible

desire for a better life. Both heroes created for themselves goals of improvement, for

Arthur it was the Grail, for Gatsby it was the acquisition of the American dream.

However, both men demonstrate a distinct flaw in their characters. Arthur selects men for

his knighthood who prove to be dishonorable; one knight, Sir Lancelot even betrays

Arthur through an adulterous affair with Guinevere. Gatsby’s flaw lies in his

overzealous nature for one goal, he becomes obsessed with winning the love of Daisy

Buchanan and this love eventually destroys him. Both men demonstrate strengths and

weaknesses that any ordinary man could possess and therefore demonstrate the plight of

common people (or common heroes) trying to complete their specific quests.

Combined with their personal flaws, King Arthur and Jay Gatsby had to face external

forces; obstacles and accomplishments that constitute the journey. King Arthur, in his

quest for the Holy Grail, sent out his knights to fight for his prize. His knights had to

overcome seductive and evil fairies, enchanted forests and harmful magicians as they

searched for a castle that held the elusive Grail. 4 Arthur also had to overcome the affair

between his comrade Sir Lancelot and his wife Guinevere. Perceval, the young man

trying to obtain knighthood form Arthur ventured out to find the Grail and stumbled upon

a sick noblemen. This nobleman offered Perceval accommodation at his castle and when

Perceval arrived he beheld the magnificent Grail. Because Perceval was taught to be

silent, he could not ask questions about the Grail that would have cured the nobleman and

spread prosperity through out England. The castle mysteriously disappeared, and

Perceval dedicated his life to finding it again. 5 Jay Gatsby’s journey began the day he

changed his name and ended the day he died.

In between these two events, Gatsby

struggled to achieve the American Dream. Gatsby had to over come his poverty, to be

accepted into a wealthy society. He turned to undesirable business, smuggling alcohol

during prohibition. When he acquired wealth, Gatsby then had to assert his social status

to the world. Through lavish parties with orchestras, champagne and bright lights,

Gatsby defeats this obstacle. (40) Gatsby’s final challenge in the quest for the American

dream came in attaining the love that he desired from Daisy Buchanan. This last obstacle

in Gatsby’s journey proved that he [wanted] too much (133) King Arthur’s journey

was fraught with failure and tragedy, as one after another of his knights failed to grasp the

Grail and overcome the obstacles of the quest. Furthermore, Arthur had exploited the

knights, having used them to complete his quest. Similarly, Jay Gatsby abused people to

overcome the pitfalls on his journey, he used Dan Cody to obtain wealthy connections and

he exploited the people at his parties to obtain social standing. Jay Gatsby even tired to

use the girl he loved to complete his quest for the American dream. The struggles of both

men reveal the hero’s problem: the journey is a long, hard voyage with uncertain results,

often even failure. It was not just the manipulative, dishonorable manner in which King

Arthur and Jay Gatsby tried to complete their journey that eventually lead to their failure,

their failure was due to the fact that each man undertook a journey for the betterment of

their life that was far too difficult for him. Therefore, before a journey is initiated, one

must examine the difficulty and more importantly, the necessity of the quest.

After completing the journey, both King Arthur and Jay Gatsby briefly witness the

reward for which they had established their quest. King Arthur used every knight of his

Round Table to try and find the grail, but it was held only briefly in the gaze of the

would-be knight Perceval. The Grail is the cup from which Christ is said to have drank

at the last supper and which was used to catch his blood at the Crucifixion. 

It is the Grail which supposedly could have provided Arthur with the fulfillment of the

highest spiritual potentialities 7 had he only been able to capture it. Jay Gatsby is almost

rewarded with the completion of the American dream.

He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have

seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know

that it was already behind him (182)

Gatsby’s dream evaded him because he failed to recognize the value of his life, and he

instead let greed overtake him. In the end, Gatsby’s only reward was a death that freed

him of the burden of his quest. The rewards that both King Arthur and Gatsby had been

trying to achieve were enormous. King Arthur wasted the highest spiritual potentiality

and Jay Gatsby wanted the American dream. Unlike most heroes, these two men only

glimpsed their rewards, they did not get to keep them. The elusiveness of both men’s

prizes demonstrates the necessity of a quest to be realistic; a hero must strive for an

attainable, worthy goal and if his goal is too ambitious, he will fail. It was the frivolous,

unnecessary desires of Arthur and Gatsby that caused them to fail.

The quests of King Arthur and Jay Gatsby prove that the human tendency to strive for

new experiences, or a constantly improved life result in disappointment. It should not be

said that desires must be abandoned altogether, but that men must learn to be satisfied

with their existence, and partake in the quest for enrichment only when it is certain, or

probable that beneficial rewards will be reaped.

In ancient Rome, as with the majority of ancient cultures, religion and politics played an essential role in the making of art. Although new approaches towards art developed, such as portraiture, art was primarily used as a means of political messages and of religious worship. This is evident in two pieces from the early empire (27 BC- 96CE), the “Bronze Heracles” (30BC-70CE) which was used mainly for religious purposes, and the “Marble Torso Clad in a Cuirass” (90-96CE) which used as a political promotion for Emperor Domitian or one of his generals (MFA).

Heracles the half human and half god, bastard son of Zeus, was the most popular of all the mythological figures in ancient Greece and Rome. His immense popularity can be attributed to the fact that he was half human, not especially bright, and tremendously strong. Many could identify with him, and it was reasonable for people to aspire to be like him. It is evident that Heracles was extremely popular, because of the vast quantity of artworks representing him. Common representations of the hero were medium sized bronze statuary and smaller statuettes. The “Bronze Heracles” located at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. It stands 101 cm tall and dates to 30 B.C.-C.E. 70. The statue was found broken near Norcia in Umbria, Italy (MFA). It has been reconstructed, and some parts in the middle of the back, the upper thigh, and the head and mane of the lion have been restored. Although Heracles is thought to have been holding a club in his left hand, and also have eyes inlaid with other materials such as copper, gold, or ivory, these part have not been restored. Bronze Heracles was made by hollow-casting, or the lost-wax method, developed by the Greeks. It is called the lost-wax method because an initial clay model of the statue is made, that is then coated with a layer of wax, which details such as hair are added to. Next, a thick shell of clay coats the wax, to form a mold of it. The clay on the outside and the inside of the wax are fired, and the wax melts from the heat, through a small hole. Finally the bronze is poured into the mold, and the clay is removed from it in pieces (Kleiner 131). Considering Heracles is hollow, it is no surprised that he was found as fragments.

This particular statue of Heracles is not original in any sense. There are many ways Heracles was depicted in ancient Rome, and some were more common than others. Every Roman citizen knew the story of Heracles and his 12 tasks. The first and most famous task was to kill the Nemean Lion, which he did with an olive tree club. A favorite way of depicting Heracles, so that he was easily identified, was to show him with the skin of the Nemean lion, and the club with which he killed it (Kliener109). Probably many similar statues had been constructed before the “Bronze Heracles”, and a few of them survive today. One very similar statue is “Hercule” located in the Louvre in Paris. This statue, also bronze is a strikingly similar representation of Heracles. It stands at 62 cm and was made around 70-79 CE in Herculaneum, Italy. Both Heracles’ are extremely muscular, stocky, and bearded to signify a mature version of the hero. Also both have bare feet which signify he is a hero or even a god (Ramage 86). These statues most likely belonged to members of the upper class who could afford to buy them and display them in their home as a status symbol and also a tribute to the gods.

The “Marble Torso clad in a Cuirass” was made for a very different purpose. Most likely the larger than life size statue was commissioned by Emperor Domitian as a portrait of himself (MFA). It may also be a portrait of a valued general because the figure is clad in a cuirass — the breast plate of military generals. The torso dates back from 90-96 CE, coinciding with the end of Domitian’s rule (81- 96 CE). The statue was carved from white marble by means of chipping away at it. To get a smooth surface on the marble at the end it was polished with finer textured pumice or emery. Possibly the gaping hole at the neck suggests that the head and body were carved separately and attached with pegs (ThinkQuest). Often statues were made then the portrait head of the emperor or general was attached.

It is clear that the subject of the statue is of the highest class because of the intricate details of the cuirass. It is obviously a fancy and carefully detailed cuirass worn by people of status. The images on the cuirass all have symbolic meaning. At the top is a gorgon presumably there to instill fear in an opponent. There are other grotesque monsters on the bottom scales. In the center of the chest appears to be the goddess Athena, the goddess of war, with her shield. She is flanked by winged women, which are probably personifications of victory called Nike.

Other factors that signify that this is probably Domitian are the stance of the statue and the large scale. Although there are no arms or legs, it is possible to imagine where they would fall. The Contrapposto makes it obvious that the weight would be borne down on the right leg, which advances forward. The right arm is also raised in the air dictating leadership. The pose and large size of the

statue are probably modeled on the “Augustus of Prima Porta”, a Roman marble copy made in the fist century from the original bronze made of the emperor Augustus around 20BC. The raised hand commands, like a ruler, and the larger than life size suggests a superhuman. Romans thought that the emperor was not only the first citizen, but also a god. This also explains the bare feet of Augustus, which the “Torso Clad in a Cuirass” might have also had (Ramage 86).

The Manner in which the “Torso Clad in Cuirass” and “Bronze Heracles” were displayed, are probably different. The marble torso was once a looming statue probably meant for a large public space. Perhaps it stood in the forum, or maybe it was inside the emperor’s palace. Either way, it was created to boost the emperor’s reputation, like propaganda. The small statue of Heracles too, was meant to show the luxury that the person who bought it could afford. However, it was probably not publicly displayed. Instead it might have been kept inside an upper class home. Although it focuses on religion, the statue speaks about class as well. Similarly, the cuirassed torso focuses on politics, while referencing the gods. In ancient Rome religion, and politics were intertwined, and also inseparable form art.

1. Bronze Heracles. 30 BC-70 CE. 95.34. Early Imperial Roman Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.

2. HW: Wilson Web- Main “Cuirassed torso: a statue of Domitian (?)”

   <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_DARGS=/hw

   w/login.jhtml.1>

3. Kleiner, Fred S., and Christin J. Mamiya. Gardener’s Art Trough the Ages. Twelfth Volume1. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.

4. Edition,

   Ramage, Nancy, and Andrew Ramage. Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine. New York, Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1991.

5. NY:

   MFA- Online Collections Database-Object Full Record. “Bronze Heracles, 30 BC-

   70AD, Italy,101 cm.”

   <http://www.mfa.org/artemis/fullrecord.asp?oid=152742&did=200>

6. Site Officiel du Musee du Louvre. “Hercule, 70-78 CE, Herculaneum, Bronze, 62cm.”

7. <http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=2804>

   ThinkQuest: Library: Greek Classical Period Sculpture. “The Methods of Greek Sculpture” < http://library.thinkquest.org/23492/data/methods.htm>

   Torso Clad in Cuirass. 90-96 CE. Early Imperial Roman99.346. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.

The most popular of Greek heroes, Hercules was celebrated in stories, sculptures, paintings, and even in the geography of the ancient world. Hercules was both the most famous hero of ancient times and the most beloved. More stories were told about him than any other hero. Hercules was worshipped in many temples all over Greece and Rome.

was originally called Aclides, a patronym formed from the name of his grandfather Alceus. Zeus, Hercules father, was the most powerful of the gods. That meant Zeus could do anything he pleased, but it also meant that sometimes Zeus was not a very good husband to his wife, Hera, the queen of the gods. Zeus has cheated on his wife Hera many times and once with a Greek woman named Alcmene. When Alcmene’s husband, Amphitryon, was away, Zeus impregnated her. This made Hera so angry that she tried to prevent the baby from being born. When Alcmene gave birth to the baby she named him Herakles. The Romans pronounts the name and so do we today. The name Herakles means “glorious gift of Hera” in Greek, and that got Hera angrier. Then she tried to kill the baby by sending snakes into his crib. But little Hercules was one strong baby, and he strangled the snakes, one in each hand, before they could bite him. Hera decided to pay Zeus back by making the rest of Hercules life as miserable as she could.

When Hercules grew up and had become a great warrior, he married Megara. They had two children. Hercules and Megara were very happy, but life didn’t turn out for them the way it does in the movie. Hera made Hercules go so crazy that put him into a great rage. murdered Megara and the children. When Hercules regained his senses and saw the horrible thing that he had done and he asked the god Apollo to help him with his problem. Apollo commanded the hero to do certain tasks as a punishment for his wrongs, so that the evil might be cleansed from his spirit. Apollo had many responsibilities. As Phoebus, he was the sun god, and every day he drove the chariot of the sun across the sky. He was the god of healing and music. The Greeks believed that Apollo knew what would happen in the future, and that he could advise people how to act. Hercules hurried to the temple where Apollo gave such advice. It was in the town of Delphi and was called the Delphic oracle. Apollo said that in order to purify himself for the spilling of his family’s blood, he had to perform 12 heroic labors.

Apollo declared that had to go to the city of Tiryns where he would serve for 12 years working for Eurystheus. Eurystheus had a reputation of being very mean. The good news about going to Tiryns is that after the 12 years and he finishes his tasks he well become immortal. That meant that would become a god after he is done his tasks. The 12 labors were the Nemean Lion, the Lernean Hydra, the Hind of Ceryneia, the Erymanthean Boar, the Augean Stables, the Stymphalian Birds, the Cretan Bull, the Horses of Diomedes, the Belt of Hippolyte, Geryon’s Cattle, the Apples of the Hesperides, and Cerberus.

Hercules got married a second time, to the Deianira. When Hercules was returning from his last adventure, Deianira gave him a welcome-home present. This was a cloak which she had woven herself. Deianira had a magic balm which a centaur had given to her. The centaur told Deianira that anyone who put on the balm would love her forever. But actually the balm contained a caustic poison. This balm she now smeared into the cloak. When Hercules received the cloak and tried it on, his body immediately began to burn with excruciating pain. He tried to pull the cloak off, but the pain burned even harder and deeper. Suffering in severe pain he asked his friends to build a huge pile of wood on the top of Mount Oeta. This would be Hercules funeral pyre. He laid himself upon the pyre, and told his friends to light it. As the fire began to burn Hercules alive, the great gods looked down from Olympus. Zeus said to Hera that Hercules had suffered enough. Hera agreed and ended her anger. Zeus sent Athena to take Hercules from the pyre, and she brought Hercules to Olympus on her chariot.

The question that is asked is was there really a, well the truth is we well never know and that is what myths are all about.

Hercules 13th Labor

When Hercules returned to King Eurytheus’s palace after completing his twelfth labor, he was quickly assigned another task.

“Fetch me the golden roses in the forest of Corinth.” King Eurytheus commanded. This was a very dangerous task, a task that no man had ever succeeded, a task of great skill and of wisdom. Of course, Hercules was no ordinary man. He was a man who had remarkable strength and an amazingly fast mind.

The golden roses were planted deep with in the forest of Corinth, at the bank of a lapping river. King Eurytheus knew this task would not be as simple as it seemed. This forest was guarded by a gorgon. A gorgon the size of 50 men, with the strength of a 100 men, and magic of a god. King Eurytheus believed that this task could and would never be done… But in the end, Hercules proved him wrong.

So on Hercules went, his adventure began to unfold. Hercules left with nothing other than the clothes on his back and the sword in his hand. When Hercules reached the city of Corinth the wonderful people and the fascinating architecture amazed him. After explaining his goal to the people of Corinth, Hercules was showered with offerings. The people offered Hercules food, wine, and even offered daughters in marriage. People warned Hercules of the powerful gorgon that transformed people into golden roses. Others warned Hercules of the roses. A prick of their thorns will put you to sleep for eternity.

Continuing his voyage Hercules noticed the fine pottery, the tall bronze statues, the olives and tobacco growing, the massive temples… Everything was nice in Corinth, everything was beautiful. Hercules almost forgot about his mission, the beauty of Corinth was unbelievable.

It did not take Hercules long to find the gorgon. For its foul breathe made the forest smell terribly bad. The beast was colossal. Instead of two eyes, the monster had seven. This gorgon was extremely corpulent, and its fangs were dripping blood. Hercules stood in awe, amazement bewildered him.

“Ha ha ha!” Chuckled the gorgon, “Have you come for my roses?” Hercules stood taller and looked into the face of the wicked monster.

“I am Hercules, son of Zeus. And I have come for your roses” When the monster heard Hercules say he was son of Zeus he did not believe him. He roared with laughter. The monster gently pushed Hercules.

“Ha ha,” the gorgon laughed. “You’re son of Zeus? Ha ha! Lets see what you’ve got.” Hercules Rolled his open hand into a fist, and gave the monster his hardest hit. The giant tumbled back crashing into the tall trees. The monster stood up and hovered its hands over its head. Energy seemed to swim into the giant’s hands. A cool strong breeze ran threw Hercules. He drew his sword and was ready for anything. Without warning a blast of energy rushed towards Hercules. The monster was using his magic to try to change Hercules into a golden rose. Hercules thrust his sword up and when the energy hit his sword the beam simply bounced back and ran into the monster. The monster himself was transformed into a golden rose. An easy victory for Hercules.

The golden roses were beautiful they seemed to dance in the sunlight. Hercules ripped his shirt off and used it to hold the roses. He did not want to be punctured by a roses thorn. When he walked through the city of Corinth people cheered for him and yelled ” All hail the mighty Hercules!”

When Hercules returned to the palace King Eurytheus was surprised to see him. Hercules threw the roses onto the floor and left. King Eurytheus jumped from his throne and ran to the roses. His greedy hands grabbed the roses without care. He crumpled and fell to the floor. He was dead. The thorns of the golden roses had pierced his skin.

Ancient Greek War Heroes

In ancient times, Greek mythology was a prominent influence in the lives of the Greek people. Their mythologies survived in the form of stories, beliefs, and rituals practiced by them. Contained within the legends are the stories of the great heroes that had lived in the times of war, and became notorious for their powers and intellect. There were a multitude of war heroes back in ancient Greece, and their stories are well documented in history. Thought as gods among men, these heroes survived many tests on their way to the Greek Heroes hall of fame. Spanning many different era’s, what follows is a breakdown of these war heroes.

The first and perhaps the greatest Greek war hero is Achilles. Achilles was the greatest hero of the Trojan War and the central character and greatest warrior as told in Homer’s Iliad. His mother was the nymph Thetis, who is said to have dipped Achilles in the river of Styx as a baby by the heel, which gave him protection from injury all over his body, except his heel. After the Trojan War broke out, Achilles didn’t want to fight, but after his best friend had been killed by Hector, the greatest soldier of Troy, his wrath awakened him, and he became an unstoppable force. After slaughtering all the men in his way, he found Hector in front of the gates of Troy where he easily killed him as well, right in front of the Trojan citizens who watched from atop the wall. In an effort to disrespect the Trojans and Hectors’ wishes, Achilles tied the body of the dead Hector to his chariot and paraded him around, taunting Troy. Hector’s brother, Paris, who was the cause of the war, in believed to have killed Achilles after he shot an arrow into his heel. His legend lived on as a fierce warrior whose wrath was an insuppressible pressure that battled unlike anything before him.

The next, possibly most famous, greek war hero is Hercules. Hercules was a Greek_divine hero, who was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. In mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength

and for his numerous adventures. Hercules was outwitted by the god of strength Hera from before he was even born. After his birth she tried to kill him by putting snakes in his crib, but he was too strong even then, stronger then most of the gods, So strong, in fact, he was later the deciding factor in allowing the Olympians to win their battle with the giants. He was the last mortal son of Zeus, and he was not the smartest guy in his time. His lack of intelligence and wisdom often outweighed reason and he let his emotions get him into trouble. Before The Trojan War, Hercules had made an expedition on Troy and sacked it, starting a path of destruction, but for the good. His good deeds included killing people who stole, forced labor, and fighting off monsters to protect people, that he didnt even know, from danger. Thus, becoming a war hero in the process. After his death he is said to have floated up to Mount Olympus, where the gods lived, and Zeus made him an official god.

The next, slightly less important hero was Theseus. Theseus was the hero of Athens, and saved the people from having to send off their sons and daughters to the minotaur,a half-man, half-bull that lived in a labyrinth in Crete, as sacrifices. It all started when King Minos, king of Crete, sent his son to go to Athens and participate in the Pan-Athenian games. He did well, winning event after event and instantly become a crowd favorite, but the Pallantides became jealous and wanted him dead. And so they assassinated him, and when King Minos heard the news of his sons death, he became very angry. He sent a fleet of soldiers to go and get the assassinators, and asked the king of Athens, King Aegeus, to hand the assassins over immediately or face the his wrath. Of course, King Aegeus don’t know who the assassins were, so he was forced to surrender Athens to Minos, and then Minos put in place a new “law”. The new rule was that every seven years, seven brave kids and the seven most beautiful women get sent to the Minotaur as a sacrifice. After the third time, Theseus had enough, and he volunteered

to kill the monster. After an intense battle, Theseus had managed to stab the Minotaur in the throat, killing it, and escaped with the women and children on a Crete ship. Thus ending the

madness that his people had to endure, and ensuring that no longer will they have to send their precious children anymore.

The Odyssey is a very well known epic poem that told the story of the final hero, Odysseus, and his journey home. Craftier by far than any other hero, but also a very capable warrior, Odysseus was the hero of the Greeks, who considered him second only to Achilles. Odysseus was the one who came up with the idea of the Trojan Horse. The Trojan Horse quickly ended the war, when the hollow wooden horse was offered. The Trojans took it as a peace offering, and took it in the city. What they did not know, however, was that Odysseus and a few men were inside the horse and they waited until the Trojans slept so they could come out and open the gates. Thus the war ended, when the rest of the Greek army came in and set the city on fire.Odysseus was also one of the few Greeks to reach his homeland of Ithaca, after 10 years of war and 10 years of troubles at sea. On his trip home from Troy, though, Odysseus and his shipmates encountered a number of perils. At one point their ship was blown far off course, and they ended up on a small wooded island in the middle of nowhere. Their worries were justified.Odysseus had split the crew into two groups, one to go explore and one to stay with Odysseus on the ship. Led by Eurylochus, top soldier under odysseus, the crew had come upon a house in a clearing, where a woman invited them in for drinks, a woman named circe, who used her magic to turn all the men into pigs, except Eurylochus. He then rushed back to Odysseus telling him of the news, that the crazy witch that turned the men into pigs was dangerous, and advised that they should salvage the remaining crew and cast off. Odysseus rushed to Circe’s house to save his men, threatening to kill her if she didn’t change her men back, and saved the

men, demonstrating his natural heroism in the

process.

These men all lived glorious lives, saved many people, and shared one common trait:

they were all war heroes. Back then you don’t need superpowers to be a hero like Theseus and Odysseus, but if you had them and used them for good, like Achilles and Hercules, being a hero was simple, especially in Greece. These legends have been told for thousands of years and will be told for thousands more, as they inspire and entertain the youth for many generations.

Myth Versus Reality: Heroes

Heroes are generally depicted as inspirational people that save others. In Greek myths,

Hercules inspired many to stay persistent and they will achieve their goal. Today, Mona Patel has made a difference by starting a nonprofit amputee organisation the goal being to rebuild the amputee’s life. Hercules is the son of Zeus and Alcmene, Hera gets jealous of Zeus and takes it out on Hercules by making him kill his family in a fit of madness, Hercules now has to complete twelve trials to redeem himself. Mona Patel is a person who was hit by a car when she was seventeen, Mona had to be amputated, but she had no organisation to join to help her with her amputated leg. Hercules and Mona Patel both share common traits that deem them heroic such as intelligence, selflessness, and a strong-will.

Both Hercules and Patel share the common heroic trait of being intelligent and it shows during both their stories. An example being, when Atlas does not want to take the sky back after retrieving the apple for Hercules, so “Hercules asks to take the world back for a moment… Atlas takes the world back, and Hercules walks away”(COTG). This is a good example of Hercules intelligence because he was able to trick a god and get his reward as well. Without Hercule’s intelligence, he would be stuck holding up the sky. The importance of intelligence is shown through Patel’s story. An example of Patel’s intelligence is after her years of surgery “Patel went on to earn a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, and became a social worker” (Torgan 1). This is relevant because she uses her skills as a social worker to help other amputees. Without this skill she would not be able to help many people with their disability. Both Hercules and Patel use their intelligence to achieve their goals.

Another heroic trait that Hercules and Patel share throughout their stories is their

selflessness. Hercules shows his selflessness when “he is going to try to get rid of the stain of

blood guilt” (COTG) even though it was not his fault. His willingness to fix problems he did not commit is a gigantic example of his selflessness. Without this trait he would not be able to become a god because he would not complete any of Hera’s quests. A demonstration of Patel’s selflessness is when she struggled with finding an organisation for amputees, Patel vows, “once I got back on my feet I would start one”(Torgan 1). This is an example of Patels selflessness because she decides to help others with their disability. Without this trait Patel would have not started the organisation in the first place. Hercules and Patel’s selflessness allowed the two to begin their adventure.

Last heroic trait that Hercules and Patel share is their strong-will that they use to complete their goal. Hercules shows his strong-will when “Eurystheus assigns Hercules twelve challenges, all of which were designed by Hera” (COTG). Hercules shows off his strong-will when he accepts the challenges Eurystheus assigned him. Without Hercules strong-will he would not have redeemed his blood guilt. Patel’s strong-will is shown throughout her story. Patel shows her strong-will when “she continued to struggle physically with her disability” (Torgan 1). Patel creating the amputee organization when no one else wanted to. Without her strong-will she would not have had the determination to go through with the project. Hercules and Patel’s strong-will allowed them to continue with their journey.

The heroic qualities of intelligence, selflessness, strong-willed are observed in Hercule’s and Patel’s stories. Hercule’s shows his heroic qualities throughout his story such as his intelligence when he tricked Atlas, his selflessness when he redeemed himself for a crime that was not his fault, and strong-will when he took on the twelve challenges of Hera. Patel shows her intelligence with her bachelor’s and two master’s, she shows her selflessness when she starts an

organization for amputees, and strong-will when she survived after the accident she was in. One

can plainly see that heroes then and now are very similar.

Works Cited:

1. “Hercules”. Clash of the Gods. History. 9 Aug. 2009. Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29

   April. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2017.