Greek and Roman epic heroes: Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneas

In this course we will seek to understand the nature of a hero in Greco-Roman antiquity by focusing on three significant examples: Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneas.

Our first task will be to understand the historical context: what is the status of these special beings in religion, myth and history? The etymology of the Greek word ‘hero’ suggests that they ‘protect’ (perhaps like the great goddess Hera) and in a world sharply defined by military valour it seems reasonable that these figures would come to occupy so much mental space. But it is also clear that there is a gap between our casual use of the word ‘heroic’ and the way these figures were thought to behave, particularly in the poetry of ancient epic as found in its chief exponents, Homer and Vergil.

We will examine carefully the role of Achilles in the Iliad, Odysseus in the Odyssey and Aeneas in the Aeneid. But in order to get a fuller picture, we will also spend time discussing the context of epic poetry within Greek and Roman societies respectively: Vergil composed his monumental poem several centuries after Homer and the differences at stake here are critical. We will also take some time to compare the careers of lesser-known figures such as Jason and Ajax and consider their representation in Classical literature.