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The Heroic Code. The code which governs the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a simple one. The aim of every hero is to achieve honour , Honour is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much so that life would be nothing without it. Therefore, honour is more important than life itself .
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The code which governs the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a simple one. The aim of every hero is to achieve honour, Honour is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much so that life would be nothing without it. Therefore, honour is more important than life itself. Although this code is often believed to be unwritten and only understood to whom it applies. So our understanding can only be seen through examples within the characters. ‘They are essentially driven to action by a need for social validation: status, respect, honour in the eyes of other men’ – Clarke (historian)
Features of the heroic code Courage and physical strength are the two most desired characteristics in the Homeric code. Kleos: Eternal glory Nostos: Homecoming Four columns of heroic code • To be the bravest and best of all others • To stand fast and firmly • To be a speaker of words and doer of deed • Help ones friends and harms ones enemies
Heroic code within characters Nestor- ‘Remember each of you, your children, wives, possessions and your parents – on their behalf I beg you to stand firm don’t let yourselves turn round and run away.’ (not in studied books) ‘Ah, if only I were still as young and with all my powers intact’ –Book 11 By this Nestor reminds the men of who they are and what status they hold, his reputation of being a fount of wisdom and living by the heroic code.
Heroic code within characters Achilles – ‘Achilles in the front line once again destroying Trojan ranks with his bronze spear, so let him keep that image in his mind as he fights the enemy.’ – Book 19 Although at first he doesn’t live up to the heroic code, by the end of the Iliad he becomes the epitome of it by avenging patroclus. Desire for glory is most apparent in Achilles than other characters for example Paris sets it aside for desire for pleasure, Agamemnon's desire is for revenge and to reclaim what is his. xenia (Xeinia): bond of guest-friendship (xenos/xeinos: host/guest)
Heroic code broken Hector- ‘he could not stand his ground , he left the gate and ran in panic’ –Book 22 He loses faith momentarily being unable to control his terror, losing his understanding of the heroic code. Hectors sacrifice in the heroic code was of no use as the actions lead to his humiliation in death, with Achilles dragging he unburied corpse ‘round the walls of Ilium’.
