These authors felt the same way about manhood; the men followed the principle of arete. Arete means that if a man were dealt a challenge he wouldn’t back down, he would fight, even to the death. The Iliad speaks about a few characters that were so overwhelmed with rage that nothing else mattered to them. Achilles has all the marks of a great warrior, and proves the mightiest man in the Achaean army. He is brave and is ready to accept any challenge, “Achilles put on his armor; he gashed his teeth, his eyes gleamed like fire, for his grief was greater than he could bear. Thus, then, full of fury against the Trojans, did he don the gift of the god.” (Pg 236) Hector was another su

Why were these men so barbaric? There are a lot of explanations for their behaviors and attitudes. It could have been their way of life, the government they had, or the things their fathers bestowed onto them. I was sure that this type of behavior was rid of, and would not exist in the modern world we live in today; but on September 11th a similar barbaric actions took place in the United Stated. So I can’t say that these behaviors and attitudes are ancient to us. We are yet about to enter into war again in the year 2001, so looking at it this way, these books aren’t really that old are they? We live in a free country, and we also live in a country with a democratic government, but still that doesn’t prevent barbaric actions like the bombing of the trade centers. And what’s more barbaric than killing innocent people?

Agamemnon’s pride makes him so arrogant that he demands that Achilles prize Briseis be given to him, and because of this attitude of him the Greeks army suffered devastating loses. Achilles was angry because of this and withdrew from the war, and this along with Agamemnon’s stubbornness caused them to back away and lose the Trojan War.

Agamemnon is the king of Mycenae and commander-in-chief of the Achaean army. He’s not nearly as strong as Achilles but he has a similarly hot temper and prideful streak. He says, “Achilles, valiant though you be, you shall not thus outwit me. You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me.” (Pg 3) He is so set in his ways and so prideful that even though Apollo plagued him and his people he would not give up. He returned Chryses to her father, but instead he asked Achilles for a replacement and that he wouldn’t rest until he gets another woman by his side, this was how arrogant he was.

War came naturally to the men because of arete, they were trained to kill and fight for their land. They couldn’t back down so of course the other side wouldn’t back down either and that’s would be the start of a war. War became such a big part of their lives that even the women made challenges. The women of Sparta stated, “...you endanger our lives and lib

Some topics in this essay:
Greek Roman, Aristophanes Lysistrata, Oedipus Polynices, United Stated, Seven Thebes, Throne Creon, Athenians Laconians, Eteocles Polynices, Lysistrata Lysistrata, Trojan War, seven thebes, aristophanes lysistrata, war naturally, behaviors attitudes, arete code, wouldn’t fight, achaean army, fight eteocles, trojan war, fight war,