Everyone believes Akhilleus is a great homeric hero, but that’s not true. The Iliad by Homer, is the story of the Trojan war, the war between the Greeks and the Trojans over Helen. Akhilleus, the greatest warrior on the Greek side, causes the Greeks countless casualties in the war due to rage caused by his wounded pride. The Greeks believed in the arete warrior, a warrior who showed excellence in moral response, strength, skill, determination and courage. Without these five traits, a warrior wasn’t considered a hero. Akhilleus, clearly lacks moral response, skill and determination. The most important trait someone like Akhilleus should have is moral response. After Agamemnon takes Briseis from Akhilleus, Akhilleus is furious. While talking…show more content… After Patroclus’ death he was furious and he wanted to kill all the Trojans. He said, “I’d send our soldiers into action now unfed and hungry” ( Homer book 19 lines 227-228). If Akhilleus was smart, he would let his men rest and eat at the first chance they get, so they’ll fight better. After he joins the battle, Akhilleus ends up fighting Scamander, a river god. Scamander calls for Apollo’s help, “ As he spoke, the great spearman Akhilleus in a flash leapt into stream from the arching bank” ( Homer book 21 lines 273- 275). Akhilleus should've realized that a river god would have a lot of power in a river. As a result, Akhilleus is almost killed by Scamander and only survives because he is saved by Hephaistos. Once Akhilleus finds Hektor, Apollo has possessed Hektor and Akhilleus chases him in the middle of battle. He only realizes that Apollo was distracting him after Apollo himself tell him and he say, “ Archer of heaven, deadliest of immortal gods, you put me off the track, turning me from the wall this way” ( Homer book 22 lines 17- 19). Akhilleus lets Apollo distract him without even realizing what’s going on, he only cares about killing Hektor. Akhilleus hasn’t proved to be very good at the last two traits. Akhilleus also doesn’t display very good…show more content… After Patroclus died and Akhilleus was refusing to eat, the gods had to feed him, “ Come, infuse in him sweet nectar and ambrosia that an empty belly may not weaken him” ( Homer book 19 lines 379- 380). The only thing he wanted was to avenge him and when nobody else would go into battle without feasting he decided not to eat and had to be fed by the gods. After the funeral games it said that, “ By day he rested in his own hut, abandoning Hektor’s body to lie full-length in dust” ( Homer book 24 lines 17- 20). When Agamemnon tries to apologize to Akhilleus he says, “ Why must Argives fight the Trojans? Why did he raise an army and lead it here?” ( Homer book 9 lines 412- 414). Akhilleus doesn’t feel like fighting anymore and he’s starting question why they’re fighting after Agamemnon takes Briseis. Like before, Akhilleus did not show determination. As shown throughout this essay, Akhilleus does not fit the requirements, moral response, skill or determination, to be an arete warrior. He lacks moral response when he asks the god to slaughter his own men. He doesn’t show much intellectual skill in war by wanting his troops to attack while they are hungry and tired. He also lacks determination by asking why they are even fighting. Akhilleus does not show arete traits and that means he is not a
