Greek Hero

3 Pages 652 Words

Greek Hero’s and Their Society The Greek heroes served society by demonstrating the morals and values of the Greek Gods in humanistic terms. All Greek heroes had similar characteristics and qualities. These qualities are an essential part of the hero’s make-up. Without them, the hero would not be able to overcome the challenges that life presented him. Along with specific qualities, Gods always played an important role in the creation of heroes. In fact, many of the hero’s fathers were Gods. Greek heroes shared the human condition of mortality. This quality of mortality made the heroes easier to relate to from a human standpoint. The quest was the heroes right of passage into glory. Every Greek hero needed a quest to become a champion among the Greek people. I believe Peruses is an excellent example of a hero meeting the needs of society by demonstrating qualities that where present in a hero. In the story of Peruses his immortal father was Zeus. Zeus was the father of many Greek heroes. Danae, Piraeus’s mother, was locked up in a golden chamber where no man would go. Acrisius, Danae’s father, did this because an Oracle had told him that Danae’s first born would kill him. Zeus, being very promiscuous, transformed himself into a liquid stream of gold. “Just as a shower of rain falls and becomes absorbed by the earth, so this golden shower penetrated the ceiling of the golden room. Danae found these riches pouring onto her lap.” pp.199 With out Zeus, Peruses would have never been born. Zeus then protected his family by carrying them across the sea and letting them survive their inevitable fate brought on by Acrisius. I feel that this helps teach society that your family should always be there for you when you need them. Being mortal helps Peruses by letting him experience poverty and other human conditions. This differs from many of the gods, and helps the story relate more to the reader. “Feeling self-conscious about hi...