LAC-14 “Concept of the Hero in Ancient Greek Civilization” Midterm Review
Please send questions/comments to: yihongni@fas.harvard.edu
Summary:
Diomedes, leading the Achaeans and helped by Athena and Hera, kills many famous Trojan warriors. Ares, Apollo, and Aphrodite help Aeneas and Hektor, who lead the Trojans. The
Greeks are dominant in this scroll with Trojans trying to recover. Diomedes at first backs down from fighting Ares although he wounds Aphrodite. However, with Athena’s encouragement,
Diomedes attaches Ares. The gods and goddesses themselves take sides. A main theme is the lineage connections that heroes have with Zeus and the other gods and goddesses. Their fates are affected by which divine powers intervene on their behalf. Yet their kleos is earned through their own choices to charge to the front in battle. In this sense, death or being saved by divine intervention, either way kleos is achieved. Also note the theme of anger. Diomedes is described like a lion – so fierce that even gods consider him a daimon . Also note the restraint that even angry warriors have when it comes to confronting the gods. Diomedes, though angry, heeds
Athena’s instructions not to fight any other gods except to wound Aphrodite. This is seen in the
Greeks’ retreating when Hektor charges toward them with Ares and Enyo by his side.
Greek Terms: kleos – glory, fame ex. Capturing the horses of Tros from the Trojans. menis – anger ex. Anger of Zeus and anger of other gods. therapontes – attendants krino – read, sort kharis – service psukhe – life-breath, spirit (after life) ichor – immortal blood daimon – unnamed god ex. Shed by Aphrodite and Ares from their wounds. ex. Used several times by the gods to describe Diomedes.
ponos – busy, labor, stress ex. Warriors busy with fighting, struggles of battle. time - honor telos – end, conclusion (of life) ex. Used to describe deaths of the twin sons of Diokles. demos – locale akhos – grief kosmos – reason themis – right (as opposed to wrong) pontos – sea aidos – shame ex. Not being brave enough in battle. Opposite of Achilles (V.785).
Important Passages (2-3):
See below in the Characters Lists for passages, their context and verse numbers.
V.245-250: Diomedes asserts his bravery – gains kleos .
V.460-465: Ares encourages Trojans to fight fiercely. Theme of divine instilling “heart and soul” into them all. This “heart and soul” refers to the bravery ~ adrenaline rush, which ultimately causes some of the heroes to lose their psukhe
. So it is like exchanging one form of “heart and soul” ( psukhe ) for another form (that which can achieve kleos ).

Divine Characters
Athena
– Greek side. Puts valor into heart of Diomedes.
– “She threw her tasseled aegis about her shoulders, wreathed round with Rout as with a fringe, and on it were Strife, and Strength, and Panic whose blood runs cold; moreover there was the head of the dread monster Gorgon, grim and awful to behold, portent of aegis-bearing Zeus. On her head she set her helmet of gold, with four plumes, and coming to a peak both in front and behind – decked with the emblems of a hundred cities…” (V.735-740).
– Encourages Diomedes to fight Ares: “Fear neither Ares nor any other of the immortals, for I will befriend you. No, drive straight at Ares ...” (V.825-830). Athena an Diomedes attach Ares and wound him, driving him up to Olympus.
Hera
– Greek side. Wife of Zeus.
– Encourages Greeks to fight: “Argives, shame [ aidos ] on cowardly creatures, brave in semblance only; as long as Achilles was fighting, his spear was so deadly that the Trojans dared not show themselves outside the Dardanian gates…” (V. 785-790).
Hephaistos
– Trojan side. Saves Idaeus after Diomedes kills his brother Phegeus.
Aphrodite
– Trojan side. Daughter of Zeus. Cyprian goddess, mother of Aeneas. Wounded in the hand by Diomedes’ spear.
Phoebus Apollo
– Trojan side. Protects Aeneas from Diomedes. Takes him to Pergamus.
– god of the silver bow.
Ares
– Trojan side. War god. Son of Zeus and Hera. Brother of Aphrodite. Lends her his chariot.
– assumes likeness of Acamas (chief of Thracians) to encourage Trojans to fight.
– wounded by Athena and Diomedes. Complains to Zeus, but Zeus calls him “Sir
Facing-bothways” (V.885).
Dione
– Mother of Aphrodite. “Bear it, my child and make the best of it. We dwellers in
Olympus have to put up with much at the hands of men, and we lay much suffering on one another.” (V.380ff).
– she lists examples of the gods suffering at the hands of mortals. (1) Ares: imprisoned by children of Aloeus in vessel of bronze. (2) Hera: wounded by son of Amphitryon. (3)
Hades: arrowed by son of Amphitryon.
– “Diomedes the bravest of the Achaeans.” (V.415).

Human Characters
Diomedes
– Greek side (a.k.a. Argives, Danaan). Son of Tydeus the famous horseman.
– he is helped by Athena. Fire flares from his shield and helmet, and with Athena’s help, he brings down whole phalanxes of the Trojans.
– his life, almost taken by Pandaros’ arrow, is saved by Athena.
– Told by Athena not to fight any other god but to wound Aphrodite.
– described like a lion.
– killed Phegeus, Astynoos, Hyperion (shepherd of his people), Abas and Polyidus (sons of old man dream reader Eurydamas), Xanthos and Thoon (sons of Phainops).
– captured the horses of Tros after killing Pandaros and wounding Aeneas.
– “Talk not of flight, for I shall not listen to you: I am of a race that knows neither flight nor fear, and my limbs are as yet unwearied.”
– quoted by Dione (mother of Aphrodite) as “Diomedes the bravest of the Achaeans.”
– described as equal to a daimon .
– “Diomedes shook with passion as he saw them [Hektor, Ares, dread Enyo]. As a man crossing a wide plain is dismayed to find himself on the brink of some great river rolling swiftly to the sea – he sees its boiling waters and starts back in fear – even so did the son of Tydeus give ground.”
– Diomedes: “give ground backwards, for we dare not fight with gods.”
Agamemnon
– Greek side. King of the Argives. Son of Atreus. Brother of Menelaos.
– killed Odios (chief of Halizoni), Deikoon (son of Pergasus).
– encouraged the Greeks to fight: “my friends, acquit yourselves like brave men, and shun dishonor in one another’s eyes amid the stress of battle. They that shun dishonor more often live than get killed, but they that flee save neither life nor fame [ kleos ].”
Sthenelos
– Greek side. Son of Kapaneus.
– Spots Aeneas and Pandaros on chariot drawn by horses of Tros, speeding toward Diomedes. Warns Diomedes about their approach.
– gives horses of Tros to Deipylos to take back to Greek ships.
Deipylos
– Greek side. Given the horses of Tros by Sthenelos, who saw him as his chosen comrade, most like-minded to himself.
Menelaos
– Greek side. Son of Atreus.
– killed Skamandrios (son of Strophios)
– encouraged by Ares to confront Aeneas. Saved by Antilokhos (son of Nestor).

Antilokhos
– Greek side. Son of Nestor. Came to stop Menelaos from confronting Aeneas.
Crethon and Orsilokhos
– Greek side. Twin sons of Diokles, grandson of the river Alpheus. Killed by Aeneas
(“fell like high pine-trees to the ground.”)
Ajax
– Greek side. Son of Telemon. Struck Amphios (son of Selagus of Paesus) with spear.
Tried to take Amphios’ armor, but surrounded by Trojans. He backs down.
Tlepolemus
– Greek side. Son of Herakles. Grandon of Zeus. Fights Sarpedon and is killed. His death moved Odysseus to pity and to fighting.
Odysseus
– Greek side. Son of Laertes, husband of Penelope, father of Telemakhos. Moved to pity by and determined to fight after Tlepolemus’ death at hand of Sarpedon.
– killed Koiranos, Alastor, Chromios, Alkandros, Halios, Noemon, Prytanis.
Idomeneus
– Greek side. Killed Phaesus
Meriones
– Greek side. Killed Phereklos (son of Tekton, grandson of Harmon).
Meges
– Greek side. Son of Phyleus. Killed Pedaeus (son of Antenor).
Eurypylus
– Greek side. Son of Euaemon. Killed Hypsenor (son of Dolopion).
Dares
– Trojan side. Priest of Hephaistos. Father of Phegeus and Idaeus.
Phegeus and Idaeus
– Trojan side. Sons of Dares. They fought Diomedes from their chariot.
– Phegeus was killed by Diomedes, but Idaeus was saved by Hephaistos.
Odios
– Trojan side. Chief of Halizoni. Killed by Agamemnon.
Phaesus
– Trojan side. Son of Borus the Meonian from Varne. Killed by Idomeneus.
Skamandrios

–
Trojan side. Son of Strophios the huntsman. Taught by Artemis in archery.
Hektor
– Trojan side. Son of Priam.
– Rebuked by Sarpedon. Advised to encourage the Trojans to fight fearlessly.
– aided by Ares and Enyo to confront Diomedes, who back down his men.
– killed Menesthes and Anchialus.
– with Ares’ help, Hektor killed Teuthras, Orestes (charioteer), Trechus,
Oenomaus, Helenus (son of Oinops), Oresbios.
Aeneas
– Trojan side. Son of Anchises and Aphrodite.
– seeks out Pandaros for help in fighting Diomedes. Convinces Pandaros to go on chariot with him and confront Diomedes.
– hip bone crushed by stone thrown by Diomedes. Saved by his mother Aphrodite.
Protected by Phoebus Apollo after Aphrodite is wounded by Diomedes.
– healed by Leto and Artemis.
Sarpedon
– Trojan side. Son of Zeus.
– Rebukes Hektor for not doing enough to encourage the Trojans when they are being utterly torn apart by the Greeks. He mentions his infant son and wife at home.
“Where I have left my wife, my infant son, and much wealth to tempt whoever is needy; nevertheless, I head my Lycian warriors and stand my ground against any who would fight me though I have nothing here for the Achaeans to plunder…”
– fights Tlepolemus and is wounded.
– his comrades lay him underneath Zeus’ spreading oak tree. Almost loses his life but regains it.
Pandaros
– Trojan side. Son of Lykaon.
– Shot arrow at Diomedes, which would have killed him had not Athena intervened.
– did not bring his horses (feared they would not be fed well) but only brought his bow and arrows.
– killed by Diomedes after attempting to spear Diomedes.
Phereklos
– Trojan side. Son of Tekton, grandon of Harmon.
– of cunning workmanship, loved by Athena
– built the ships for Alexander, heeded not the decrees of heaven
Pedaeus
– Trojan side. Son of Antenor. Brought up by Theano as one of her own children.
Hypsenor

– Trojan side. Son of Dolopion.
– Priest of the river Skamandros. Honored by locals as though he were a god.
Astynoos
– Trojan side. Killed by Diomedes.
Hyperion
– Trojan side. Shepherd of his people. Killed by Diomedes.
Abas and Polyidus
– Trojan side. Sons of old man dream reader Eurydamas. Killed by Diomedes.
Echemmon and Chromios
– Trojan side. Sons of Priam. Attacked by Diomedes and thrown from their chariot.
Deikoon
– Trojan side. Son of Pergasus. Respected by Trojans as equal to sons of Priam.
– Always volunteer at forefront of battle. Killed by Menelaos.
Xanthos and Thoon
– Trojan side. Sons of Phainops. Killed by Diomedes.

Summary:
Five major events happen in this scroll: (1) Menelaos is about to spare the life of Adrastos but is rebuked by Agamemnon. They kill the captive, and this shows that heroes are capable of lacking any mercy whatsoever. (2) Diomedes and Glaukos bond in friendship and exchange gifts even though they are on opposing sides. This shows how lineage and friendships of ancestors carry into the warriors’ contemporary relationships. Also touches upon gift exchange and its symbolism. (3) Hektor is advised by his brother Helenus the augur to instruct his mother and
Trojan matrons to go pray to Athena for her help in protecting Troy. Athena does not answer their prayers. (4) Hektor visits his wife Andromache and his baby son for the last time, and
Andromache begs him to stay. He is grieved by her lamentation more than anything else about the war. Hektor is all of mother, father, brother, and dear husband to Andromache. (5) Hektor urges his reckless brother Alexander to fight his own battle, and expresses disappointment at
Alexander’s lack of judgment and sensibility. He has a brief conversation with Helen also. Helen talks about the theme song of the Iliad . She references the macronarrative.
Important to note is Hektor’s comment to Andromache that a man’s fate is sealed from birth, and when time comes, whether he chooses to be hero or coward, he must come to his end either way. This scroll is full of tension between peace (Diomedes and Glaukos) and war (Trojans and Greeks), love (Hektor and Andromache) and rage (Diomedes against Trojans; Agamemnon against all Trojans, even the unborn), nostos (returning home to wife and kids) and kleos (giving to society’s need for heroes and defending one’s people).
Greek Terms: kleos – glory, fame ex. Capturing the horses of Tros from the Trojans. therapon – attendant daimones – gods hora – spring (this is interesting since it also refers to time… maybe beginning – or spring – is the marker for time?) Use in Glaukos’ reply to Diomedes about generations coming and going. demos – locale sema – signs, markings (Bellerophon’s tablet of baneful signs), tomb (referring to Andromache’s father’s tomb-elm grove) (VI.420). krino – selected, chosen time – honor nemesis – ill-will, dishonor ate – derangement ponos – toil alethea – truth ex. When Hektor asks maid about where Andromache is, she tells him truthfully.
Important Passages (2-3):
See below in the Characters Lists for passages, their context and verse numbers.
Divine Characters

Divine intervention is not the focus of this scroll. The first verse of this scroll says “The fight between Trojans and Achaeans was now left to rage as it would , and the tide of war surged here and there over the plain…” (VI.1). Instead, this passage focuses on the human characters, in particular, Diomedes and Glaukos, Hektor and Andromache, Alexander and Helen.
Athena
– Greek side. Daughter of Zeus. She does not answer the prayers of Priam’s wife and the
Trojan matrons.
Antaea
– Micronarrative. Wife of Proteus. Lusted after Bellerophon (most beautiful). Because
Bellerophon rejected her upon his honor, she told lies about him to Proteus and made
Proteus angry at Bellerophon. Thus, Bellerophon suffered toils from his father-in-law.
Human Characters
Diomedes
– Greek side. Son of Tydeus.
– killed Axylus (son of Teuthranus, beloved by all men as a host) and his attendant
Calesius.
- fights in single combat with Glaukos (son of Hippolokhos). He has never seen Glaukos in battle until they meet for this fight. Diomedes says to Glaukos that if he is immortal, then he won’t fight him. Tells a story about Lykourgos (who fought the gods and lost).
“Therefore I will not fight with the blessed gods; but if you are of them that eat the fruit of the ground, draw near and meet your doom” (VI.120-140).
– he finds out Glaukos’ lineage and connects with him as friends because they’re ancestors were friends. “Great Oineus once entertained Bellerophon for twenty days, and the two exchanged presents. Oineus gave a belt rich with purple, and Bellerophon a double cup, which I left at home when I set out for Troy … Henceforth, however, I must be your host in middle Argos, and you mine in Lycia … let us avoid one another’s spears even during a general engagement … we two, then, will exchange armor, that all present may know of the old ties that subsist between us” (VI.215-230).
Menelaos
– Greek side. Son of Atreus. “of the loud war cry” (VI.35).
– took Adrastos alive (VI.45) and thus was rebuked by Agamemnon.
“My good Menelaos, this is no time for giving quarter. Has, then, your house fared so well at the hands of the Trojans? Let us not spare a single one of them – not even the child unborn and in its mother’s womb; let not a man of them be left alive, but let all Ilion perish, unheeded and forgotten.” (VI.55-60).
– Menelaos gives Adrastos to Agamemnon, who kills him.
Agamemnon
– Greek side. Son of Atreus, brother of Menelaos. King of Argives (“king of men” VI.30).
Killed Elatus of Pedasos and Adrastos (though he begged for mercy).

Nestor
– Greek side. Father of Antilokhos. Encourages the Greeks by saying: “Let us kill as many as we can; the bodies will lie upon the plain, and you can despoil them later at your leisure.” The narrator continues: “With these words he put heart and soul into them all.
And now the Trojans would have been routed and driven back into Ilion…” (VI.70).
Ajax
– Greek side. Son of Telamon. “Tower of strength to the Achaeans” (VI.5).
– killed Acamas (son of Eussorus), best man among the Thracians.
Euryalos
– Greek side. Son of Mecisteus.
– killed Dresus and Opheltios.
– pursued to kill Aisepos and Pedasos (sons of naiad nymph Abarbarea and
Bucolion son of Laomedon).
Polypoetes
– Greek side. Killed Astyalus, Odysseus Pidytes of Perkote, Teucer Aretaon.
Antilokhos
– Greek side. Son of Nestor. Killed Ablerus.
Leitus
– Greek side. Killed Phylakos.
Eurypylus
– Greek side. Killed Melanthos.
Glaukos
– Trojan side. Son of Hippolokhos. “Son of Tydeus, why ask me of my lineage? Men come and go as leaves year by year upon trees. Those of autumn the wind sheds upon the ground, but when spring [ hora ] returns the forest buds forth with fresh vines. Even so is it with generations of mankind, the new spring up as the old are passing away” (VI.145).
– His descent: he is son of Hippolokhos and grandson of Bellerophon. Bellerophon is a descendant of Sisyphus (craftiest of all mankind) and put through many trials by his father-in-law.
– through his story of lineage, Glaukos connects with Diomedes.
– in exchanging present with Diomedes, Glaukos exchanges his golden armor for bronze.
Adrastos
– Trojan side. Captured by Menelaos. He caught Menelaos by the knees and begged for life. “Take me alive, son of Atreus, and you shall have a full ransom for me: my father is rich and has much treasure of gold, bronze, and wrought iron laid by in his house. From this store he will give you a large ransom should he hear of my being alive and at the ships of the Achaeans” (VI.45-50).
– killed by Agamemnon, who will have no mercy on any Trojan, even the unborn.

Helenus
– Trojan side. Son of Priam (one of several), brother of Hektor. Wisest of augurs.
– Told Hektor and Aeneas: “you two are the mainstays [ ponos ] of the Trojans and
Lycians, for you are foremost at all times, alike in fight and counsel; hold your ground here … Then when you have put heart into all our companions, we will stand firm here and fight the Danaans” (VI.75-80).
– Tells Hektor to ask their mother to gather all the matrons at the temple of Athena and lay her largest, fairest robe upon the knees of Athena, promise to sacrifice twelve yearling heifers, if Athena will take pity on the town, and keep Diomedes from advancing. “For he
[Diomedes] fights with fury and fills men’s souls with panic. I hold him mightiest of them all; we did not fear even their great champion Achilles, son of a goddess though he be, as we do this man: his rage is beyond all bounds, and there is none can vie with him in prowess” (VI.85-100).
Hektor
– Trojan side. Son of Priam, brother of Helenus. Listens to Helenus’ advice and urges
Trojans to fight. They are able to push back the Greek offense.
– Hektor instructs his mother to gather the women of Troy and to offer prayers to Athena to stop Diomedes from advancing. He also says: “while I seek Paris and exhort him, if he will hear my words. Would that the earth might open her jaws and swallow him, for Zeus bred him to be the bane of the Trojans, and of Priam and Priam’s sons. Could I but see him go down into the house of Hades, my heart would forget its heaviness” (VI.280-285).
– Visits his own home to find Andromache and his infant son. Hektor finds Andromache weeping at the high wall with his infant son.
– He has a final conversation with Andromache: “My own wife, do not take these things too bitterly to heart. No one can hurry me down to Hades before my time, but if a man’s hour is come, be he brave or be he coward, there is no escape for him when he has once been born” (VI.485).
– Later when Alexander catches up with Hektor, Hektor says to him: “My good brother, you fight bravely, and no man with any justice can make light of your doings in battle.
But you are careless and willfully remiss. It grieves me to the heart to hear the ill that the
Trojans speak about you, for they went through much toil [ ponos ] on your account. Let us be going, and we will make things right hereafter, should Zeus grant that we set the cup of our deliverance before ever-living gods of heaven in our own homes, when we have chased the Achaeans from Troy” (VI.520-525).
Andromache
– Trojan side. Wife of Hektor. Daughter of great Eetion ruler of Thebe and king of
Cilicians. Mother of Skamandrios (aka Astyanax).
– She begins to lament about Hektor’s choice to go back onto the battlefield. “Dear husband, your valor will bring you to destruction; think on your infant son, and on my hapless self who before long shall be your widow - … I shall have nothing left to comfort me when you are gone, save only grief [ akhos
] … Nay – Hektor – you who to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband – have mercy upon me …” (VI. 405-430).

Alexander (Paris)
– Trojan side. Son of Priam, brother of Hektor.
– Rebuked by Hektor to go fight. Alexander says: “I am not here so much through rancor or ill-will [nemesis] towards the Trojans, as from a desire to indulge my grief. My wife was even now gently urging me to battle, and I hold it better that I should go, for victory is ever fickle” (VI.335).
Helen
– Woman who is the cause of the war between Trojans and Greeks. Wife of Menelaos, but abducted by Alexander to be his wife. She comments to Hektor that Alexander is reckless, and she feels sorry for Hektor who must bear all the burden of fighting: “This fellow [Paris] was never yet to be depended upon, nor never will be, and he will surely reap what he has sown. Still, brother, come in and rest upon this seat, for it is you who bear the brunt of that toil [ ponos ] that has been caused by my hateful self and by the derangement [ ate ] of Alexander – both of whom Zeus has doomed to be a theme of song among those that shall be born hereafter” (VI.350-355).
Theano
– Trojan side. Priestess of Athena. Daughter of Cisseus and wife of Antenor.
She prays to Athena asking her to break Diomedes’ spear. She says Troy will offer twelve yearling heifers. But Athena does not grant her prayer.
Axylus
– Trojan side. Son of Teuthranus, beloved by all men since he was a generous host. Yet none of his guests came to his aid. Killed by Diomedes.
Astyalus
– Trojan side. Killed by Polypoetes.
Odysseus Pidytes of Perkote
– Trojan side. Killed by Polypoetes.
Teucer Aretaon
– Trojan side. Killed by Polypoetes.
Ablerus
– Trojan side. Killed by Antilokhos.
Elatus
– Trojan side. Killed by Agamemnon.
Phylakos
– Trojan side. Killed by Leitus.
Melanthos
– Trojan side. Killed by Eurypylus.