Homer’s Iliad was published in 850 B.C.E., the first of the many tales of the early Greek civilization during the ten years of the Trojan Wars. The early ideas of Greek heroism were mainly driven by passion, as Homer created and visualized heroes like Achilles and Hector in this dramatic telling. The original audience of these books were to hear the story, rather than read it, in one of the Greek’s long oral traditions.
The book starts at year nine of the wars, due to the original audience already understanding why the wars were happening, what was going on, and how they were going to end. The story seems to have universally accepted on all boards as truly amazing telling of this harsh time, which could have meant that Homer was only seeking to record, though, the Greeks commonly referred to him as ‘the poet.’
The story goes as the Greeks suffer more and more defeats along the frontier. The heroic mannerisms start to happen when Patroklos, who is Achilles’ companion, went to rally the Greeks to then make an attack at Troy, to only end up being killed by the Trojan Hector. Achilles almost didn’t want to battle without his companion and friend at his side, but he returned to battle and ended up killing Hector.
The second audience in this case would be a modern boy, such as myself, to be reading Iliad (rather than listening). Being a well-off adult, barely peeking into being 20 years of age, the Iliad is a story overcoming troubling times and finding what is important you. Driven by passionate force, Achilles killed the man who killed his friend, then being even more of a hero, gave the body of Hector to be buried by the Trojans. Achilles went above and beyond his abilities to become a ‘hero’; it’s not about avenging the death of your companion, it’s winning the war, being respectful, and making both martyrs. In the eyes of the modest, what Achilles did was a very kind, generous, and heroic deed.
The Aeneid was published in 20 B.C.E. by Virgil, Rome’s beloved poet-publisher. The Aeneid was of literary epic tradition, rather than the oral of Homer’s publishing. The books recount the hero of the Aeneid, Aeneas, and his passage from Troy to Italy. The tale includes a love affair with Carthaginian Princess Dido, but his stoic duty as a Roman soldier stop his desires for his passions. The Aeneid is comprised of twelve books, the first six being Aeneas and his stoic heroic tales, the second six written from the view of the ghost of Aeneas’ father, Anchises, whom summarizes the purpose of Rome’s epic mission.
The original audience was intended for mostly royalty and sophisticated individuals. Like in the Iliad’s readings, the audience knew the history of the wars and what was going on. Again, the second audience would be a modern boy, in this case again myself, which I’m just entering adulthood. The Aeneid to me, showed Aeneas not as the biggest hero.
In this modern age, the audiences outside of the original might have trouble seeing the literary pieces exactly as the writer intended; a modern boy might be driven more by passions than to just follow what the “duties” are. Aeneas avoided his love for Princess Dido, to show his pride for his Stoicism that was highly pushed among the society. Other audiences, such as males or females heavily prideful of the military, or find dictatorships in interest, may find that Aeneas was heroic for just following his orders. Art and literary pieces are extremely situational and all about perspectives.
Audiences may find Achilles a coward after returning the body of Hector to the Trojans, some may even find it treason. But some also might think he was brave, and respectful of Hector’s father’s wishes. Just as some might find Aeneas not as heroic as his writer and country poised him out to be, not driving towards love and passion make people look like emotionless brick walls. Heroes are driven towards passion and rage that’s built up from within or just built up due to a tragic happening.
