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Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greeks in the Trojan war, is actually a demi-god rather than a human hero, having been dipped in charmed waters by his mother and given the gift of invulnerability. Odysseus, on the other hand, is a fully human character, and his heroism consists more in his cleverness, boldness and cunning than his martial ability. The contrast between these two models of the epic hero could not be stronger, for although Achilles is godlike and almost immortal in his fighting prowess, he is childish and petulant in his personality; even in the moment of his greatest triumph he lacks the nobility and generosity we expect of a truly great hero. The "man of many ways" Odysseus, however, rises above his purely human limitations to achieve a much greater destiny, triumphing over the dangers of war and wandering to come home to his wife and family. The more unpleasant aspects of Achilles' character are brought home to us shortly after we first encounter him in The Iliad, when he quarrels with Agamemnon over the possession of a concubine. Before the assembled Greek leaders, Achilles complains that he never gets his fair share of the prizes, that the Achaians do not give him sufficient honor, and that he is weary of fighting the Trojans, "since to me they have done nothing" (Lattimore, 1967:63). When Agamemnon decides to teach him a lesson and take his concubine Briseis from him, Achilles has a fit of temper and warns all the Greeks that they will be sorry they did not cater to his whims: "And then you will eat out the heart within you in sorrow, that you did no honour to the best of the Achaians" (Lattimore, 1967:65). Then he leaves to sulk in his tent. These is no question that Achilles is indeed the "best of the Achaians" in combat, but since he is the son of a goddess and blessed with invulnerability in battle, it is hardly his heroism that makes him a great warrior. His counterpart among the Trojans, Hektor, is in truth a much nobler character-- loving to his parents, wife and children, fearless in battle, and willing to sacrifice everything for his people. In comparison with Hektor, Achilles seems to be a mama's boy; in fact, we see him crying to his mother Thetis that the gods have not done enough for him by punishing the Greeks. Sounding like a little boy, he tells her, I wish you had gone on living then with the other goddesses/ of the sea, and that Peleus had married some mortal woman./As it is, there must be in your heart a numberless sorrow for your son's death, since you can never again receive him/ won home again to his country (Lattimore, 1967:377). There is great irony in Achilles' obsessive desire to kill Hektor and revenge the death of his friend Patroklos, since as Thetis reminds him, "it is decreed your death must come soon after Hektor's." As a demigod, Achilles does not possess immortality, and the fatal flaw in his makeup (his mother held him by the ankle when she dipped him in the water) means that he must someday die. Yet after killing Hektor in the great fight scene that concludes his struggles, Achilles does not hesitate to defy the gods and sneer at the threatened curse of Apollo: "Die: and I will take my own death at whatever time/ Zeus and the rest of the immortals choose to accomplish it" (Lattimore, 1967:445). Like Achilles, Odysseus has weaknesses of character, but behind them lies a keen intelligence, wit, and steadfastness of purpose. In the Trojan War, Odysseus had been a secondary character, notable mainly for his role in the episode of the Trojan Horse. In The Odyssey, however, Odysseus assumes the dimension of a true epic hero, surviving a long string of adventures and calamities before finally make his great homecoming to Ithaka and Penelope. The names by which he is called, such as "Odysseus of the many designs," show that he is to be admired as much for his native cunning as for his strength and bravery. In nearly every way, Odysseus is a more complete and likeable figure than Achilles, and we cannot help admiring him even when he misbehaves. As the goddess Kalypso, with whom he dallies on one of the many stops on his voyage home, says to him affectionately, "You are so naughty... you will have your own way in all things" (Lattimore, 1968:93). Yet Odysseus tells his next hosts, Arete and Alkinoos, that neither Kalypso nor any other woman could ever win over his heart, which remains with Penelope and the home he has not seen in almost twenty years. As an epic hero, Odysseus can best be described as a brave and cunning figure who conquers with his brain when he cannot win with his brawn. He is also a man's man, beloved of men as well as women; Alkinoos' response to him is typical; the king and father of Nausikaa tells him shortly after they have met, "...how I wish that, being the man you are and thinking the way that I do, you could have my daughter and be called my son-in-law, staying here with me" (Lattimore, 1968:119). This cannot be, of course, but there is more than one suggestion that Odysseus is seriously tempted, not only by the various women he encounters in his long journey, but also by the prospects of new wealth and nobility. Odysseus has his tender side, too, and we often see him in a sentimental and homesick mood in spite of the many pleasurable incidents of his travels. In parting from Alkinoos, he reminds us of his fondest wish: "May I return to my house and find there a blameless wife, and all who are dear to me unharmed" (Lattimore, 1968:199). When Odysseus does finally reach his homeland, he finds not only Penelope, Telemakos and Laertes waiting for him, but a crowd of suitors who seek Penelope's hand so that they may take Odysseus' place as ruler of Ithaka. At this point, we finally see the warrior in the man emerge. The struggles of his journey had merely involved beating men in trials of sport, outwitting demons and temptresses, and battling the elements; now Odysseus shows that in the business of killing his enemies and reclaiming his authority, he is at least as proficient as Achilles. The sharp contrast between Odysseus and Achilles as epic heroes suggests that for the ancient Greeks, the real greatness of a man lay mainly in the ability to overcome injuries and insults, so as to triumph over enemies and redeem one's honor. For Achilles, this meant forgetting his wounded pride and jealousy, and returning to the battlefield to avenge his slain companion Patroklos. Although he never doubts for moment that he can vanquish Hektor, there is real courage in his decision, since he knows that his own death will shortly follow that of the man he kills. It is difficult to admire Achilles personally after we have seen him sulking and snarling at his companions, but every reader must respect the loyalty and devotion he shows his friend, and the bravery of his final decision to come out of seclusion. In contrast, Odysseus is a many-sided character whose commitment and devotion to his family represent all that is best in a man. His sufferings are more serious and deeply-felt than those of Achilles, whose only fully human attachment is with his friend Patroklos. The main difference between these two epic heroes, ultimately, is that Achilles' story involves the death of many better men than himself, and ends unhappily in spite of his victory. The story of Odysseus ends most happily with the hero telling Penelope, "Dear wife, we both have had our full share of numerous trials now, yours have been here as you cried over my much longed-for homecoming, while as for me, Zeus and the other gods held me back from my own country, as I was striving to reach it" (Lattimore, 1968:344). The Greek epic hero, as epitomized in the personalities of Achilles and Odysseus, must always be a brave and powerful warrior and a loyal friend to those he loves. Achilles is far more limited in his range of feeling than Odysseus, but within that narrow range he finally acquits himself honorably. Odysseus, the great "everyman" hero of classical literature, seeks the widest range of experience and adventure possible, but finally triumphs over life by returning to the comforts of home and family. Lattimore, Richmond. The Iliad of Homer. Chicago: University of Lattimore, Richmond. The Odyssey of Homer. New York: Harper and Achilles and Odysseus-- Compares the protagonist of Homer's Iliad with that of the Odyssey as epic heroes; the importance of the virtues of strength, bravery and loyalty to the Greeks is remarked upon. 5p., 9f., 2b. Bibliography: Word Count: 1534
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