Source Analysis: The Death of Hector :: essays research papers

The Death of Hector is actually just one part of a larger work. The Iliad was written during the Dark Ages of Greece by a blind poet named Homer. It was mainly entertainment, but today has turned into a significant, though unrealistic History of the Dark ages of Greece. The Iliad was written and performed for a bunch of drunk, barbaric nobles who were the soldiers of the time. That’s the reason Homer put so much descriptive battle scenes and gory details. This is what they wanted; lots of blood, to go with the drinking and war. It is through this we get our first accurate picture of the times of ancient Greece: A backwards, warlike, perpetually drunk society whose only real interest was to gain respect and honor by killing everyone else. This makes no sense, since if you kill everybody for glory, who is left to honor you? Anyway, this was the main reason Homer wrote the Iliad. The specific story of the Death of Hector shows tells the story of Hector, who wants to fight Achilles outside the city gates. He refuses his father’s request to come inside and be protected. In the end he is killed. This entire episode shows the way one should act. Even if scared, it is better to die in battle than to live a coward. This was one of the basic tenants of the Greek code of conduct. So, not only did the stories entertain, but they also were the early Greeks code of conduct. If they were to be a "good Greek", they were to strive to be like someone in the pantheon of heroes. This honor code was needed to keep the people under one standard of honor and loyalty, and what is good, right, and acceptable. This honor code existed for many years, until Classical Greece