Q1. What are the characteristics of a hero in Homer's poems? What attributes are valued? The Homeric epics describe a race of heroic men: these men are more powerful than ordinary men, yet they are not as glorious as the gods. Heroes are characterized by their strength, war prowess, intelligence, moral character, and favor with the gods. Homeric heroes are strong and skilled warriors. Achilles is known to be the greatest Greek warrior. He is known as “the great runner” (109). He is fast, strong and skilled with a spear. When Achilles confronts Hector, King Priam begs Hector to flee. He tells Hector that he "cannot face Achilles" because "it is too much" (174). As Achilles approaches Hector, he seems like the "God of War himself" (177). The brave Hector, the greatest of the Trojan wars, loses his nerve and flees in terror. Achilles is a brave warrior; he is not afraid of anything. Charges alone against the Trojan army. He routs the Trojans, killing every Trojan in his path. When he refuses to fight due to his feud with Agamemnon, the Greeks are unable to resist without him. His very presence gives courage to the Greeks and sends fear to the Trojans. Physical strength isn't the only thing that's valued. Odysseus is the hero who proves that wit and intelligence can sometimes overpower brute strength. Odysseus is introduced as "the man of twists and turns" (207). His cunning and cunning skills are mentioned numerous times in the poem. The best demonstration of Odysseus' cunning is his escape plan from the Cyclops' cave. Odysseus knows that he cannot simply kill the Cyclops in his sleep; none of them are strong enough to roll back the immense stone. So, he hatches a clever plan, calling himself… middle of paper… proves to be the worst of suitors, even though he might be the best looking. The others are horrified to see how Antinous treats the beggar. They know that "the gods take on the appearance of strangers" (414). They know that Antinous' “fate is sealed” (414). Antinous lacks the sense of morality and hospitality that a civilized Greek should display. The Odyssey illustrates the importance of hospitality. Show examples of people who show hospitality and are blessed by it or who become instruments for blessing others. It also shows by contrast the hosts who despise their host's hospitality and the hosts who are inhospitable towards their guests. Those who manifest xenia, whether hosts or guests, are the civilized and moral characters. Those who violate xenia's rules are seen as wild and rude; they ultimately incur judgment for failing in their religious duty.