Courage In The Illiad

The story of the Illiad is a story of courage, love, and bloodshed. Men fought for love and honor. The battle of Troy was fought over the Helen who was the wife of Spartan King Agamemnon who was taken from him by Paris of Troy. This then started a huge battle between the Greeks and Trojans. All of these men fought a battle over a woman they probably would never meet. They display great courage and so do the other main characters of this story.

Achilles, Son of a goddess, had nothing but courage. He didn't fear anything. He was a very skilled warrior in the trojan war and fought as if he and death were the closest of friends. When his brave friend Patroclus was killed in battle, Achilles was fueled with rage and killed Hector, the Prince of Troy. Hector was another brave character in the illiad because he fought to protect his city and Helen. He trusted in the goddess, Athena, that she would protect him. he fought courageously but died. Any man that risked their life in a fierce battle back then was courageous.
When I read the Illiad I was surprised that a huge battle was started all because of one woman. I couldn't believe that these men fought a battle that really had nothing to do with them. Achilles, a skilled warrior and son of a goddess was wasting his time fighting over a woman he didn't even care about when he could be doing something else. Hector surprised me because he didn't have to face Achilles but he did anyway. It's almost like fighting was a normal routine for people back in these times.
Men and their armies were patriarchal and they were competitive. They all wanted to see which nation was most strongest and most powerful. Many lives were lost in the process thoughout history. I feel that conflicts used to occur for the wrong reasons. In the eyes of the trojans and greeks, war was fought to honor their gods and their women.
I feel that back in the time of the Trojan war, all men wanted to do was fight and honor their gods. They didn't value their lives much at all. In my opinion Achilles just wanted to fight in the battle of Troy before his friend Patroclus died because he liked to fight and needed something to do. I guess he felt that because he was half-god that he needed to show off his power. Men took love and relationships very seriously back in these times too. i think it would be interesting to travel back into these ancient times.
The story of the Illiad was a great one. There are many stories like this of which a death of a loved one is avenged or a battle is declared because of a woman. Although noone is sure that these events took place, it gives readers a history lesson. Readers can learn about the lifestyle and personalities of people in ancient times. I have learned that you should always be courageous and fight for what you believe in.