Four Pillars of the Heroic Code

The first is "always to be the best and bravest and to be distinguished above others."

The second aspect of the code is the most direct and immediate in its relation to battle: 'to stand fast firmly'.

The third pillar of the code is "to be a speaker of words and a doer of deeds."

The final aspect of the code has only a fleeting mention in the Iliad, but rises to center stage in the Odyssey: the concept of "helping one's friends, while harming one's enemies."

"The aim of the high-status warrior was public recognition of his ability. The Homeric proto-aristocrat endlessly competed with his fellows for prestige (kudos, timê), with the goal of being recognized as 'best' (aristos); his greatest fear was failure and its accompanying communal humiliation. Responsibility and loyalty were directed towards his immediate circle of friends and companions (philoi, hetairoi). Wealth was a by-product of prowess, a sign of success, and a means of increasing one's influence. Mental excellence was important, but mainly as an aid to action. A handsome or prepossessing exterior was the obvious accompaniment of size and strength and of the status that they commanded. Descent from gods or from other great warriors was both proof of ability and incentive to excel further The sense of membership in an exclusive group of like-minded men, regardless of tribal affiliation, was prominent" (Walter Donlan, The Aristocratic Ideal in Ancient Greece, 23-24).

Ring Composition and Geometric Structure in the Iliad

Ring composition means that a topic stated at the beginning of a speech or passage is repeated, either verbatim or in similar language, at the end of the speech or passage. Often, a series of topics mentioned in the first half recurs in reverse order in the second half. Thus, the entire poem is structured in this fashion of balance and polar opposition. This form is similar to Geometric art in its formal and rigid structure:

• hêrôs ("hero")

• hôrê ("season")

• herôs ("love")

• klea andrôn hêroön ("glories of heroic men")

• aristeia ("prowess in battle")

• kalos ("handsome," "beautiful," "noble")

• kallistos anêr ("handsomest man")

• agathos ("good")

• esthlos ("better," "noble")

• aristos ("best")

• kakoi ("bad," "base," "cowards")

• promachoi ("front-line fighters")

• anêr agathos ("a good man")

• kakoi ("cowards," "base men")

• aretê ("virtue," "excellence," "ability")

• timê ("honor," "esteem")

• aidôs ("self-respect," "sense of shame")

• geras ("material reward," "booty")

• aischunê ("disgrace," "shame")

• sôphrosynê ("moderation," "temperance," "self-control")

• kleos ("glory," "fame")

• akleiôs ("ingloriously")

• kleos aphthiton ("imperishable glory")

• andreia ("courage")