What are the characteristics and values of a Roman hero and how does he compare to Greek
heroes from the Iliad or Odyssey?
What are the characteristics and values of a Roman hero and how does he compare to Greek
heroes from the Iliad or Odyssey? In this paper, students should:
a) Write an introduction that identifies the topic and lays out the comparison between Roman and
Greek heroes. Students must choose one Roman hero, either Aeneas or Horatius, and compare
him to one Greek hero from the Iliad or Odyssey, chosen from: Achilles, Hector, or Odysseus.
b) Describe the characteristics (or virtues), values, and motives of a Roman hero. Also, be sure
to give examples of them from the hero’s myth.
c) Compare the Roman hero to male Greek heroes from the Iliad or Odyssey. What differences
and similarities exist between their characteristics, values, and motives?
For sources, students should review chapters 18 and 19 in the Harris and Platzner textbook (for
Roman heroes). Students may also want to review chapters 10, 12, and 13 for Greek heroes.
Lecture notes and group discussion answers could be useful as well.