To define “hero” is not to define the substance of a culture, but rather the projected ideals of it. Whether these heroes are farmers with pitchforks, gentlemen with books, warriors in battle, minorities with a dream– segregated from the world, or scholars with humble beginnings, we cannot look at these men without catching a glimpse of what their admirers desired to be.
Greek heroes vary from American heroes in three distinct ways: Their reasoning, their requirements, and their rewards. While no hero shares these characteristics in exactly the same ways, they are three general sectors of a hero’s character that must be addressed if one is to determine differences and similarities in personage.
The reasons that Greek heroes endeavored to become heroes varied from American heroes by motivation. The motivations of a Greek hero revolved around their reputation. Desiring fame, they selfishly pursued immortality through their quests. American heroes, however, did not strive to become heroes. They were simply men who desired a change in their world, and asserted their passions in bold and admirable ways. Whether military or political powers such as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, or civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr., these men fought for social change, equality, freedom, and opportunity in order to reach the vision they had so adamantly formed within themselves. While Greeks thrived on competition (and their heroes did, as well), American heroes molded a society by application and the concept of being united as one nation.
The Greeks did not appoint heroes as Americans do. For the most part, the Greek requirements for being a hero have much to do with position and strength, and little to do with attributes of honor– a concept quite foreign to Americans. “The heroes of Greek myths–from Perseus and Heracles to Achilles and Odysseus–share certain characteristics or experiences: a divine parent or ancestor, physical strength, courage and skill, the performance of ‘impossible feats’, an encounter with chthonic powers (often an actual trip to the Underworld), and a quest for immortality” (Harris and Platzner)
This opposes American ideology by ignoring nobility, intelligence, refinement, and leadership. While some Greek heroes may hold some of these characteristics, they are not the altruists that American heroes have been made out to be. Much of what they accomplished was rarely (if ever) for the good of Greek society, nor did it further anyone but themselves. In most cases, such as Achilles in the Iliad, it was quite the opposite. Achilles’ blood-lust could not possibly have done anything to spread good through his society. American heroes become heroes by achieving the American ideals of life, liberty, or “all men are created equal”.
The rewards that Greek heroes received are much the same as their motivations in their quests. What they sought, they found. They were considered immortal because they obtained the afterlife of a hero, they had children to carry on their lineage, or they were remembered for generations as great heroes, second only to the gods.
American heroes, however, are not merely heroes. They are revolutionaries, role-models, and sometimes even martyrs. Their rewards did not come in the form of pride, reputation, or a boost of the ego. American heroes were rewarded with a society that, by their perseverance and goodwill, they helped to advance. In America, our heroes are not remembered as men of great strength and cunning, they are honored and revered as men of great character.
There are, of course, other differences between Greek and American Heroes. Greek gods sided with heroes, and often pitted them against each other. In the Iliad, Zeus sided with Hector against Poseidon and the Greeks. While these gods seem to desire their own revenge, pride and competition, American heroes seem to have only their own drive and a command by God to achieve their dreams, along with the dreams of the entire American nation.
