Throughout history, there have always been heroes. These courageous and strong-willed individuals who perform courageous acts for fame and glory are prevalent in most cultures. Societies have these heroes as the standards of the moral codes of their cultures. Each society has its own definition of these codes, so a unifying definition of hero can be difficult to achieve. However, Philip Zimbardo says: “Simply put, the key to heroism is concern for others in need – concern for a moral cause, knowing that there is personal risk, without expectation of reward. » With this basic definition, I will examine the characteristics of various epic heroes that I studied throughout my senior year. From numerous studies, I have deduced that Achilles, Odysseus, Aeneas, Socrates, Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Arthur all have characteristics that make them heroic. First of all, Achilles has some heroic characteristics. I don't want to compare him to other heroes I've studied because I don't like him, but I would say Odysseus, because they fought for the same goal during the Trojan War. But personally I think he's a wimp for not fighting through the entire Trojan War until things got personal because Hector killed his friend. But hey, killing Hector in his blind rage helped the cause, and therefore his people. So he's not that bad. Then, as NS Gill will write, Achilles does this. “An enraged Achilles kills Hector then dishonors the body by dragging him tied to the back of a chariot for 9 days.” So yeah, Achilles is kind of an asshole. But then again, Achilles reflects the moral codes of the culture that bore him, so in a strange way, he is the embodiment of a hero. For them at least. To me he seems to have a good... middle of paper ...... ow their lead. Works Cited Garcia, Christopher. “The Anglo-Saxon hero”. The Anglo-Saxon hero. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Gill, Nova Scotia “Achilles - Greek Hero at Troy”. About.com Ancient/Classical History. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Green, Art. “Header menu.” Blog reviews. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Hunter, James. "Aeneas." Aeneas. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Kohen, Ari. “Plato’s Heroic Vision: The Difficult Choices of the Socratic Life.” » Digital commons. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Little, Steve. “The Once and Future King.” The once and future king. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Olley, John. “Gilgamesh was a true hero.” Yahoo Contributor Network. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Wilson, Emily. “Contact us.” The good thug Ulysses. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013. Zimbardo, Philip. “A greater good.” What makes a hero? Np, and Web. November 11. 2013.