The Iliad is an epic poem that glorifies the heroic ideals that war imposes on its men. War itself has a strange and deadly allure for those involved in it. Although war is characterized as terrible and dark, it is also characterized as the path through which glory ('kleos') emerges in man. Warriors are often seen as eager to leave their lives behind and fight for their homeland, willing to risk everything. The ultimate goal of the ancient Greeks, shown throughout the epic, is immortal fame that lasts beyond death. The concept of glory helps define what it means to be a hero and, as such, is fundamental in shaping everything that emerges in Homer's Iliad. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Defeat and death are essentially inevitable in battle, as the Iliad will show. This epic is a poetry that lives, breathes and has all its essence in war, creating a world of violence in which man can justify his existence, in the clearest way, by defeating and killing others. The realities of war are not ignored; men die terrible, gruesome deaths, women are forced to become concubines and slaves, and cities are pillaged for all they are worth. Even the most honorable of warriors has his doubts and uncertainties; but even so, war is not considered a waste of time or a loss of life. Each side and each warrior is shown to have a justifiable reason for fighting: immortal glory. War is, therefore, depicted as a reliable means of resolving the decades-long dispute. Kleos is the glory that could be achieved by heroes who sacrificed their lives to fight and die on the battlefield. To die gruesomely, violently and dramatically was to do the greatest and most honorable deed: "Ah, for a young man everything seems beautiful and noble if he falls in war, torn to pieces under a sharp bronze blade - mind there dead... but whatever death lays bare, all wounds are signs of glory” (Homer Iliad 22. 84-8, pp. 543-544). Death Sacrificing all they have known and loved, these warriors fought for the honor and glory that would live on in their children and subsequent generations beyond death: "Well, let me die, but not without struggle, not without glory." , no, in some great armed clash that even future men will hear about over the years!” (Homer's Iliad 22. 359-62, pp. 551). The warriors of ancient Greece were judged for their competence, their courage, and their bravery in battle – not only by other mortals, but also by the gods. Those who chose not to fight were seen as weak and cowardly. For example, Diomedes shouted to Odysseus: “Where are you running, royal son of Laertes, cunning tactician? Turning your back in battle like a coward!” (Homer's Iliad 8. 108-110, pp. 234). Kleos must be sought after, but often at great cost. Time and again, warriors' wives begged their husbands to be cautious, for they too know the likely ending: Reckless, my Hector, your fiery courage will destroy you! Don't you pity him, our defenseless son? O me, and the fate that weighs on me, your widow, now so soon. Yes, they will soon kill you... /What other warmth, what comfort is left for me, once you have met your doom? /Have mercy on me, please! Stand here on the rampart, before you orphan your son and make your wife a widow (Homer Iliad 6, 482-512, pp. 209-210). Andromache, Hector's wife, begs him to stop fighting on thebattlefield and, instead, to use a defensive strategy and to command from within the walls of Troy. She, like many other warrior wives, wished her husband would find a safer way to fight. Hector can accept the suggestion; however, he cannot proceed. His response reveals the tragic dilemma that many warriors often face when glory is at stake: All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman. But I would die of shame in facing the Trojan men and the Trojan women trailing their long robes if I retreated from the battle now, like a coward. Nor does the spirit move me so. I learned this all too well. Resist bravely, always fight in the front ranks of the Trojan soldiers, bringing great glory to my father, glory to myself (Homer Iliad 6. 522-29, pp. 210). Being a great hero means sacrificing everything for the battle. Hector realizes the path he must choose to reach eternal glory; behave as if he had no value to his life and that of his family. The Iliad, while appreciating the obligations and bonds that unite families, places respect for glory significantly higher. Heroes must choose between their beloved family and their great desire for kleos, and they often choose the latter. We see throughout the epic that Achilles must choose which path of destiny he will follow. His life has been predestined, as were all lives in ancient Greece, and he must choose between two destinies: “If I stand here and lay siege to Troy, my journey home is over, but my glory never dies. If I return to the homeland that I love, my pride, my glory dies... it is true, but the life that will leave me will be long, the blow of death will not come upon me soon" (Homer Iliad 9. 501-05, pp 265 ). When Achilles first retreats from battle, he chooses to live a long, unglorified life, of which he will gain no heroic memory beyond death. After Hector kills Patroclus, however, Achilles changes his mind and seeks to avenge Patroclus' death: “But now I will go and meet that murderer with his head held high, that Hector who has destroyed the dearest life I know. As for my death, I will face it freely… /But now, for the moment, let me win great glory!” (Homer's Iliad 18. 136-145, pp. 471). Avenge the death of Patroclus means choosing a short life, but full of immortal and eternal glory. Although Achilles is determined to kill Hector, he will also do his best in battle to honor Patroclus' name. As such, Achilles' kleos will extend to Patroclus, as he is using his own honor to bring glory to his companion. While war itself is a gruesome and dehumanizing affair, emphasis is placed on recovering the body for proper burial. Those who died heroically in battle, regardless of who they were and what side they were on, must be treated with respect. In this case, kleos can be assured to the hero if his body has been properly returned and honored, as told by Hector at the hands of Achilles: “I beg you, I beg you for your life, your parents – do not let the the dogs devour me near the Argive ships! /but give my body to friends to take home, so Trojan men and women can honor me with appropriate fire rites once I am dead” (Homer Iliad 22. 399-405, pp. 552). This notion that respect and fame remain beyond death further illustrates the struggle to achieve glory. The Greeks believed that glory and honor lasted much longer than anything physical in a person's life, and the pursuit and protection of this notion was the powerful force behind what happened in the lives of the Greeks. If kleos can be achieved by proper burial,.