Hero's Journey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hero's Journey - Essay Example Pericles and Alexander the Great are two historical figures that are exemplary of the culture from which they came. Pericles was an influential statesman, speaker, and general during the Persian and Peloponnesian war. Much of the reputation of Athens for being a place of learning and culture came from Pericles’ promotion of the arts and literature. Though he did not record his speeches himself, the Greek historian Thucydides recreated many of them in his works. In Pericles’ funeral oration, he uses the occasion to not only praise those that died in the war, but to â€Å"celebrate Athens and its democratic ideas† (Western 865). He was such a prominent figure that this time period was referred to as the â€Å"Age of Pericles.† Being the prominent figure that he was, his main interest was in promoting the society of the Greeks: â€Å"Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favours the many instead of the few; this is why it is called democracy† (867). As we can see, Pericles takes pride in his country and the ideals which he believes in and is trying to instill in other people. Alexander the Great was more ambitious than his fellow Greek Pericles. Indeed, he went undefeated in battle and conquered most of the world that was known to the Greeks by the age of thirty-two. Alexander also did not record his own life; once again the fellow Greek Plutarch took that task upon himself. As was often the case in the ancient world, if someone was to accomplish an amazing feat, then it was considered that the gods must be somehow involved and favoring the individual. This idea is present in Plutarch’s history: By this means, as it would seem, it was suggested to Dareius from Heaven that the exploits of the Macedonians would be conspicuous and brilliant,