As shown in Homer's The Iliad, the ancient Greeks had a very different perspective of what a hero was than we do now, in the 21st century. The Greeks portrayed Hektor as being what they would consider a weak man, and Achilleus was portrayed as a strong one. Nowadays, after reading The Iliad, most people have the opposite opinion of these two characters.

In Homer's time, a man's strength was determined by his wealth and his honor. Wealth could have been found in a man's wife and his mistresses. The reason so many men fought over Helen of Troy was that she was the most beautiful woman in the world and to be married to her would be a sign of great wealth. Wealth could also have been seen in a man's armor, possessions, money, and home. Greek men were expected always to fight for their cause and...