The Heroic Ideal Essay Research Paper Heroic

The Heroic Ideal Essay, Research Paper

Heroic qualities have always been debatable but historians tend to agree that the qualities of a hero are a reflection of the values of the society. Augustus and Beowulf are two individuals revered as heroes during their own time. Both sustained their share of criticism but still managed to come out on top. Augustus was responsible for uniting Rome and creating a society that influenced every single society that followed. Beowulf.s success was in keeping the peace for the Geats with the surrounding kingdoms. Through comparing the ideals and values of Rome in the first century and Britain in the eighth, a definite parallel can be drawn connecting these values with how the people viewed the heroes of the time: Beowulf and Augustus.

Despite criticism that Augustus used bribery and intimidation to force his way into power, his successful leadership of Rome during the first century B.C. made him one of the greatest leaders of all time. Augustus was thought of as a powerful man and he always had the good of Rome in mind and never took his power for granted. Obviously, Augustus was proud of his leadership and even said as much in his Res Gestae Divi Augusti. His tone did not seem to be bragging, but merely stated the facts of his reign. Augustus.s first sentence reminds the Romans that he liberated the Republic at the tender age of nineteen .on [his] own initiative and at [his] own expense. (WRW 56). A common theme he repeats in his statement is how much of his own money was invested in building the Roman empire. He repaired temples, gave gladiatorial shows, .came to the assistance of the treasury. (WRW 56) and .made up [the] tribute in grain and in money from [his] own grain stores and [his] own patrimony.whenever the provincial taxes fell short. (WRW 57). He also emphasized that he repaired Rome without inscribing his name on the buildings and he often gave shows in other people.s names to show that he was not motivated by glory. He also portrayed himself as a compassionate man because he .spared all citizens who sought pardon. (WRW 56).

The Romans put forth their faith and support in Augustus and continually gave him bigger and better titles. After he ended the Roman civil wars, the senate voted him the name Augustus, which means .exalted.. Augustus refused to name himself a dictator of Rome and called himself princeps civitatis, or .First Citizen of the State.. He was eventually given full tribunician power along with the titles of prince, chief priest of the state, and emperor. The people believed he was there to restore the traditions of their Roman ancestors. The Romans even came to view him as a God.

Beowulf possessed the same loyalty to his homeland that Augustus did and always put the welfare of the Geats ahead of his own. He was described as a .formidable champion. and having .heroic bearing and appearance. (Beowulf 32) and .vast strength. (Beowulf 36). It was also said that .no other man.was a better fighter or more deserving of a kingdom. (Beowulf 47) than Beowulf. Beowulf was also similar to Augustus in his ability to tell people how great he was without bragging. Beowulf merely stated the facts and did not leave out the slightest detail about what great things he accomplished. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, declared that Beowulf .[carried] all [his] great strength.with prudence and humility. (Beowulf 67). Not only did he embody all the great qualities of a strong fighter that can protect his countrymen, he was also said to be .mature in understanding and wise in speech. (Beowulf 70). Beowulf.s downfall would have to have been his hubrus and greed. His whole point in attacking the worm was to obtain the treasure it had been guarding for ages. .He did not fear to fight [the worm], nor did he rate the might and valour of the Worm highly. (Beowulf 82). Beowulf was too sure of his great strength and underestimated the fury of the Worm, therefore, the Worm ended up killing him. Although he died as a result of his pride and greed, he had the good intentions of obtaining the treasure for the good of his people.

Beowulf acknowledged that he was a great warrior and how extraordinary his accomplishments were. When he first addressed Hrothgar, king of the Danes, he said .[his] countrymen urged [him] to visit.King Hrothgar because they knew of [his] vast strength. (Beowulf 36). Beowulf then goes on to say that he .emerged from a fight in which [he] destroyed an entire family of giants.and now [he] mean[s] to deal single-handed with the monstrous Grendel. (Beowulf 36). Beowulf relied on the immense strength he was given by God to defeat his enemies and protect his kinsman. He was so confident in his strength that he fought Grendel without the aid of his weapons. He typically left his troops behind and fought his foes alone.

Although Augustus and Beowulf shared their quality of military superiority, there were vast differences in their other aspects that tell a great deal about their contrasting societies. Of course, military strength was extremely important because kingdoms were constantly feuding with one another, but the Germanic culture Beowulf was a part of lacked the order of Ancient Rome. Germanic culture was rather barbaric in the sense that it did not possess any written laws while Roman society encompassed intellect and order. Beowulf possessed many physical qualities and took his battles very pe