In the world of heroes, they all have the same goal they strive to be glorified or honored after death. The Greeks use the phrase Kleos aphthiton or Eternal Glory (Van Bryan). Take Achilles in Homers Iliad for example. He was a strong, cunning warrior who was a demi-god renowned for his prowess on the battlefield, especially in his victories against the Trojans. You might have heard the term Achilles Heel In the legend Achilles could only be injured at his heel, as when he was a child he was dipped into the river Styx and was held by his heel. So his only weakness was his heel. During a point in the Trojan War, he refused to fight due to a beautiful princess was taken away from him. Being depressed, his best friend took his armor pretending to be him then tragically dying in battle. Achilles then comes back to avenge his fallen friend and inspires his army, eventually being shot with an arrow in his heel and subsequently dying due to his Achilles heel(History)(Rachael Noodra). This can also be seen in the ep
ic poem hero of Beowulf. Not a half-god but a mortal whos a noble and courageous warrior just like Achilles. Another powerful male role model for their fellow soldiers is to fight harder for their homeland. Beowulf travels to a distant land to aid King Hrothgar, King of the Danes, to slay the Grendel who is the unholy spawn of Cain. Leading to a vicious fight with Grendels Mother in the Mere to a dragon as the king of the Geats. Both of these men can be called epic heroes of loyalty to their compassion. However, when it comes to death in battle, they seek the most honorable yet, dramatic sacrifices on the battlefield which is called Kleos. A medium and a message (Van Bryan) to the people who hear their tale from the afterlife and beyond. In Anglo-Saxon terms, the closest word would be hubris which was too much prideful way of thinking that can lead many to glorious deaths and short-lived lives as a society or a selfless deed for the people theyre trying to protect, especially for Wiglaf to future generations.