For the Homeric hero, honor was a code to follow, earned on the battlefield, achieved through oratory, and achieved through athletic ability. However, to understand why honor was an important theme in Homer's Iliad, we must examine how the heroes of the epic poem, such as Agamemnon and Achilles, lived by this code, by observing their behavior and the way they treated others throughout history. With this in mind, we can establish the ideal conduct that ensures honor and the reality of what living by such a code meant for everyone involved. Victories in battle earned the Homeric hero honor in the eyes of his fellow Aristoi; However, this was not enough to show their triumphs. “… [T]here seems to be a close equation between honor… and the possession of a “prize”…” (Block 1, p. 50), as success in combat could be forgotten, the heroes materialized these prize victories. taken as spoils of war. These awards constitute a lasting symbol of their achievements; their importance was therefore immense. We see this importance demonstrated in the way Agamemnon is determined to keep Chryseis, his "trophy", telling his father: "The girl, I will not return..." (Iliad, 1, 29). She is the embodiment of his honor, manifested in the flesh. When Agamemnon is forced to return her to her father, Agamemnon's symbol of honor disappears and his pride is hurt. This dishonor may even jeopardize his position as leader of the Greek army and explains why he demands the "price" of another man. The insistence on personal gain seems to protect the Homeric hero against the consequences that can happen not only to him, but also to those that can occur. under his direction. Agamemnon ignores the evidence that the girl's father is a priest of the god Apollo, saying... middle of paper ......re that guaranteed compliance with this code was the way their fellow aristoi would judge them. The poem thus emphasizes the nature of the human being and suggests that mortals should try to live their lives as honorably as possible, so that their memory survives them. Therefore, the quest for honor in the Iliad is, as Emlyn-Jones says, that it "...gives us insight into the heroes' weaknesses as leaders...and the inherent instability of the social code according to which they operate…” (ECW, essay 2, 2006, p. 63). Bibliography: Ancient sources: Lattimore, R. (trans.) (1961) The Iliad of Homer, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press , reproduced in Readings 1 (2006) A219 Exploration the Classical World, readings 1.1-6, pp. 7-62, Milton Keynes: The Open University. Modern sources: Emlyn-Jones, C. (2006) Experiencing the Classical World, essay two, “The