Heroism is defined as great bravery, and when we look at history, we see many examples of great bravery from the ancient period to the medieval era. Many of these heroes are either inspired by great works of literature or have inspired literature themselves. From the ancient period we turn to Homer's epic The Iliad and read of the heroism of Achilles, Hector and Odysseus. Later in the story, we view the warrior-king Beowulf and his adventurous tale as that of a true hero. In the late medieval period, we romanticized the stories of knights and transformed them into “knights in shining armor,” defenders of the weak and protectors of the innocent. From medieval times we have different tales that depict knights as heroes, while in others they are presented as men who fail to uphold their strict code of conduct, chivalry. Heroism in Troy What it takes to be a hero changes, but primarily focuses on features related to courage and working for a just cause. In many cases, ancient Greek heroes were protected by their gods, so the men themselves often possessed quasi-divine powers. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (2013), in Achilles' case he was the son of a nymph and a king, so he had divine strength and was the Greeks' most successful warrior during their sack of Troy. Achilles was considered such a hero that after his death he was worshiped as a god (Burgess, 2012). Hector was the eldest son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Jean de Longuyon cites Hector among his Nine Worthies, warrior heroes who are models of chivalry (O'Reilly, 2012). Odysseus was a favorite of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, because of his intelligence. Odysseus is behind the Trojan horse that initially ended the war in g...... middle of paper ...... and the lord's wife enters Sir Gawain's chambers to seduce, he shows humility. Gawain follows and defends chivalry. Another popular story from this era was Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale. The tale of the Wife of Bath illustrates how important it was for knights to lead chivalrous lives. Heroism is an idea that transcends the ages. From ancient war heroes protected by the gods to the gentle knight who lives for honor, we see how the idea of ​​heroism evolves over time. However, we can see qualities in all the heroes who bond with each other. We see people working and striving to protect the things and people they care about. It is very important to note that history has remembered these heroes for centuries and millennia; I think this shows how important the qualities of care and strength are to societies of the past, present and future..