(Judging from the Story that Homer tells, what might you say about the ideals of the Greek warrior? How do warriors behave?)
 
     In the passage from The Illiad, Homer goes to great extent to describe the behavior of the two warriors that both represent the ongoing conflict between the two city-states. Achilles and Hector, two men greater than all those around them, forced to meet and ultimately only one would survive. This proved to be an excellent way to describe the battle between Sparta and Troy, two states larger than the others, without equal and because of conflict only one would ultimately triumph. In doing this, he used Achilles to paint a very haunting image of what the Greek warrior was and to what depths he would go, showing no respect for those that crossed his path.
     Achilles, even today, is a mythical, legendary hero. One usually does not depict savage and inhumane acts with ones who hold such vaulted reputations. However, in his dying pleas to have his body sent back to Priam, Achilles scoffed at Hector. It was Hector, who had slain Achilles's friend Patroclus and donned his armor, who was going to suffer at the hands of birds and dogs. Achilles showed no remorse and would not barter or make any 'compact' with his foe, here was no leniency or forgiveness in anything that he did that day. It was Achilles, void of emotion and feeling who achieved his goal. A relentless warrior, with only one objective, who defeated an opponent who could not offer the same resolve and tireless commitment for victory. The day Hector died, he offered bribes and thought of ways to deter Achilles from his course. The day Hector died he showed weakness, at this point he was already dead. It is safe to think that all of these Greek warriors aspired to the ideals and heroics of Achilles.
     From Homer's portrayal, the Greek warrior was not one to bargain, negotiate, or even think. They were men who were trained to achieve their pursuits and also exact vengeance on those who may have done them or their kin wrong. They were not the type to forget past trespasses and would never yield, their valor was in their iron hearts and resolve. The Greeks showed no capacity for any weakness and did not stray from their goal. It was thier resolve that would hold out, their resolve that would win the day and claim victory for fallen comrades.
     Finally, when you compare this to a general stereotype of a warrior, the mold fits. While it is noble to think of great 'compacts' that may have been honored by people of the time, that ultimately displayed a weakness. Achilles, the Greeks, were ready to accept their fate and would not ask any quarter. This adamant will to face their fate ultimately led to victory on that day, as more than likely countless other conflicts. While a warrior's behavior could be defined in a variety of ways, it is very likely to think that the actions of  the Greeks helped to today define what these was are.