Defining Honor

An Epic is essentially a war story, and its heroes are warriors, but men like Achilles and Hrothgar aren’t just
bloodthirsty likkers eager for their next fight. They also strive to achieve arete, or personal honor and
excellence. In their eyes, it is honorable to fight bravely for one’s king and comrades, and dishonarable to
seek safety for oneself when one’s friends are threatened. To die at the hands of a more powerful enemy is far
preferable to living with the dishonor of having fled a fight or failed to give one’s all in battle. What do the
concepts of honor and personal excellence mean to you? How can an ideal of honor make society a better
place? Could it also harm society? Write down your own definition of honor and personal excellence. Also,
write down what you think society’s definition of honor is. Think about how your definition of honor and
today’s definition of honor are similar and differnt from “arete.”