Whom do you admire more as a leader Essay Example for Free

Whom do you admire more as a leader seekThese two heroes have embarked from the same destination but on very different journeys. Whilst they ar both Iliadic heroes at the start of their stories, they develop and adapt their manner towards the characteristics required of them to succeed. Before we judge them, it is necessary to look our definition of a successful leader. A hero from the Iliad must be a speaker of actors line and one who is accomplished in action, according to the horseman Phoinix (Iliad. 9. 413). A leader must have these old qualities then, as he must lead by example, but to create the ideal we must subjoin to this. The leader should rely on no others but in turn listen to sound counsel. He should be fair in his justice, in control of his situation and surroundings, keep his men abreast of the final cause of action and rea give-and-takeing behind it, remain calm under pressure and have compassion and agreement for his people. Thus his primary concerns shou ld be the welfare of his people, their security and maintaining peace at each(prenominal) costs. His men, a unafraid indicator of his leader direct to us, should therefore mete out him loyalty, trust, and obedience, if the leader has led them suitably.The performance of the men is also all-important(prenominal), and what they pass on under his rankion is representative of his strength of leadership, though this must be compared with how they act without his presence. These measures can be seen as the important assets of a competent leader, though extenuating and uncontrollable circumstances must be pilen into account, as we make a sound judgement of our two heroes. Aeneas and Odysseus themselves are different, both in character and in their quest. Whilst Aeneas is born of the goddess Venus, Odysseus lineage has no close link to a deity.However, whilst Aeneas is of perceive descent, he receives little or no help from his mother. When he lands at Carthage and Venus is kind eno ugh to give him information about Didos people, she is disguised and departs immediately after having spoken, to the despair of Aeneas (you so often mock your confess son you too are cruel A. 1. 406). The other help he receives is limited (thick mist A. 1. 411) and with no knowledge of its existence. Whilst his mother is vehement in defending her son and his people when she is on Olympus (it is unspeakable. We are betrayed A. 1.252 take equaly on them A. 10. 60), no action is taken to ease him in his distress or console table him in person. Within the Aeneid, the gods are non the ever-present guardians that Athene is to Odysseus in the Odyssey, whether they agree or not (Hercules checked the great groan helpless tears streamed A. 10. 465). Athene on the other hand, not nevertheless helps Odysseus with her divine power but she gives him advice (go to the swineherd O. 13. 403), disguises him (change you beyond recognition O. 13. 396), and even cares for his family (instil more sp irit into Odysseus son O. 1.89, prompted the wise Penelope O. 21. 1).She is very intimate with Odysseus, conversing at length and speaking very openly (you are so persuasive, so quick-witted, so self-possessed O. 13. 333). Whilst Venus never alights on the earth to console Aeneas in his grief (heart sick at the sadness of war A. 8. 29), Athene can not bear to bury her hero in distress (I cannot desert you in your misfortunes O. 13. 332). Aeneas is in fact quite a sole(a) character and doesnt even compete in the games of Book 5, which we can easily imagine Odysseus competing in (as in the Iliad).His lack of personal contact with the gods shows that he is just a pawn, merely a very important pawn. However, the actual tangible help that Aeneas receives is far greater than Athenes to Odysseus. The son of Venus receives divine weapons beyond all words and of shining splendour. Neptunes actions against the work of Juno allow his crew to survive the shipwreck (calming the swell A. 1. 14 5). Thus, whilst Aeneas is never wedded a piece of news from the Olympians that he actually wants to hear (dumb and senseless A. 4. 280), his physical aid from the gods is great.Odysseus receives emotional and strategic help from Athene (the two of them sat down to scheme O. 13. 371), as well as assistance from Hermes in person. However, his encounters with monsters and magic are largely left to him. He is given no divine armour, and Athene checks her aid in deference to Poseidon. But Venus just goes head to head with Juno, disrespect her lesser status, and aids Aeneas. Odysseus walks with the gods and they interact with him regularly but this counterbalances his character as a loner. Aeneas leadership begins in conjunction with his father Anchises who dies in Sicily, but his son Ascanius is on the voyage also.He also has no alienation from his men, such as Achates, and listens to their words (there is no danger A. 1. 584). Odysseus on the other hand has a difficulty with listeni ng to people. Despite Agamemnons warning in Book 11 (make a secret advance O. 11. 456), it takes Athenes reminder (tell not a single person O. 13. 308) to prevent catastrophe (I would certainly have amount to a miserable end if you, goddess, had not made all this clear to me O. 13. 383). He ignores Circes advice not to vagabond on his armour when he goes past Scylla.He ignores his mens attempts to stop him saying his pretend to the Cyclops. This inability to wear criticism or advice hampers a good relationship with his men. Odysseus hardly ever refers to his men by name and the totally man whom we hear in person is the treacherous Eurylochus and the drunken ghost of Elpenor. No direct speech from a living Ithacan on Odysseus crew is ever said to him in kind. Though Odysseus goes so far as to divide the men up and share command with Eurylochus, his pondering as to whether or not he should lop his head off counts against it.Odysseus acts very much on his own compared to Aeneas w hom only ever parts company from his men when he is with Dido and when he first lands on Carthage. However, Odysseus is frequently dividing himself from his men. He receives the souls of the dead on his own, with no Sibyl to guide him. He forages on his own in Scherie, he lands his ship away from the others at Telepylus, he lets no one else control the rudder leaving Aeolia and he sleeps away from the others upon Thrinacie. Odysseus exigent action of taking everything upon himself points to the different nature of his and Aeneas travels.Odysseus is going home to free his wife, his home, and his kingdom. His men just travel by to be going to the same place. Aeneas though is going to found a new race with his people. It is essential, for his thrill to be completed successfully, that he reaches Latium with a band of men to found Rome. Odysseus though has no payload to his crew. Homer is very insistent on the fact that the Ithacans on the ship are not worth saving and could not hav e been saved from destruction, despite Odysseus attempts (in spite of all his efforts their own transgression that brought them to their indicate O.1. 6). The point that these are his fellow countrymen, whom he should have the utmost concern for , as their king, seems to be ignored. Aeneas has no legal duty to his crew as their king, unlike Odysseus. The Ithacan crew does have their shortcomings but compared to the Trojans, the Ithacans arduous trials on the seas are far worse. No rest is received from Troy until Aeaea. The Sirens, and Scylla and Charybdis also occur without a pit stop in between it is not surprising that Eurylochus expresses the wish of the men to land and take on supplies (you expect us, just as we areto go wandering off over the foggy sea O. 12. 285). The crew has lost 11 ships by the time they leave the Laestrygonians.