Chivalry In The Odyssey

1407 Words6 Pages
There was a time when men lived by an honorable code. They were expected to live a certain way that was deemed acceptable. Men were to tell the truth, put others needs above themselves, and treat women as if they were the most precious gem set in a flaking metal, chivalry. Chivalry has been lost in the recent years of mankind, to be precise it only last a couple hundred years. It is evident that in order for the people of today to adapt chivalric thought they must read about the past. “There were three types of chivalry in the Middle Ages. These included duties to countrymen, duties to God and duties to women. These three areas intertwined often and were sometimes hard to distinguish.” (Simon Newman) Chivalry is demonstrated throughout many…show more content…
Although both Odysseus and Achilles both had traits that could be considered chivalric they also were very selfish and self-serving. Aeneus, however, had the best characteristics that fit into the correct category. Aeneus kept his sense of faith to his people instead of himself. "I am Aeneas, duty-bound, and known/Above high air of heaven by my fame,/Carrying with me in my ships our gods/Of hearth and home, saved from the enemy./I look for Italy to be my fatherland,/And my descent is from all-highest Jove." (The Aeneid) He gave the impression that he cared more about what was best for his countrymen rather than looking for self-gratification. When he fell in love with Dido he did not want to leave her but he did when he was told that he needed to leave to get back on track with his destiny. “”. It is this self-sacrifice that makes Aeneus the closest to chivalric that any of the Greco-Roman heroes can accumulate to. “The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one.” (Honore de…show more content…
In this passage Roland is thrown into a war, not by his choosing. “Saul examines the economics of knightly warfare both as a reflection of desires for material wealth and as evidence for chivalric prowess.” (Kate McGrath) Roland is in a war with an army much greater than his and his men want to run and hide. Roland does not like this idea so he makes his men and fight. Roland ends up dying due to a blood vessel bursting in his head. However his courage to stay and fight was highly admirable and validates his chivalric status. It is obvious that chivalry is demonstrated throughout many texts including: Arthur, Percival, Green Knight, The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, Beowulf, and the Song of Roland. The first and best example of chivalry is expressed in the text Arthur. The next demonstration is conveyed is in the story of Percival. Another illustration of chivalry can be found in the tale of Green Knight. Chivalry is both gained and lost in the epic poems of Greco thought. The next articulation is communicated in the tale of Beowulf. The last text that voices chivalry is in the Song of

More about Chivalry In The Odyssey

Open Document