Exploring The Greek Worldview: Ananke, Moira, and Arete.

Consider the concepts of ananke, moira, and arete that define heroism according to the ancient Greek worldview.

By Painter: Franz Matsch (died 1942) Franz Matsch Photographer: User: Dr.K. — Own photograph by uploader. The original painting is a fresco on the upper level of the main hall of the Achilleion at Corfu, Greece., Public Domain, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16265221

“This is the end. The gods are calling deathward.
I had thought
a good soldier, Dêíphobos, was with me.
He is inside the walls. Athêna tricked me.
Death is near, and black, not at a distance,
not to be evaded. Long ago
this hour must have been to Zeus’ liking
and to the liking of his archer son.
They have been well disposed before, but now
the appointed time’s upon me. Still, I would not
die without delivering a stroke,
or die ingloriously, but in some action
memorable to men in days to come.”

― Homer The Iliad Book 22, Fitzgerald Translation

Today the word hero is most often associated with firefighters, paramedics, and police officers, those who act in service to the public putting comfort to the wayside at the risk of personal harm or death. Think of the firefighter who rushes into a burning building to save a…