Comparing the Greek Hero to the Renaissance Polymath:
How their Similar Ideals Prove the Steadfastness of Human Nature
CMRS 110
December 2, 2016
Submitted to Zachary Yuzwa
By Cassidy Sim
Introduction
Past scholars have done plenty of research looking into the qualities of an ancient Greek
hero, and what traits were valued by the average person in classical Greek society; many others
still have spent years studying the renowned polymath, or “perfect man” of the Renaissance.
Both the ancient Greek hero and Renaissance polymath can be considered significant
developments in the field of societal conception of ideal personal qualities. This study will take
traits typically assigned to a Greek hero in past scholarly studies, and compare them to those of
the ideal Renaissance man, to see what the two have in common, and therein, what humans value
in general, regardless of the time frame. Through an analysis of ancient texts, including Homer’s
Iliad and Virgil’s Aenied, as well as a consideration of various scholarly studies, it has become
evident that ancient Greek heroes and the ideal man of the Renaissance are similar in their
striving for “perfection” and appreciation of the arts, but contrast starkly when it comes to the
underlying philosophies behind their character. This comparison shows how the societal
conception of the “ideal person” changes its philosophical foundation over time with culture, but
more importantly, the consistencies between the qualities that different societies value, even
when separated by thousands of years, proves the steadfastness of human nature.
Overview and Analysis of Concepts
For this project, I have created an extremely brief sonnet cycle of 3 Shakespearean
sonnets praising Achilles from a Renaissance speaker’s point of view. The purpose of the sonnet
cycle is to demonstrate the similarities between the traits valued in the ancient Greek heroes, and
those valued in the polymath of the Renaissance. The main difference between these “ideal”
models for the time periods is the religious/philosophical foundation on which they stand; this
difference is emphasized in the sonnets through the Renaissance speaker’s use of Christian
motifs in place of Greek mythological references. The Renaissance speaker creates a sense that
Achilles was a warrior of God, created in perfection, sent to cleanse the earth of heathens, and
ultimately send Aeneas to found the Roman Empire, where Jesus would be born. Some parts of
the original Greek story may have been altered in the sonnets to fit the speaker’s purpose, as was
often the case in the Renaissance, where writers and poets used Greek mythology as inspiration
for their work.
From researching personal traits and skills valued in both ancient Greece and the
Renaissance, it has become evident that both cultures hold the arts in high esteem (Boring, 1979;
Grant, 1982; New World Encyclopedia, 2015) and both saw an increased appreciation for human
form and realism, in particular (Grant, 1982). Terrence Boring finds that literate education as
well as musical training were held in high regard. Cultural values like these suggest that
idealistic Greek heroes, particularly in the later part of the Hellenistic period, would have placed
value on scholarly achievement or musical and poetic ability, yet may not have possessed those
literacies themselves. However, it is true that Hellenistic heroes put more sacred value on these
objects than they did monetary or economic value (Gernet, 1981), while Renaissance artists often
created their works as a means of income.
Another striking similarity between the two cultures is their underlying striving for
perfection. While the Greeks aimed for “perfectus,” a state of divinity/heroism achieved after
sacrificing oneself to bring prosperity to one’s people, polymaths of the Renaissance strove to
achieve mastery in all subjects to perfect oneself (New World Encyclopedia, 2015); both,
however, often show themes relating to divine communion (Gernet, 1981; Budin, 2004; New
World Encyclopedia, 2015).
While religious differences divide the two, the Renaissance polymath and Greek hero
show strikingly similar qualities and themes overall, regardless of the thousands of years
between them. From this, it is demonstrated definitively that human ideals, and therein human
nature, is a static concept. While underlying philosophies and deities change, the approach to
heroism/perfection remains the same. This allows for a deeper understanding of humanity, and
literature as a whole, because readers can be assured that the foundation of the emotion and
memory put into ancient text is no less relevant now than when it was written.
The following sonnets have been composed with reference to excerpts from
Shakespeare’s Sonnet Cycle (Callaghan, 2007) to establish style, and they are intended to
demonstrate, in as much realism as possible, the similarities between classical Greek and
Renaissance values, while emphasizing the emotion relevant to both Achilles and the
Renaissance poet regardless of the [Christian] religious underpin.
The Sonnets
Sonnet 1
Perfection is the babe borne unto Styx
For baptism in her ever-flowing stream.
Any man to gaze upon him transfixed
By his fair figure’s celestial gleam.
Master of the lyre, of war, and of wit,
Divine by nature, he communes with God:
The mighty warrior of ancient writ
In whose everlasting wise steps men trod.
Yet those most learned and skilled with thy tool,
None can compare their sculpture to God’s hand,
Thy best render seems but sketched by a fool
When thy model, as Achilles, commands.
No man since has achieved such perfection:
More suited are we to mere reflection.
The first of the sonnets mostly tells of Achilles’ perfection, in his appearance (4), mastery
of several subjects (5, 8), and eventual godlike status (6). For the Renaissance polymath,
academic and physical perfection was striven for; the ideal man would have a mastery of all
subjects, including athletics, thereby achieving human perfection (New World Encyclopedia,
2015). Similarly, the ancient Greeks strove to achieve “perfectus,” which meant to commune
with the gods; those who reached perfectus were heroes by definition: they became godlike after
having brought wealth/fertility to their people, whether by sacrifice or some other feat (Budin,
2004; Gernet, 1981), like Achilles, through his masterful warfare and eventual death resulting
from his killing Hector (which ultimately decided the fate of the war).
Achilles was learned in the art of music, and in many representations, is shown as Chiron’s
pupil, learning to play the lyre (5). Being an educated individual in the time of the Greeks,
Achilles must then also have been considered “wise” (8); it was common for things like literacy,
or musical ability in earlier times, to be held in high esteem (Boring, 1979).
His “fair figure’s celestial gleam” (4) is meant to parallel descriptions of Christ, or other holy
figures in the Bible, who are often represented with a divine halo.
The last sestet of the sonnet stresses the unrivaled perfection of Achilles, and ends off in
admittance that while Renaissance men may catch a glimpse at true perfection, it is not
something humans are capable of, as God is the sole artist when it comes to such a thing.
Sonnet 2
Fair-painted brilliance of Gods’ own hand:
Achilles, blessed art thou and thine wrath,
Thy endless vengeance brings plague to the damned:
Sent to follow righteous His spoken path.
Till thy blade runs red with royal blood,
Retrieve thine angel taken in envy,
Redeem thine brother lost, left slain in mud:
Light pure the flame to rend this land clean.
Yet to thine own fate, thou must pay no heed,
The Father has bid it, so shall thee die.
In death, the birth of a king dost thou breed,
So forth shalt thou charge, and let thy spear fly.
Play sweet the lyre, sing sacrifice, o lord,
Send to judgement this idolatrous horde.
Sonnet 2 focusses on Achilles’ part in the Trojan War. In the context of this sonnet,
Achilles is acting as a divine vessel for God’s wrath, sent to “cleanse this land,” by essentially
slaughtering the Trojans. For this reason, many allusions to Christianity and God are made. As a
“plague” (3), Achilles resembles the biblical plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-11, Bible).
Line 5 refers to Hector’s death having sealed the fate of Achilles, and is followed by allusions to
Helen (6) and the death of Patroclus (7), all of which are allusions to those found in Homer’s
Iliad (Fagles, 1990).
In line 11, the poet has alluded to the birth of a king, resultant from Achilles death. This can be
interpreted as the rise of Aeneas founding Rome after the Trojan War, as told in Virgil’s Aeneid
(Fagles, 2006), or when analyzed in conjunction with the third sonnet of the cycle, it could be
considered a more direct reference to the eventual birth of Christ in the Roman Empire (Mathew
1:18, Bible).
Thematically, there are several references to art in this sonnet, namely in line 1, “Fair-painted,”
and in the first line of the rhyming couplet, “Play sweet the lyre, sing…” The inclusion of
artistic imagery is used here to emphasize the shared adoration of art found in ancient Greece as
well as during the Renaissance (Boring, 1979; Grant, 1982; New World Encyclopedia, 2015).
Sonnet 3
Mislead in name and altar thee may be,
Thyself blinded from thy true shepherd’s face:
From worship of idols thou will not see,
Till the one ruling god thou doth embrace.
Thine veins run blooming with spirit of Saul:
An essence that yet hath no name, no holy rite,
And steers thine to yield to its inborn call,
Breathed into thine flame by His divine might.
Still, Ananias’ hand, thou too, shall save,
Surrendered to Him, thou yield his son,
And rest now soundly in the peace He gave,
To soon fulfill what thy Lord bids be done.
Sate thy wrath, Achilles, and feast with God,
Serve faithfully for Him, and sing thy laud.
The final sonnet in the cycle addresses the concept of differing religious foundations
when considering the Greek hero and Renaissance polymath. Written in the view of a
Renaissance poet, a strong Christian theme predominates the sonnet. The poet makes reference
to Greek polytheism early in the sonnet (2, 3), employing a clearly derisive tone. However, he
also takes up the argument that Achilles is innocent in having not known about God: he simply
was not taught properly to recognize that the divine force that he believes to be Zeus/Greek gods
is really the Christian God (1, 2, 6, 7). The overriding allusion in this sonnet is the story of Saul,
otherwise known as Saint Paul, or Paul the Apostle (Acts 9, Bible). According to the Bible, Saul
was a Roman sent to persecute Jesus of Nazareth, but encountered the Lord on the way and was
blinded. The Lord commanded Ananias, a common man, to find Saul in his lodging, and to
place his hands on Saul, so that he may see, and begin to follow God faithfully. The poet here
compares Achilles to Saul, claiming that they are of the same blood (5), and that Achilles, too,
shall meet his Ananias and be brought to see (9), and to yield “his son” (10), a reference to both
Saul’s abandonment of his persecution of Christ (Acts 9, Bible), and Achilles’ having agreed to
return Hector to Priam. Of course, in this context, the father of the “son,” having not been
capitalized, implies that Priam is the man in question, and therefore Achilles’ Ananias. Thus, the
complexity of the comparison comes to light. Priam was sent by the gods to Achilles’ tent
(Fagles, 1990, lines 443 and 552) to lay his hands on Achilles and bring him to see why he
should give up his torment of the son (Fagles, 1990, lines 546-561, and 743), Hector. This
creates many very direct parallels to the story of Saul and Ananias. A beautiful comparison, this
allows the Renaissance poet to create an argument for Achilles’ being guided by the Christian
God, and shows how truly alike the two are, Renaissance polymaths and Greek heroes,
regardless of the philosophical divide.
Bibliography
Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Biblia.com. http://biblia.com/books/esv/Jn1.1 (Accessed
December 2, 2016).
An online version of the Christian Bible.
Boring, Terrence A. Literacy in Ancient Sparta. Leiden, The Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1979.
An independent publication, Literacy in Ancient Sparta discusses the proposed origins of
reading and writing in ancient Sparta, as well as an interpretation of several texts and
etchings by various writers or average citizens of the period. Boring suggests that
literacy, the ability to use writing for a definite purpose, was a much more common and
celebrated part of ancient Spartan society than previously believed. In an analysis of
several artifacts and texts, Boring deduces that Spartans held great interest in poetry, and
while much of them were likely illiterate, poetry was often recited orally. She finds that
literate education as well as musical training were also held in high regard. Cultural
values like these suggest that idealistic Greek heroes, particularly in the later part of the
Hellenistic period, would have placed value on scholarly achievement or musical and
poetic ability, yet may not have possessed those literacies themselves.
Budin, Stephanie L. The Ancient Greeks: An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press,
2004.
This publication entails an overview of ancient Greek civilization and culture throughout
the ages, from the Dark Age to the fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms. For this project, the
Religion and Ideology chapter has been isolated, specifically for focus on section
discussing the “Heroes, Heroines, and Tomb Cults.” In this section, Budin introduces
ways to become a hero in Greek society. Per the text, most often mortals transcend into a
semi-godly status to become heroes following death; they are usually believed to have
held influence on the land after their passing. However, one may become a hero through
something like self-sacrifice as well. This is relevant to the project as it gives context to
the reasoning behind the heroes’ recognition.
Callaghan, Dympna. Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
This collection of several Shakespearean sonnets, as well as an analysis of each, was used
in this study as a means of reference when composing Shakespearean-style sonnets.
Fagles, Robert, trans. The Iliad. Homer. Penguin Books, 1990.
An English translation of Homer’s epic poem entailing the story of Achilles and the
Trojan War, up to the burial of Hector.
Fagles, Robert, trans. The Aeneid. Virgil. Penguin Books, 2006.
An English translation of Virgil’s Aenied, which tells the story of Aeneas, a displaced
Trojan following the Trojan War, who ultimately founded Rome following his journey
through the lands.
Gernet, Louis. The Anthropology of Ancient Greece. Translated by John Hamilton, S.J. and
Blaise Nagy. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 1981.
A collection of articles all written and published by Louis Gernet thoughout the 1940’s
and 50’s, in various journals. Topics covered include religion, mythical thought, law and
justice systems, social institutions, and philosophy. For this project, three articles have
been selected for further study:
“Anthropology in Greek Religion” 1955. Anthropologie religieuse, II, PP. 49-59.
This article discusses the Greek concepts of justice, hubris, and heroism in a religious
context, with a mostly Hellenistic standpoint. Gernet describes the Greeks’ reliance upon
the gods’ influence in justice, and the resulting air of disdain in Greek polis culture
towards those who attempt to transcend their “place” in society through appeals for
authority independent of godly influence. Heroes, representing the intermediate between
the gods and men, are somewhat of an exception, and bring justice and prosperity/fertility
to their people with the blessing of the gods. Often not recognized as heroes until after
their death, it is apparent that Hellenistic heroism does not necessarily require exceptional
achievement. This contrasts modern/Renaissance views of heroism, and brings an
interesting element to this study’s portrait of the ideal Greek hero.
“The Mythical Idea of Value in Greece” 1948. Journal de psychol. XLI, pp. 415-62.
Concerning the values placed on monetary and religious relics in ancient Greece. There
is a significant amount of discussion pertaining to prizes awarded to participants in events
such as the Homeric games, and a detailed account of some notable prizes themselves.
The religious significance of these prizes in the contexts of the myths presented suggests
that Hellenistic heroes put more sacred value on these objects than they did monetary or
economic value.
“The Origins of Greek Philosophy” 1945. Bulletin de l’enseignement public du Maroc,
no. 183, pp.1-12.
This section discusses a variety of ancient Greek philosophical belief systems, and the
various philosophers associated with them. The emphasis that is placed upon divination
or “divine right” is a notable theme among the philosophies presented. A significant
amount of value is placed on the idea of “Perfectus,” high achievement/privileged
knowledge in the ways of the gods. This topic supports the concept of traditional Greek
heroism as it involves a degree of divination (from man to god).
Grant, Michael. From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellenistic World. New York: Scribner,
1982.
This book has been used to gain a contextual understanding of the values of everyday
Greek society that may have been reflected in their accounts of heroism. Study focussed
primarily on Chapters Three and Four, “Reality and the Individual” and “The Search for
Peace of Mind” respectively. In these chapters, Grant describes the cultural and societal
advancements of the Hellenistic era. Several specialized disciplines are discussed in
length, including science, anatomy, astrology, mathematics, and philosophy, but Grant
places emphasis on the artistic developments of the time. He observes an increased
appreciation for human form and realism as it is expressed in Hellenistic art; there is
often a seeming disposition towards the crude or jarring aspects of life expressed in the
artistry. The increasing popularity of philosophical study and education is also noted,
which spurred further development in the overall literacy and sophistication of Greek
thought.
New World Encyclopedia. 2016. Polymath. Newworldencyclopedia.org.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Polymath (Accessed December 2, 2016).
This webpage provides a simple overview of the Renaissance polymath, and those
qualities associated with him. A convenient source for this purpose, it entails many of
the commonly-known concepts associated with the polymath, useful for comparison with
traits researched regarding Greek heroes.