Abstract

This dissertation compares Plato's critique of the Homeric education presented in Books II and III of Republic, which culminates, it seems, in a rejection of the hero Achilles as a suitable model for human conduct; and Homer's own depiction of Achilles in the Iliad, which had been so much admired in the Greek tradition as an exemplary portrait of the good man. Following a simple two-part plan of first describing the character of Achilles through a reading of the Iliad, and then examining Plato's apparent critique of the hero in light of the original poetic depiction, the dissertation seeks to account for, or at least to clarify, the apparent disagreement of Homer and Plato with respect to the hero and his virtue, and to shed some light on the significance of Plato's departure from the traditional poetic education within his project of political reform in the Republic. ;In Homer, we find Achilles portrayed as the best warrior and the most courageous man. His virtue, however, is accompanied by profound unhappiness. Above all, he is troubled by the fact that although he is the best man and risks his life on behalf of his allies, he has not been honoured or rewarded to an extent that reflects his virtue. ;It is precisely this difficulty of Achilles that Plato seems to denigrate in the Republic; he re-presents the hero's concern to be honoured as nothing more than a love of gain accompanied by a violent disdain for gods and human beings, and thereby renders Achilles unattractive as a model. As such, then, Plato seems to by-pass a direct consideration of the all-too-human concern to be justly honoured, which is expressed in Homer's original depiction of Achilles' character