greek-museums:Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki:The hero HippalkmosHippalkmos was a hero, patron
greek-museums:Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki:The hero HippalkmosHippalkmos was a hero, patron of humans, against the dark forces of nature. In this depiction he is seen attacking a bull with a spear. The relief was dedicated by a resident of Seleucia. (200-150 B.C)It should be noted that “heroism” is very closely connected to death in greek thought. In fact “hero” could be a given title to any deceased man who had been useful in some way to his city. Many depictions of funerary banquets and other votives reference unspecified heroes. These “heroes” are actually deceased people who are being honoured with a title. So hero in greek thought is not someone who is valorous. It’s actually someone who dies and is honoured after his death with a prestigious title. And the reason why we perceive mythical figures as “heroic” today is because their “heroification” has its roots to ancestral worship. Very often these people were romanticized and idealized post-mortem and this is how there is an association between heroism and a very high ethos. -- source link