Achillies and Socrates

Achillies and Socrates

As heroic figures, both Achillies and Socrates are each celebrated for their past glories. As a brave warrior, Achillies appreciates the fact that he is half-divine and half mortal. Nevertheless, he does not dwell on that fact. Even his pride is simply a personal trait that has nothing to do with knowing his fate and destiny. Perhaps the fact that we find Achillies matching out against Hector reveals that he seeks to know himself beyond the establishment of the oracle. He is fully aware that his fate and Hector’s are tied together. However, the human nature in him makes him livid with fury and he proceeds to do things his way. It should also be noted that his involvement with Briseis was probably another scheme to know himself. Achillies comes to war not because the king Agamemnon has ordered it, but for his own glory. He breaks all established rules so as to know himself better.

Unlike Achillies, Socrates proceeds to investigate the Delphic oracle about his personality rather directly. He argues philosophically in what has been interpreted differently by .............