Page:Philological Museum v2.djvu/88

(Greek characters) ((Greek characters) 63.)

(Greek characters)

(Greek characters). Damm also suggests that the Latin herus and the German herr, come from the same root : I am told that the real root exists in the Sanscrit sūras.

Whatever the etymology of the word may be, I think I shall shew that even the most extensive interpretation here given to it is too confined.

Wachsmuth says that the hero is every one who in any way stands out from the mass, as, for instance, even a herald^[1] Even this depends upon what the mass is. Is it the mass of the army before Troy ? or the mass of man- kind ? in the latter case, every one mentioned might be a hero ; for he probably would be mentioned for something remarkable in him, something worth mentioning.

The persons who are called heroes in Homer comprehend the following mixture. Laomedon^[2], Alcathous the son in law of Anchises^[3], Eurypylus the leader of the Cetians^[4], Adrestus ^[5] the commander of the Trojan auxiliaries from Adrestia, Agastrophus ^[6] the son of Pæaeon, Menœoetius<r2> the father of Patroclus, Peneleos ^[7] the leader of the Bœoti, Cebriones^[8] the charioteer of Hector, Deiphobus^[9], Laertes ^[10] Machaon^[11] Helenus^[12], Demodocus^[13] the bard at the court of Ithaca, Meriones^[14], Agamemnon ^[15], Protesilaus ^[16], Pirous^[17] the leader of the Thracians, Menelaus^[18], Æneas^[19], Sthenelus^[20], Leitus^[21] one of the leaders of the Boeotians, Diomedes^[22], Odysseus ^[23], Eurypylus^[24] the commander of the troops from

• r22 II. XI. 770.

1. Hellen. Alt. i. Th. i. Abth. § 16.
2. II. VIII. 453.
3. II. XIII. 428.
4. Od. xi. 520.
5. II. VI. 63.
6. II. XI. 339.
7. II. XIII. 92.
8. II. XVI. 781.
9. II. XXII. 298.
10. Od. 1. 188.
11. II. IV. 200.
12. II. XIII. 582.
13. Od. VIII. 483.
14. II. XXIII. 893.
15. II. i. 102.
16. II. II. 708.
17. II. II. 844.
18. II. III 377.
19. II. V. 308.
20. II. V. 327.
21. II. VI 35
22. II. X. 154.
23. 11. XI, 483.
24. II. XI. 810. II. 736.