Hubris - Two ancient examples

The ancient Greeks spoke often of hubris, the word they used for pride or self-confidence. They had many stories of how hubris would lead to a character's nemesis, his downfall.

Achilles

Perhaps you know the story of Achilles in Homer's Iliad about the Trojan War. Achilles is Greece's best warrior. He kills many of Troy's greatest warriors. However, as the battle rages ons, at a certain point Achilles stops fighting. Achilles captures a beautiful princess named Briseis and falls in love with her but the Greek leader Agamemnon is angry and takes Briseis from him. Achilles is depressed and refuses to fight.

With Achilles not fighting, the Greeks began to lose the battle. The greatest warrior of Troy was Hector. He confronts Patroculus who everyone thinks Achilles because he has borrowed Achilles' armour. With the help of the god Apollo, Hector kills Patroclus and takes Achilles' armour. Achilles then rejoins the battle in order to avenge his friend's death. He meets Hector on the battlefield and, after a long fight, defeats him. Achilles continues fighting but the Greek god Apollo knows his weakness, his heel. When Paris of Troy shoots an arrow at Achilles, Apollo guide it so that it strikes Achilles on the heel. He dies from the wound. It is his pride that has been his undoing.

This is Peter's problem too. He thinks he is invincible and indispensable but like Achilles he is not.

Icarus

Perhaps you know the story of Icarus the son of Daedelus.

Ancient Crete was ruled over by the Minoans. Daedalus was the man who designed the magnificent Palace of Knossos on the island. It remains have survived to this day.

King Minos and Daedalus had a good relationship at first but they fell out at some point. The Labyrinth was said to be a maze built by Daedalus to trap the mythical monster the Minotaur and to imprison others who would then be killed by the monster. At some point Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his young son Icarus there.

Daedalus soon planned a way for he and his son to escape. He figured that escape on foot or by sea could not work so it had to be by air. He created gigantic wings, using branches from an osier tree kept together with wax. He taught Icarus how to fly but warned him to keep away from the sun because the heat would make the wax melt, destroying the wings.

The two managed to escape the Labyrinth and flew into the sky. However, the young and self-confident Icarus flew too near the sun and despite his father's warnings the wax melted and he plummeted into the Icarian Sea.