For other uses, see Hero (disambiguation) and Heroes (disambiguation). br "Heroism" and "Heroic" redirect here. For the film, see Heroism (film). For the racehorse, see Heroic (horse). br "Heroine" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Heroin. For other uses, see Heroine (disambiguation). br A hero (masculine or gender-neutral) or heroine (feminine) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs) is a person or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery or self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good; a man or woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities. br The word hero comes from the Greek ἥρως (hērōs), "hero, warrior", particularly one such as Heracles with divine ancestry or later given divine honors.[1] literally "protector" or "defender".[2] Before the decipherment of Linear B the original form of the word was assumed to be *ἥρωϝ-, hērōw-; R. S. P. Beekes has proposed a Pre-Greek origin.[3] br According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the Indo-European root is *ser meaning "to protect". According to Eric Partridge in Origins, the Greek word Hērōs "is akin to" the Latin seruāre, meaning to safeguard. Partridge concludes, "The basic sense of both Hera and hero would therefore be 'protector'." br The word can be used as a gender-neutral term for both males and females[4] because it has no gender-specific suffix in English. br Hector was a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War, which is known primarily through Homer's The Iliad. Hector acted as leader of the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, "killing 31,000 Greek fighters," offers Hyginus.[5] Homer had, and continues to have, great impact in western society, and thus, for example, Hector figures as one of the Nine Worthies noted by Jacques de Longuyon, a 14th-century French writer. Hector was known not only for his courage but also for his noble and courtly nature. Indeed, Homer places Hector as peace-loving, thoughtful as well as bold, a good son, husband and father, and without darker motives. br When Cleisthenes divided the ancient Athenians into new demes for voting, he consulted the Oracle of Delphi about what heroes he should name each division after. According to Herodotus, the Spartans attributed their conquest of Arcadia to their theft of the bones of Orestes from the Arcadian town of Tegea. br Heroes in myth often had close but conflicted relationships with the gods. Thus Heracles's name means "the glory of Hera", even though he was tormented all his life by Hera, the Queen of the Gods. Perhaps the most striking example is the Athenian king Erechtheus, whom Poseidon killed for choosing Athena over him as the city's patron god. When the Athenians worshiped Erechtheus on the Acropolis, they invoked him as Poseidon Erechtheus. br Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples. In classical antiquity, cults that venerated deified heroes such as Heracles, Perseus, and Achilles played an important role in Ancient Greek religion.[citation needed] Political leaders, both ancient and modern, have employed hero worship for their own apotheosis.[citation needed] For example, in the Hellenistic Greek East, dynastic leaders such as the Ptolemies or Seleucids were also proclaimed heroes.[citation needed] Alexander the Great has been considered, extemporaneously, one of the classical heroes.[6] More recent exemplars are Marlborough, Wolfe, Nelson, Wellington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Churchill and winners of the Victoria Cross, Purple Heart or other military awards for valour and distinction. br The concept of the "Mythic Hero Archetype" was first developed by Lord Raglan in his 1936 book, The Hero, A Study in Tradition, Myth and Drama. It is a set of 22 common traits that he said were shared by many heroes in various cultures, myths and religions throughout history and around the world. Raglan argued that the higher the score, the more likely the figure is mythical.[11] Alan Dundes offered the following list of ten figures who best matched the archetype: br Oedipus (22) br Theseus (20) br Jesus (19) br Romulus (17) br Hercules (17) br Perseus (16) br Zeus (15) br Jason (15) br Robin Hood (13) br Apollo (11) br The concept of a story archetype of the standard monomythical "hero's quest" that was reputed to be pervasive across all cultures is somewhat controversial. Expounded mainly by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 work The Hero with a Thousand Faces, it illustrates several uniting themes of hero stories that hold similar ideas of what a hero represents, despite vastly different cultures and beliefs. The monomyth or Hero's Journey consists of three separate stages including the Departure, Initiation, and Return.