What Makes a Hero?
Messi or Maradona?
Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,
This World Cup has been a bit complicated for me...
You see, our small family of three had, until recently, four countries to cheer for (sorry, Australia and the US). It’s a situation that makes one contemplate identity, allegiances, and oh so much more...
Indeed, your Norwegian-born, Argentina-residing editor has been much conflicted, though fortunately spared, so far, from any direct competition. On the one hand, living in Buenos Aires requires a certain amount of dedication to the team, as it is the beginning and end of every conversation, whether it be with cabbies, waitresses, or lifelong friends. Not knowing (and consequently not cheering for) Argentine fútbol is tantamount to treason and heresy.
On the other hand, who doesn’t have a soft spot for the underdog, especially when it just happens to be the land of your birth and ancestors? Having not played in the World Cup for 28 years, Norway beat the top-ranked team, Brazil, over the weekend, the nation with more FIFA World Cup titles than any other in history.
If only choosing between the two sides were that simple...
But perhaps the hardest complication of all is the fact that both teams have fantastic leading men, guys who actually seem... nice.
On the Argentine side is the one and only Lionel Messi, a man who overcame health issues and extreme pre-game nerves (he was long known for throwing up before matches) to become arguably the most famous athlete playing in the world today.
In Norway, the young Erling Haaland is making a name for himself as a funny, wholesome fellow who charges strategically and meditates when necessary.
Both guys remain devoted family men despite the immense temptations that no doubt come with sports fame. Messi is still with his childhood sweetheart, while Haaland is with someone he has known since their youth football days in Bryne. They radiate humility and honesty, avoiding drama and staying grounded. You could ask Messi and Haaland to mind your kids as easily as share a beer.
And surely that’s the ultimate test!
It’s crazy to imagine that, at the highest level of sport, there could exist players who inspire... You might even call them modern-day heroes.
Which naturally raises the interesting question of what exactly do we mean when we call someone a hero?
Now, perhaps that sounds dramatic, like someone who has lived in Argentina for too long and, bizarrely, become a fútbol fanatic without realising it... I know! My younger self, whose sporting “career” consisted of one semester on the Volleyball Team 2-B, is also shocked... But hear me out...
In a world where, fortunately, the vast majority of men aren’t going to war, fighting off invaders, embarking on dangerous hunts, or undertaking necessary explorations, it would be hard to distinguish someone as “hero” material. The circumstances simply don’t present themselves so readily!
As a result, there are very different situations in which perseverance, dedication, teamwork, and leadership can shine through... where performing under pressure determines who is heroic... and who is not.
Surely, with this in mind, we can see how fútbol stars (or any other high-performing athlete) can become “heroes,” especially to the young fans who watch them at every game and every event.
Now, this is where things get a bit more complicated... a bit more philosophical...
Because if you were to ask the average Argentine man, regardless of age, who his hero is, you would most likely receive one of two answers: Messi or Maradona.
And that is where things become truly interesting... because the two heroes could hardly be more different.
If you aren’t steeped in Argentine fútbol history, don’t worry. Neither was I until a few years ago... For the uninitiated, Diego Maradona is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential football players of all time, and the driving force behind Argentina’s 1986 World Cup victory. From very humble beginnings, he became a cultural icon and a working-class hero... but he was not without a healthy dose of controversy.
From his “Hand of God” goal in Mexico and his butt-heading confrontations in front of the King of Spain to his continuous drug use, alleged mafia connections, and multiple highly publicised paternity battles, it might be hard for many to imagine Maradona as a “hero.”
And yet... is he really so different from many of the ancient Greek heroes?
Perhaps our discomfort says less about Maradona than it does about ourselves. Modern audiences often expect heroes to be morally exemplary and yet the Greeks rarely did.
One only has to contemplate the many flaws and unvirtuous actions of mythological figures such as Jason, Perseus, Heracles, or Achilles... Men who killed their families, threw hissy fits, turned enemies to stone (including Titans and wedding guests), or abandoned the wives who had sacrificed everything for them.
Complicated figures such as Odysseus, famed for his cunning, lying, and deception, force us to ask (and just in time for Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated movie) what makes a hero?
Should a hero be... better than us? Should they be noble and true? Or relatable and full of faults?
Is there a universal hero? Or has what constitutes a hero changed over the centuries and across the world?
And who, if anyone, is a hero today?
Comment below and take part in the conversation...
Also, make sure to join us on Friday as we discuss Odysseus, Homer, and what the Odyssey is really all about... Featuring Joel Christensen, leading Homeric scholar, Professor of Classics, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the CUNY Graduate Center, and editor of The Oxford Critical Guide to Homer’s Odyssey.
Joel is the author of numerous books and studies on Homer and the ancient world, including Storylife: On Epic, Narrative, and Living Things; The Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic (Myth and Poetics II); Homer’s Thebes: Epic Rivalries and the Appropriation of Mythical Pasts; and, most recently, Why Odysseus.
Honestly, we couldn’t ask for a more knowledgeable or passionate speaker on the topic!
Make sure to register to join us on Friday at noon EST:
I look forward to seeing you there!
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
A hero is someone who is worthy of emulation. Of course, there may be one aspect of their life that is worth emulating, while other parts are not. This is a concept that we should teach our children, because the tendency, even among too many adults, is to emulate everything about their heroes.
A hero is someone who inspires , what inspires people differs from person to person even what even makes someone inspiring can differ from person to person, but a hero for me is someone who makes me want to be like them