Despite the great scope of Homer's epic - which presents war, heroism, adventure and divinity as forces that shape human destiny - the Iliad can be seen as an account of the circumstances that irrevocably alter the life of one man: Achilles, the greatest of warriors. Throughout the poem, Achilles goes through many trials that change his character immensely. From Achilles' initial callousness and stubborn temper to Achilles' eventual "humanization" in his interaction with Hector's grieving father, whom Achilles himself killed, the Iliad can be seen as chronicling the Greek hero's maturation during the terrible battles of the Trojan War. Achilles is a hero in the epic sense. He is complete with flaws and bad qualities that complement the character, but he has passions and beliefs that every reader can identify with. Throughout the Iliad, Homer creates the character of Achilles to make him a Homeric hero and also a modern hero. To understand a "Homeric hero" you need to know a little about the Homeric code. The Homeric code is a widespread trend in Homer's myths and Greek society in which the individual prefers to have a short but glorious life instead of a long and normal life. An important fact about heroes is that they are individuals who are revered in their society and seen as protectors of their society. This is why Heracles, Jason and the Argonauts and Theseus were considered great heroes. They saved society from monsters and evil in their quests and had little regard for their own safety. The story of Achilles follows this plot quite well. At the beginning of the epic, the quarrel, Achilles is not worried about the fate of the Greeks, but about himself and his resentment towards Agamemnon: "My honors never equal yours, whenever we plunder some rich Trojan stronghold: my weapons bear the weight of the raw and savage combat, it is true, but when it comes to dividing the spoils the lion's share is yours, and I go back (Iliad I, 193)...." This it shows a very narrow-minded and selfish Achilles and this is, in fact, what we are supposed to think of him at the beginning of the epic. He is self-possessed and concerned about his personal possessions. However, the argument that Achilles presents at the beginning of the poem is very rational and heartfelt and it is surprising that it took ten years before it was finally mentioned..