Kleos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kleos (Greek: κλέος) is the Greek word often translated to "renown", or "honor". It is related to the word "to hear" and carries the implied meaning of "what others hear about you". A Greek hero earns kleos through accomplishing great deeds, often through battle.
Kleos is invariably transferred from father to son; the son is responsible for carrying on and building upon the "glory" of the father. This is a reason Penelope put off her suitors for so long, and one justification for Medea's murder of her own children was to cut short Jason's kleos.
Kleos is a common theme in Homer's epics: The Iliad and The Odyssey. [1]
As the polis emerged during the classical period of Greek history after the so-called "Dark Age" of 1000-750 BC, the Homeric warrior ethic transformed into an ethos with the city-state replacing the individual at the top. Shifting emphasis away from individualism, the goal for a polis hoplite became to win kleos for his home city, reflecting honor onto his family in the process.
Kleos is also the name for the second level of reality in Gene Wolfe's series of fantasy books, The Wizard Knight. It is also referred to as the World of Fair Report.
