How often do you think about the Roman Empire? What about the Ancient Greeks? Before this trend took TikTok by storm, many Gen-Z audiences would have said never. However, Ancient Greek and Roman societies provided the foundation for our Western one, and remnants of their dynamic cultures are ubiquitous throughout the modern world.

Epic poetry is a long narrative style of poetry that retells the heroic journey of a single person or a group of people. The most well-known examples include the Roman Virgil's Aeneid, the Babylonian The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Greek bard Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Epics typically showcase values of the culture they originate from, such as Aeneas perfectly embodying Roman pietas in the Aeneid. Similarly, superhero stories can showcase today's beliefs on a similar scale. 

The first superhero story was created by Lee Falk in 1936. His character, Phantom, had no real powers and instead utilized his cunning, wit, and physical prowess to defeat his opponents, similar to many ancient heroes. In 1938, DC Comics created Superman, launching the genre into the mainstream. Despite the country's poor economic state, their first superhero story was a smash hit. Then, 1940 and 1941 saw a superhero boom, in which many notable characters such as DC's the Flash, Green Lantern, and Marvel's Daredevil made their first appearances. These stories traditionally followed the "hero's journey" arc epics first established. Superheroes go on an adventure due to some present danger or exploration they must face. Along the way, they gain newfound knowledge and use it to return home transformed. 

Marvel's Infinity Saga show depicts the quintessential hero story taken from Ancient Greek and Roman epics and makes it palatable to modern audiences. Although written hundreds of thousands of years apart, Marvel's Infinity Saga and Homer's Iliad bear many resemblances. The story of Thor and Loki in The Avengers is a modern-day reception of Achilles and Patroclus' story in the Iliad and tells a similar story while altering certain aspects of what is acceptable in society today to fit the immense Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are numerous parallels between characters from each story. Both feature main characters with close, brotherly relationships: one hero and one who is slightly less heroic. Thor, one of the Avenger's main heroes, and Loki, an anti-hero, are analogous to Achilles and Patroclus. Though not blood-related, they grew up together and were raised like brothers. Thanos, the villain in Infinity War, plays a similar role to Hector, though he is not explicitly the villain of the Iliad. 

There are many similarities and differences between these works that make them suitable for their respective audiences. Patroclus and Loki both were slaughtered brutally to hurt someone they love, but the meanings of this in the stories differ. Loki, a known trickster, lied to Thanos and offered to help him navigate Earth as he set out to find the Infinity Stones. Loki hid a spear behind his back and inched closer to Thanos, prepared to stab him. Thanos saw through Loki and killed him as Thor watched, handcuffed as Thanos captured him. Loki's final words are, "You will never be a god." His death is quick yet memorable and catalyzes Thor's subsequent actions. Though different, Loki's scheme compares to Patroclus's trickery in the Iliad. Patroclus wears Achilles' armor to scare the Trojans but goes too far and is discovered by Hector. However, unlike Infinity War, the two share a lengthy conversation as he dies a slow and agonizing death. Patroclus still taunts and threatens Patroclus as he dies, saying, "Brag while you can, Hector. Zeus and Apollo have given you an easy victory this time. (...) You're not going to live long. I see death standing at your shoulder and you going down under the heels of Peleus' perfect son [Achilles]." Today's heroes do not use vengeful and bitter statements like this to come across as selfless, noble, and wanting the best for the world, even in death. 

Although both of their last words herald the result of their opponent, Loki's last words are more optimistic and provide a lesson for the viewer. Those who attempt to play god will not win in the end, no matter if they hurt people along the way. In contrast, Patroclus's words in today's society would be seen as cruel, violent, and too straightforward. They would have been seen as the Greek value agathos in ancient Greece, which they considered good. To be agathos, one had to be loyal, good in battle, and honor the gods. One could be agathos and still be cruel. Loki's death is much quicker as viewers would not have taken well to a long, drawn-out death scene where the attack continues. Today's viewers value mercy and kindness from heroes instead of cruelty. 

Thor and Achilles both avenged the deaths of their loved ones, but these acts were portrayed very differently. Patroclus's death enraged Achilles, and he stopped at nothing to kill Hector mercilessly. He deeply mourned Patroclus's death and dragged Hector's body around for weeks. Thor struggled similarly with the death of his brother. He and the Avengers hunted Thanos down for information, but he could hardly listen to him speak before chopping his head off. His brother's death sent him into a deep depression for many years. As the rest of the Avengers stare at him in disbelief and question why, he replies, "I went for the head," before storming off. Though Achilles' way of slaughtering Hector was far gorier than Thor's way of killing Thanos, both signify that the heroes lost control and sought revenge for their losses. In Greek society, Achilles' triumph was seen as something to admire. On the other hand, Marvel portrays Thor's killing of Thanos as a mistake, as Marvel heroes do not kill unnecessarily. 

Thanos and Hector were both doing what they thought was right. Thanos was scarred after seeing his planet die due to overpopulation and wanted to prevent the same thing from happening to the rest of the universe. Hector wanted his wife back after she was stolen from him. Both of these reasons for fighting were valid in their respective social climates. It was likely seen as agathos to fight for what was yours, and having care for the world is a good quality by today's standards. Despite their respectable plights, Marvel made Thanos a clear villain. Today's audiences like to have a specific character to dislike, especially in superhero movies with lots of gore and death. Though they humanized him to an extent, they made it clear that he was definitely in the wrong. Without the distinction of hero and villain, good versus evil, many people today would have trouble processing their feelings towards those who murder and kill. However, the Iliad does not portray either side as right or wrong and humanizes both characters. Due to the Greek's different perceptions of right and wrong, they could tell a story without painting either character as the villain. Both Hector and Achilles demonstrated agathos at various points throughout the Iliad. This trope worked in epics because they did not believe murder was always wrong. 

These storylines were a smash hit, culminating in Avengers: Infinity War earning 2.052 billion at the box office. The next Avengers film, Avengers: Endgame, grossed 2.799 billion, becoming the highest-grossing film from July 2019 to March 2021. The success of these Ancient Greek era tropes in contemporary media demonstrates that while much has changed about the world, much of storytelling has stayed the same. Despite this, today, many do not recognize the impact ancient culture has on the media consumed today. This disconnect may stem from the subtle ways these ancient influences are woven into modern narratives, often overlooked by casual observers.

Nevertheless, the enduring themes of heroism, sacrifice, fate, and societal values are central to ancient epics and today's blockbuster hits. Recognizing these parallels can enrich our understanding of contemporary media and its roots in classical literature. By analyzing the values underpinning Ancient Greek and Roman epics, it is clear that further study of the past is synonymous with looking into the psyches of today.