An epic is an extended poem reflecting the values and identity of a people. Read this summary of a scene in the ancient Greek epic the lliad In the lad, the Achaians have been fighting the Trojans for many years. At one point, the ghost of a slain warrior, Patroclus, appears in a dream to
Achilles, his best friend and the greatest warrior of the Achaian army. Patroclus, whose body the Trojans plan to mutilate as a warning to the
Achaians, begs Achilles to get his body back and hold his funeral so he can enter the realm of the dead.
Which conclusion about ancient Greek culture can you most logically draw based on this information?
A. The Greeks believed that the spirits of the dead often came back from the underworld to give advice and tell stories to the living.
B. The Greeks saw nothing wrong with mutilating the bodies of their enemies, if this would give them an advantage in war.
C. The Greeks believed that a person's spirit could not enter the underworld unless proper burial rites had been carried out
D. The Greeks believed that war was the best environment in which a man could prove his courage