Humans have the innate need to feel as if something greater than their kind existed in the world, so they created a need for heroes. Heroes of the modern era tend to be reserved, isolated people who have suffered some sort of tragedy in their past. Although blinded by these tragedies, modern heroes, such as Batman, overcome these emotional obstacles and emerge victorious in a divine and supernatural nature. While modern heroes tend to be fictional and give people hope of an all-powerful protector, Greek heroes were more approachable and realistic because they relied heavily on the gods. Using the archetypal hero cycle, the Greek hero is defined as a mortal of royal origin who embraces the nature of humanity in order to gain the honor of the gods. The archetypal hero cycle is a series of 17 stages, which explain a hero's journey from his initiation until he achieves the freedom of life. As Campbell explains in his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, the hero cycle is a series of "three phases, including departure... initiation... and return" (handout). These initiation, departure, and return phases break down the 17-stage hero cycle into smaller, more specific segments, which are included in these three main phases. Following the guidelines that Campbell established, Perseus is the embodiment of an archetypal Greek hero. With the blood of gods and royalty, Perseus was raised in a wealthy environment where he would eventually grow towards his destiny. From the moment Perseus left his home, his hero cycle had already begun. Perseus' cycle of heroes would not be complete until the young royal returned home and completed his 17 steps. With all heroes, there is a certain task that one must complete to transform him into a greater being....... middle of paper .....ects of his quest. Athena and Hermes provided the boy with a shield, a sword, knowledge, and other items necessary to complete his quest. This divine assistance validates the gods' belief in Perseus and brings the demigod a sense of entitlement and hope. The end of the Supernatural Assistance stage shows that the hero is now physically and mentally prepared for the rest of his quest thanks to the gods' belief in him. The final battle a Greek hero must conquer is to appease the gods and return home alive and victorious. . Different from the modern hero who does not have to appease anyone and becomes a kind of god himself, the Greek hero has many more consequences if he does not succeed. This distinction shows how the Greeks felt obligated to honor their gods in order to live trouble-free lives and how modern people see their heroes as gods rather than humans..