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Origin and history of heroic

heroic(adj.)

1540s, "having or displaying the qualities of a hero," shortened from heroical (early 15c., also heroycus) "noble, magnanimous," from Latin heroicus "of a hero, heroic, mythical," from Greek hērōikos "of or for a hero, pertaining to heroes," from hērōs (see hero (n.1)). In some modern uses, "having recourse to extreme measures." The Heroic Age, semi-mythical prehistoric period in Greece, ended with the return of the armies from the fall of Troy. Related: Heroically. Heroic verse (1610s), decasyllabic iambic, is from Italian.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to heroic

hero(n.1)

late 14c., "man of superhuman strength or physical courage," from Old French heroe (14c., Modern French héros), from Latin heros (plural heroes) "hero, demi-god, illustrious man," from Greek hērōs (plural hērōes) "demi-god." This is of uncertain origin; according to an old theory perhaps originally "defender, protector" and (Pokorny, Watkins) from PIE root *ser- (1) "to protect," but Beekes writes that it is "Probably a Pre-Greek word."

In Homer, of the Greeks before Troy, then a comprehensive term used of warriors generally, also of all free men in the Heroic Age. In classical mythology from at least the time of Hesiod (8c. B.C.E.) "man born from a god and a mortal," especially one who had done service to mankind; with the exception of Heracles limited to local deities and patrons of cities.

In English the meaning "man who exhibits great bravery" in any course of action is from 1660s. The sense of "chief male character in a play, story, etc." is recorded by 1690s. Hero-worship is from 1713 in reference to ancient cults and mysteries; of living men by 1830s.

heroics(n.)

1590s, "heroic verse" (see heroic). Meaning "deeds worthy of a hero" attested by 1831.

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    desperate
    c. 1400, desperat, of persons, "despairing, hopeless" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin desperatus "given up, despaired of," past participle of desperare "to despair, to lose all hope," from de "without" (see de-) + sperare "to hope," from spes "hope" (from PIE root *spes- "pros
    grand
    late 14c., grant "large, big" (early 12c. in surnames), from Anglo-French graunt and directly from Old French grant, grand (10c., Modern French grand) "large, tall; grown-up; great, powerful, important; strict, severe; extensive; numerous," from Latin grandis "big, great; full, a
    epic
    1580s, "pertaining to or constituting a lengthy heroic poem," via French épique or directly from Latin epicus, from Greek epikos, from epos "a word; a tale, story; promise, prophecy, proverb; poetry in heroic verse" (from PIE root *wekw- "to speak"). Extended sense of "grand, her
    mock
    Mock-heroic "counterfeiting or burlesquing the heroic style or character" is attested from 1711 (Addison), describing a satirical...
    Alexandrine
    poem about Alexander the Great that was popular in the Middle Ages, which used a 12-syllable line of 6 feet (the French heroic...verse); it was used in English to vary the heroic verse of 5 feet....
    heroine
    The meaning "heroic woman, woman distinguished by exalted courage or noble achievements" is from 1660s....
    Thermopylae
    Figurative of heroic resistance against overwhelming numbers since the battle fought there between the Greeks and Persians...
    verse
    late Old English (replacing Old English fers, an early West Germanic borrowing directly from Latin), "line or section of a psalm or canticle," later "line of poetry" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French and Old French vers "line of verse; rhyme, song," from Latin versus "a line, row, l
    meter
    also metre, "poetic measure, metrical scheme, arrangement of language in a series of rhythmic movements," Old English meter "meter, versification," from Latin mētrum, from Greek metron "meter, a verse; that by which anything is measured; measure, length, size, limit, proportion"
    victim
    late 15c., "living creature killed and offered as a sacrifice to a deity or supernatural power, or in the performance of a religious rite;" from Latin victima "sacrificial animal; person or animal killed as a sacrifice," a word of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to vicis "turn,

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