The hero of the Iliad wants a name that death cannot erase. The hero of The Lord of the Rings wants a home that evil cannot possess. One teaches us to look honestly at the cost of greatness. The other teaches us to look again at the hidden strength of goodness. A civilization needs both lessons. It needs Homer because courage without illusion is rare. It needs Tolkien because power without humility becomes ruin. Achilles reminds us that heroic greatness can burn through the world. Frodo reminds us that the world is often saved by those who never wanted to be heroes at all.