ABSTRACT
This chapter places Heroes and Heroines in Ludvig Holberg's authorship and examines his definition of a hero. An integral part of Heroes and Heroines are the moral themes in each parallel biography. One reason for disagreement regarding Holberg's conception of a hero is that he was remarkably inconsistent when he categorized a historical person as a hero or a villain. An ideal point of departure for examining Holberg's concept of a hero is the parallel biography of Zizka and Skanderbeg. For instance, a discussion of climatic determinism, a critique of the classical Greek warrior hero, a characterization of a true philosopher, thoughts about women's abilities. In the eyes of Europeans, the virtues of the Persian ruler Shah Abas and Suleiman the Magnificent were not memorable and their achievements at best mediocre. Heroes and Heroines mark the beginning and completion of a literary turn in Holberg's later career.
