The word Kleos is often translated as "fame" or "glory". In Ancient Greece, a Greek hero gains Kleos by attaining great and important deeds while in several cases he achieves it through his own death.
Kleos is passed down from generation to generation. This is the reason why Penelope repulsed the suitors for so long as well as a reason why Medea killed her children, as she was trying to reduce Jason's cleavage. Kleos is an issue often encountered in Homer's epics.