Book 22: Hector Dies :(
Apollo Reveals himself
As the Trojans are safely inside their city resting, the Greeks continue to advance on their walls. The only Trojan out on the plain is Hector, whose fate holds him in place in front the Skaian gates.
Meanwhile, Apollo is still running from Achilles and so takes the chance to turn around and yell at him. He says (something like) “Why are you STILL chasing me when I’m immortal and you’re mortal? You do realise that the Trojan are now safe in the city because you’re out here following me? You won’t kill me — I don’t have that fate!”
Obviously, Achilles is MAD. He can’t believe that Apollo has tricked him and distracted him for so long. He yells back (something along the lines of) “You tricked me, Apollo!!! You KNOW I would have killed every last Trojan out there had you not taken it upon yourself to pursue me in battle! You have robbed me of glory and I can’t do ANYTHING about it because you’re a GOD!!” And with that, Achilles turns and stalks back to Troy.
Priam & Hecuba beg hector Not To Meet Achilles
As Achilles approaches, Priam is the first to catch sight of him. The king groans and stretches out his hands to his son Hector, begging him not to go out to meet the son of Peleus on his own. He stresses that Achilles is far stronger than the Trojan prince and therefore has no doubt that a fight will end in Hector’s death. To convince his son not to meet Achilles, Priam tells him (and us, as the audience) what will happen if Hector is to die right now: after Hector’s demise Priam’s other sons will be killed, following that he will then be killed, and lastly his daughters will be dragged off as captives for the Greeks.
Priam finishes speaking and starts tearing at the grey hairs on his head in mourning — but this doesn’t move Hector.
Hecuba then begins to cry and wail, jointing her husband in their lament. She bores her bare chest to Hector and yells at him, screaming that she once nursed him to calm his sorrows as a baby and now she begs him to calm her own sorrow in return. Hecuba demands that Hector doesn’t meet Achilles in battle because not only can she not handle that, but neither will his wife be able to once she hears.
Both Hecuba and Priam to call out one last time to Hector, but again, he is not moved. Instead, Hector waits for Achilles approach the gates where he stands.
Hector waits for Achilles
While Hector waits in place, he runs through his options: should he stay where he is or go back into the city walls? He knows that if he does retreat to safety, Poulydamas will be the first to reprimand him considering Hector had told him earlier that his plan to do so was dumb. But he acknowledges now that Poulydamas was right, and his refusal to listen will cause the ruin of his people. Due to his shame surrounding this decision, Hector settles on waiting for Achilles and — instead of fighting him — promising him Helen and all her possessions. However, as soon as he says this, Hector knows that Achilles will not listen. He knows that he has to fight him in order to see which one of them the Olympians will grant glory.
Achilles is now fast approaching, causing Hector to grow more and more scared.
At the last stretch of land between them, Hector decides to cut his losses. He turns and runs from the son of Peleus.
Achilles & Hector run around troy
Achilles is hot of Hector’s heels as the pair race by the fig tree and up to the springs (we do hear more about the springs, with Homer noting that one of the two has hot water, the other cold, and both are rooted in the Xanthos river. This is the spot where, prior to the war, the Trojan women would come to do their laundry. Not a note that’s integral to this chase, but one that is good for the overall story so I thought I’d mention it).
As the men pass the springs, Homer tells us that although a great man was running, the better man is the one who pursued him.
Brief cut to the gods
We then cut to the gods as they watch the chase continue. Zeus announces that it is up to the other gods to decide if now is the time for Hector to meet his fate.
Athena replies and asks her father if his question implies he has a choice. She makes it clear that Hector must meet his fate and — whether Zeus likes it or not — that fate is fast approaching. By him asking if now is the time, Zeus is suggesting he may be able to draw this out longer than destiny allows, which he obviously cannot. However, if Zeus thinks he is above fate and destiny, then Athena challenges him to extend Hector’s life. She notes that if he does, then none of the gods (be it his children, wife, or various other deities) will not be on his side.
Zeus then says (something like) "Okay Athena … go do your thing". Athena then races from Olympus down to the battle.
The gods get involved with Hector & Achilles
Cut back to Achilles who is still ruthlessly chasing Hector. Homer states that Hector could have once been saved, but now Apollo comes down one last time.
Apollo drives strength into Hector, making his knees light beneath him.
Remember that all the Greeks are still on the battlefield, close by in case Achilles needs their help. However, Achilles occasionally looks over to them and shakes his head, indicating that he needs no assistance. In truth, he fears that if they step in to help then he may lose the glory of killing Hector — something he would absolutely HATE.
The pair run three times around the perimeter of Troy, but the fourth lap causes Zeus to take out his scales of fate. Much like we have seen him do before, Zeus places the trojan fate on one side and the greek fate on the other; except this time, the fate of the Trojans — and therefore, Hector — lowers towards the ground.
Seeing this, Athena runs to Achilles and tells him to stay where he is and get his breath back. She informs him that she will go to Hector and convince him to fight, ending this once and for all. She takes on the likeness of Deiphobos and appears in front of Hector.
As Deiphobos/Athena, the goddess says (something like) "Brother, give up this chase and fight this man. Beat him back and defend your honour". Hector replies (something along the lines of) "Deiphobos, out of all our brothers you are the most dear to me as both our parents are the same. Since you have bravely come to meet me outside the city when everyone else remains cowering inside, I only want to honour you". Seeing Hector’s spirit rising, Athena suggests that the pair attack Achilles together, stating that they have more luck defeating him as a unit. Hector gains comfort in the idea that he won’t be dying alone but instead alongside his brother, and so agrees to follow him back to Achilles.
Deiphobos/Athena leads Hector to the fight.
Hector & Achilles meet
As the heroes approach one another, Hector calls out to Achilles, saying (something like) “Son of Peleus! I will no longer run from you! Let’s settle this once and for all: either I'll kill you or you’ll kill me!”
Hector wants to iron out some rules before the pair engage in active fighting, stating that they should have mutual respect for their requests. He says that no matter how much he hates Achilles, he promises not to defile his body. Instead, if he is victorious in killing Achilles, he will strip his armour and then return the body to the Greeks in order to honour him. He asks that Achilles does the same for him.
Of course, Achilles has zero intention of honouring any requests. He famously replies with “There are no trustworthy oaths between men and lions!” Achilles essentially says that due to Hector killing Patroclus, he is unable to forgive the Trojan prince nor consider making any deal with him.
With that, Achilles fires the first spear at Hector. Hector is watching too closely and drops to his knees so the spear flies above his shoulder, sticking into the ground behind him.
Athena snatches the spear up and gives it back to Achilles (unseen by Hector, obviously), but Hector is quick to retaliate. He throws his spear at Achilles, striking the middle of his shield and then falling.
Hector stands there discouraged and weaponless. He calls out to Deiphobes/Athena for his spear, but soon realises that Deiphobos/Athena is no where to be seen. Realisation slowly dawns of Hector as he understands that Deiphobos is still inside the gates of Troy and he has actually been led to his death by the gods. He understands now that there is no way to escape the inevitable.
Hector pleads to the gods that he not die without a struggle so that men and future generations will know of his fight. He then pulls out his sword and swoops it towards Achilles.
Achilles launches into action, raising his spear towards Hector. Achilles takes a moment to scan Hector's body to find the weakest point, but he becomes distracted when he sees his old armour protecting the Trojan prince (which is, remember, the armour that Patroclus wore into battle when he was killed). Enraged, Achilles stabs Hector near his collarbone — a severe enough injury to stop him in his tracks, but not enough to immediately kill him. Hector falls into the dust and Achilles moves to stand over him.
He says to the prince (something like) "Hector, you probably thought killing Patroclus was a simple task since I was so far away from the fight. What you failed to realise is that his avenger was left, and he is far greater than the son of Menoitios will ever be!"
Hector replies "Please son of Peleus, do not let the dogs eat me by the Greek ships. Take glorious gifts of gold from my parents in exchange for my body. Let the Trojans bury me!”
Once again, Achilles refuses. He states that he wishes he could hack the raw meat off of Hector himself and eat him raw … so that’s how much Achilles hates Hector, in case anyone was wondering. As Hector dies, the Trojan says that he knows nothing will convince Achilles to show any kindness or respect as the hero houses a heart of iron in his chest. He urges Achilles to beware of the consequences of this, since he has solidified his fate of being killed by Paris and Apollo by the Skaian gates.
Hector now dies and his soul flutters down to death’s door.
Achilles reaction
Achilles speaks back to a now dead Hector, saying that he is more than happy to take his own death whenever Zeus demands it. He pulls the spear out of Hector, lays it to one side and takes his old armour from his enemy’s body.
Seeing that the duel is done, the Greeks run over to look at the "imposing beauty" of Hector. Each man takes his chance to stab at the body.
Achilles addresses the Greeks, saying (something like) “Patroclus still lies unburied, so let us go back to the ships and honour him since I have avenged his killer”. It’s now that Achilles starts thinking of what other punishments he can inflict upon Hector to dishonour the Trojan prince.
The son of Peleus lifts Hector’s feet and punches holes in the space between the ankle and the heel, threading throngs of oxhide through each of the holes. He then fastens the oxhide to the back of his chariot and hops onto the platform, whipping his horses to get them moving. Homer notes that the horses obeyed their rider reluctantly, and a cloud of dust rose where Hector’s body dragged.
The Trojans mourn
We now cut to Troy and see Hecuba tearing out her hair in mourning. She releases a terrible wail as she watches her son being dragged, his body being defiled. Priam, too, groans at the sight. Hearing the king and queen in pain, the other Trojans join them in their lament.
Priam finds his emotions hard to control. He turns to the Trojans and implores them, saying (something along the lines of) “My people, allow me to go to the Greek ships and supplicate this violent man who has killed my son. I hope that if I go to him, he will take pity on me as I am old like his own father, Peleus”. He says that although Achilles has killed many of his sons, he mourns most for Hector. Hecuba then leads all the Trojans in a chant of sorrow.
However, as the queen sings, Homer tells the reader that Hector’s wife still doesn't know that Hector has died. No messenger has gone to tell her how her husband had held his ground outside the gates and how he met his fate at the hands of Achilles. She is so confident in her husband’s ability on the battlefield, that while the Trojans are lamenting, Andromache is weaving at home. As the song rises, Andromache calls out to her handmaidens to start boiling water to prepare for Hector’s bath upon his return.
But the wails of sorrow begin to grow from outside her home, and Andromache listens to the laments. She freezes at her weaving, dropping her shuttle and stops two of her maids in their tracks. She demands that they come with her to investigate what has happened as she can hear Hecuba wailing.
The party of three run from Andromache’s quarters — all the while Andromache’s heart is beating in her mouth. Once they arrive at the bastion and look out over the walls, she is met with her new, grim reality. Staring out from the wall, she sees Hector being dragged in front of the city. Andromache falls backwards and rips off her headdress (which is a diadem and cap — the things Aphrodite had once given her on the day Hector had led Andromache from her house in order to win her hand).
After a while, Andromache finds her breath. She says (something like): "Hector, I grieve you. We were born to a single destiny. Now you go to death and leave me in mourning, a widow, and you leave your son, only a baby. You can not help him anymore and now his future will be ruined. A boy without a father will go among his father’s friends searching for him, tugging this tunic and that, and all the men will pity him — giving him wine to moisten his lips, but not enough to moisten his palate. Those children of men who have not been lost will abuse him, saying your father is not here get out! and the boy will go in tears to his mother. Days before your son would sit on your lap and eat, but now with his father gone he will suffer. The Trojans call our son the lord of the city, since you alone had defended the gates and the city’s long walls. But now, away from the walls and your family, the worms will feed on you. The dogs will eat your naked corpse, even though at home you have beautiful clothes woven by women.”
Andromache now joins the rest of the Trojans in their mourning.
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