Irlandos at 09:32, December 29, 2005

2005-12-29T09:32:19Z

Irlandos at 09:31, December 29, 2005

2005-12-29T09:31:48Z

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In [[Greek mythology]], '''Hector''' or '''Hektor''' ("holding fast"), was a [[Troy|Trojan]] prince and one of the greatest fighters in the [[Trojan War]], equal to [[Ajax the great|Ajax]] and surpassed only by [[Achilles]].

He was the son of [[Priam]] and [[Hecuba]], his younger brother being the less brave [[Paris]]. With his wife, [[Andromache]], he fathered [[Astyanax]]. He had a horse named [[Lampos]] and friends named [[Misenus]] and [[Poludamas]]. His charioteer was [[Cebriones]], his half-brother.

In the ''[[Iliad]]'', [[Homer]] calls him "breaker of horses," largely to maintain the meter of his lines and because Troy in general was known for horse raising. Another epithet applied to him is "of the flashing helmet".

Hector provides a stark contrast for Achilles, who was from first to last a man of war. Hector represents Troy and what it stood for. Some modern scholars have even suggested that he, not Achilles, is the true hero of the ''Iliad''. Hector was fighting, not for personal glory, but in defense of his homeland. His rebuke to Poludamas, "Fight for your country - that is the first and only omen" became a proverb to patriotic [[Greeks]]. Through him we can see glimpses of what life in Troy and elsewhere in the [[Bronze Age]] Mediterranean civilization depicted by Homer might have been like in more peaceful times. The scene where he bids farewell to his wife [[Andromache]] and his infant son is one of the more moving scenes in the ''Iliad''. However, he still shares some of the same faults as Achilles, and does have a great amount of pride that proves to be disastrous for the Trojans.

During the Trojan War, Hector killed [[Protesilaus]] and was wounded by Ajax. In the portion of the war described in the ''Iliad'', he fights with many of the Greek warriors and usually (but not always) succeeds in killing or wounding his opponent. When, with the assistance of [[Apollo]], he kills [[Patroclus]] and throws the entire Greek force into disarray, it seems that the war has reached a turning point.

Nonetheless, Hector's personal fate, as decreed by [[Zeus]] early on in the story, is never in doubt. Achilles, raging over the death of Patroclus, kills him and drags his body around the walls of Troy. Ultimately, with the assistance of the god [[Hermes]], Priam convinces Achilles to permit him to allow Hector his funeral rights. The final passage in the ''Iliad'' is his funeral, after which the doom of Troy is just a matter of time. In the final sack of Troy, as described in Book II of the ''[[Aeneid]]'', his father and many of his brothers are killed, his son is hurled from the walls in fear that he would avenge Hector, and his wife is carried off by [[Neoptolemus]] to live as a slave.

*[[Homer]], [[Iliad]];
*[[Apollodorus]], [[Bibliotheke]] III, xii, 5-6;
*[[Apollodorus]], [[Epitome]] IV, 2.

[[Category:Trojans]]
[[Category: People who fought in the Trojan War]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 In the ''[[Iliad]]'', [[Homer]] calls him "breaker of horses," largely to maintain the meter of his lines and because Troy in general was known for horse raising. Another epithet applied to him is "of the flashing helmet".
-Hector provides a stark contrast for Achilles, who was from first to last a man of war. Hector represents Troy and what it stood for. Some modern scholars have even suggested that he, not Achilles, is the true hero of the ''Iliad''. Hector was fighting, not for personal glory, but in defense of his homeland. His rebuke to Poludamas, "Fight for your country - that is the first and only omen" became a proverb to patriotic [[Greeks]]. Through him we can see glimpses of what life in Troy and elsewhere in the [[Bronze Age]] Mediterranean civilization depicted by Homer might have been like in more peaceful times. The scene where he bids farewell to his wife [[Andromache]] and his infant son is one of the more moving scenes in the ''Iliad''.  However, he still shares some of the same faults as Achilles, and does have a great amount of pride that proves to be disastrous for the Trojans.
+Hector provides a stark contrast for Achilles, who was from first to last a man of war. Hector represents Troy and what it stood for. Some modern scholars have even suggested that he, not Achilles, is the true hero of the ''Iliad''. Hector was fighting, not for personal glory, but in defense of his homeland. His rebuke to Poludamas, "Fight for your country - that is the first and only omen" became a proverb to patriotic [[Greeks]]. Through him we can see glimpses of what life in Troy and elsewhere in the Bronze Age Mediterranean civilization depicted by Homer might have been like in more peaceful times. The scene where he bids farewell to his wife [[Andromache]] and his infant son is one of the more moving scenes in the ''Iliad''.  However, he still shares some of the same faults as Achilles, and does have a great amount of pride that proves to be disastrous for the Trojans.
 During the Trojan War, Hector killed [[Protesilaus]] and was wounded by Ajax. In the portion of the war described in the ''Iliad'', he fights with many of the Greek warriors and usually (but not always) succeeds in killing or wounding his opponent. When, with the assistance of [[Apollo]], he kills [[Patroclus]] and throws the entire Greek force into disarray, it seems that the war has reached a turning point.
-Nonetheless, Hector's personal fate, as decreed by [[Zeus]] early on in the story, is never in doubt. Achilles, raging over the death of Patroclus, kills him and drags his body around the walls of Troy. Ultimately, with the assistance of the god [[Hermes]], Priam convinces Achilles to permit him to allow Hector his funeral rights.  The final passage in the ''Iliad'' is his funeral, after which the doom of Troy is just a matter of time. In the final sack of Troy, as described in Book II of the ''[[Aeneid]]'', his father and many of his brothers are killed, his son is hurled from the walls in fear that he would avenge Hector, and his wife is carried off by [[Neoptolemus]] to live as a slave.
+Nonetheless, Hector's personal fate, as decreed by [[Zeus]] early on in the story, is never in doubt. Achilles, raging over the death of Patroclus, kills him and drags his body around the walls of Troy. Ultimately, with the assistance of the god [[Hermes]], Priam convinces Achilles to permit him to allow Hector his funeral rights.  The final passage in the ''Iliad'' is his funeral, after which the doom of Troy is just a matter of time. In the final sack of Troy, as described in Book II of the ''Aeneid'', his father and many of his brothers are killed, his son is hurled from the walls in fear that he would avenge Hector, and his wife is carried off by [[Neoptolemus]] to live as a slave.
 *[[Homer]], [[Iliad]];

Hector - Revision history

Irlandos at 09:32, December 29, 2005

Irlandos at 09:31, December 29, 2005