So after the touching moment in the city with Andromache we see Hector and Paris sweep back out to the war. He is marked as the “®ampaging Trojan” and by Athena who comes to war. It is then that Apollo really jumps into intercept her. He uses on her the same logic and wisdom that she should know- to let the human men fight it out- later. He reminds her that Troy’s fate is fixed and she tells the “archer of the sky” fine.
The stop in fighting will be Hector versus Ajax in a duel as a means to cease the other men. It has the feel as all duels of these kinds do of a gladiator battle and leads to the onlooking of the two gods as “vultures.”
Prompted by Apollo, Hector submits the challenge, complete with the exchange of bodies, and finds the Greeks hesitating. Menelaus, ashamed, finally stands but is stopped by Agamemnon who knows his brother will lose. Nestor is willing but is flesh is unable due to age and he relays the memories of combat of an old man- instilling and bringing together the Greeks in military comraderie. It brings forward Ajax.
His bravery is questionable at this point to me since it took taunting to get him to participates. Nestor prays for him in fact which I find funny because as the bull moves forward his size scares Hector.
The battle seems one-sided in some ways because Ajax has such harder hits, but Hector seems fast and the battle lasts till night when they called a truce to that duel and exchanged gifts of respect.
After the fight they see the mounds of graves and Hector proposes to give Helen and her money back to the Greeks. Again. He calls the Trojans “outlaws.” But Paris refuses again leaving a moment to bury the dead as the best Hector can do. He again wishes for his brother’s death before this proposing he should have been “drowned” before he grew. He again states he knows the dark fate of Troy.
P.S. Key moment to me is that when the bodies are burned is the fact that the Trojans are not allowed to mourn. This juxtaposed to Poseidon’s selfish mourning about the legacy of the Trojan wall. (Zeus tells him to shut up and knock someone else’s wall down).
Hector’s return for me and for most writers I’ve noticed gives one of the most iconic moments in The Iliad. There was already a respected prince of Troy who could have had Hecuba pray. It needn’t have been Hector to show the normalcy of his mother’s love and affection, but it gives the opportunity to show that he is still enraged with Paris. It is satisfying to see him wish for Paris’ death. And given the first opportunity it is nice to see him REAM Paris. But once again, Paris says yes, he is all those things and more. But he agrees to go with him.
Hector’s moments in Troy are heartbreaking. Andromache, who has lost all of her family to Achilles, come to him to beg and then support him. His response that “sacred Troy must die” and he knows his defense of the city will fail and he wishes to die before she does breaks my heart. Then the son of his heart’s recoil from his helm followed by “one day let them say, "He is a better man than his father!”“ His hope for the future of his son and his embrace of his fate is heroic and devastating. I have no grand idea here. It just hurts.
P.S. Hector calls Athena the queen of plunder….I love that Goddess of War is still a war goddess. She is knowledge but she accumulates all the same horrible attributes.
P.P.S. Hector, unlike the other princes, does not live in the palace. Prince of the people in all aspects.
After the gods leave the field Diomedes continues his rampage through the Trojan ranks. The text lists the slaying of demigods at his hands. The action brings forward the kings of Greece including Menelaus. He almost takes a ransom prisoner until Agamemnon reminds him of his duty to slaughter and pushes his brother and ranks to kill and take no spoils until the Trojans are dead.
Opposing them, Hector and Aeneas bring their own ranks round to combat. But the Prince of Troy, Helenus the seer, tells Hector to return to the city to have the Queen and the ladies of Troy to attempt prayers and offerings to Athena to bring her wrath to an end. Troy has always given offerings but as the past passage attest, Athena brings much death and destruction when in her disfavor.
Once Hector leaves more Trojan heroes step forward to face Diomedes including the grandson of Bellerophon, Hippolochus. Their battle includes an exchange of their armor and sworn friendship. But it is the conversation that passes which includes Hippolochus review of his grandfather’s story that I find important and I wonder if it isn’t why this is in the epic. “But the day soon came when even Bellerophon was hated by all the gods.” The gods always have favorites. In Greece, in Troy, and they all have favorites and invariably in all the instances the gods turn on or turn their face from those they “love.” They are such fickle and hateful creatures.
Fun with sketching with green ink at one of the best cafes in town. Forgot all my pencils at home which made me sad but luckily they could lend one.
Had the last part in mind for a while. I can totally see Héctor absolutely losing his freakin’ mind over Miguel starting to grow into romance (after having gotten of his disgust with kisses on TV lol) since he’s such a romantic himself
when your wife is also an oscar–but congrats to coco for winning the golden globes award! you have no idea how happy that made me when i heard the news about it–i really do hope disney starts to make many more wonderful movies that show a lot of diversity & vibrant culture because it’s needed out there.
Dammit, they are so– like, do you HEAR how they TALK?? They speak as if they’re reciting poetry. And I hardly notice that in every scene in the game, JUST THE ONES WITH JULIA AND HECTOR.
I mean, everyone says “’tis” and “ergo”, but fucking, from Julia and Hector’s mouths, oh my god.
IS THAT THEIR WAY OF FLIRTING??? I swear they don’t talk that way with anyone else but themselves.
anyways, one time I got bored and I rated Greco-Roman mythology-based names depending on what happened to the character. sometimes I cringe at people’s names, so here’s a guide on what not to name your kid!
Penelope:really pretty name imo. based on Odysseus’ wife and hey, she had a happy ending! granted it took about 20 years, but not too bad 7.5/10
Hermione: cute name but everyone’s gonna think you’re a Harry Potter nerd. but if you want to correct them, tell them that Hermione was the daughter of Helen and Menelaus and that’s all you know bc she was barely referenced in the Odyssey. not too bad but kinda irrelevant and also your kid will be made fun of regardless 7/10
Victoria: what a great name, it’s classic and classical and sounds very regal. comes from the Roman goddess of victory, so that’s cool and sounds a lot nicer than Nike. your daughter is bound to win everything and be victorious (pun intended) 9/10
Simon: again, a nice, classic name. apparently Simon was one of the Telchines, or the original inhabitants of Rhodes, and son of indeterminate titans. in some stories he had flippers for hands and a dog head, so that’s kinda awkward 8/10
Gaia: kind of a bitchy name if you consider how Gaia told her son to chop her husband into pieces. not the best wife by any standards. some of you may consider that a #girlboss moment though and she wasn’t entirely bad so 5.5/10
Pandora: everytime I see that someone’s named Pandora I cringe. listen, I get it’s a pretty sounding name but are people even familiar with this story? the dumbass unleashed all of the bad things into the world; she’s the reason why you stubbed your toe and why coronavirus happened! too much bad energy for me 4/10
Hector: listen, I don’t care how old the Iliad is, I’m still upset about Hector. mans deserved better than to die at the hands of an angry gay and his backstabbing goddess. if I hear that your kid is named Hector I’m gonna take it personally and be sad about it 3.5/10
Adonis: bro his grandfather was also his father and he popped out of a tree. then he was groomed by Aphrodite and killed by Ares bc the bitch was jealous. man could not catch a break. please do not name your kid after an unfortunate product of incest and divine punishment 2/10
