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bythegods:

Hector

Are you familiar with the Iliad? Yes? Well, congratulations: it means you’re familiar with an amazing man named Hector. 

No? What’s wrong with you? Don’t you like rad dudes? Let me tell you about this one rad dude named Hector.

Praised far and wide for his honour and heretofore unmatched prowess in battle, Hector was the firstborn son of Priam and Hecuba, the king and queen of Troy. As you may or may not know, Troy got tangled up in a tiff with all the Greeks on the other side of the Aegean, who were, for the most part, vassals to Agamemnon. Paris, Hector’s little brother, whisks away Helen, the wife of Menelaus (the king of Sparta), and this is used as a convenient reason for the Greeks to go to war with Troy.

While Hector was an incredible soldier, he was the sort of fellow who valued the lives of his men, and would rather avoid bloodshed. He was regarded highly by friend and foe for his noble and courtly nature, but when it came down to it, he could break your back with his little finger. Hector led the Trojan troops in the war, and demonstrated his brilliant leadership time and time again. He defeated the Greek champion Protesilaus in a duel, and forced a stalemate with the undefeated Ajax. Throughout the siege of his city, it was Hector who planned most of the defenses, and led the counterattack that burnt the Greek ships, nearly securing victory for the Trojans. Odysseus, when faced with Hector’s personal attack, described it as an “invincible headlong terror!”

However deserving a warrior he might’ve been, though, Hector was no match for the wrath of Achilles and the capriciousness of the gods. Hector had slain Patroclus, a beloved friend of Achilles, who had been wearing Achilles’ armour. Sadly for the Trojans, angry-Achilles doesn’t have an off-switch, and no amount of apology can calm the big guy down. As the Trojans retreat to their walled city after a failed attack, Hector hangs back to guard the rear and meets Achilles. They eventually do battle, but Hector is fooled by Athena, who had pretended to be Hector’s friend and shield bearer, but vanished in his moment of need. Achilles stabs poor Hector through the throat, and then attaches the body to his chariot, which he proceeds to drag about the battlefield. He “mistreats” Hectors body for two weeks, but Aphrodite and Apollo protect it from injury.

Priam, Hector’s father, is eventually allowed to reclaim the body. The subdued Achilles, filled with regret at the loss of such a great adversary, allows a twelve day truce so the Trojans can properly mourn Hector.

Besides being a great hero of Mediterranean myth, Hector is still remembered by lovers of antiquity in the western world, and was even immortalized as one of the “Nine Worthies” in medieval Europe, for being so honourable and mighty.