Hector
Chapter 4
Hector
The Trojans were driven back, for they could make no stand against the Greeks. Helenus was a son of King Priam, who was a very wise prophet and knew how to win the help of the gods. He went to Hector and said to him: “Make the army fall back and get as close to the walls as may be, for it will be safer there than in the open plain. And when you have done this, go into the city, and tell your mother to gather together the daughters of Troy and go with them to the temple of Athena, taking with her the most precious robe that she has, and lay the robe on the knees of the goddess, and promise to sacrifice 12 heifers, and beseech her to have pity on us and to keep Diomed from the walls. Go, and come back as soon as you can, and we will do what we can to bear up against the Greeks while you are away.”
So Hector went through the ranks, bidding the men be of good courage; and when he had done this he went into the city. When he came to the palace, he met his mother, Queen Hecuba.
Hector said: “Mother, what I would have you do is this: Gather the mothers of Troy and take the most beautiful and precious robe that you have, and go with them and lay it upon the knees of Athena, and pray to her to keep Diomed from the walls of Troy. Do not forget to promise a sacrifice of 12 heifers. I will go to bid Paris to come with me to the battle.”
Queen Hecuba took out the finest robe that she had. She and the noblest ladies in Troy carried it to the temple of Athena and made this prayer: “O Lady Athena, keeper of this city, we beseech thee, break the spear of Diomed, and make him fall dead before the gates of Troy. If thou will have pity on the people of Troy, we will offer to thee 12 heifers.”
But Athena would not hear. And indeed, it was she who stirred up Diomed to fight so fiercely against Troy and had given him fresh strength and courage.
Meanwhile, Hector went to the house of Paris and said: “Is it right that you should stand aside and not fight in the battle because you are angry with your countrymen? The people perish, and the fight grows hotter. Come forth before Troy is burnt up. For, remember, it is you that are the cause of all these troubles.”
Paris answered: “You have spoken well. But it was not because I was angry that I came away from the battle; it was because I was so much ashamed of being beaten. But now I will come back.”
Hector then said, “I am going to my house to see my wife and my little boy, for I do not know whether I shall ever see them again.”
Hector went to his house to see his wife Andromache. But he did not find her at home, for she had gone to the wall, being afraid for her husband.
The housekeeper said: “She went to one of the towers of the wall that she might see the battle, for she had heard that the Greeks were pressing our people very much.”
Then Hector ran toward the gate, and Andromache saw him from where she stood on the wall and made haste to meet him. The nurse came with her, carrying the child, Hector’s only son, a beautiful boy. Hector smiled when he saw the child. Andromache wept, saying, “O Hector, your courage will be your death. Someday, all the Greeks will join together and kill you.”
Then Hector stretched out his arms to take the child, and he prayed aloud to Father Zeus and to the other gods, saying:
“Grant, Father Zeus, that this child may be as I am, a great man in Troy. And may the people say some day when they see him carrying home the bloody spoils of some enemy whom he has killed in battle: ‘A better man than his father, this!’ And his mother will be glad to hear it.”
Hector said to his wife: “No man will be able to kill me, unless it be my fate to die.”
Hector went to the gate, and as he went, Paris came running after him. Paris said to Hector: “I am afraid that I have kept you when you were in a hurry to get back to your comrades.”
Hector answered: “No man doubts that you are brave. But you are willful and hold back from the battle when you should be foremost. So it is that people say shameful things about you. But now let us make haste to the battle.”
So they went out by the gate and fell upon the Greeks.
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