Illustration of Hector, albeit in his duel with Ajax rather than Achilles, from The Story of the Iliad published in 1892
(11) HECTOR
Troy’s greatest warrior and the classical archetype of heroic antagonist, worthy adversary to Achilles in the Iliad.
It just goes to show you can have heroes on both sides. Indeed, there’s been a consistent tendency to see Hector as more heroic, or at least more sympathetic, than Achilles – a tendency that dates back potentially to the Iliad itself and certainly through to the modern reader.
“Hector is still the hero who forever captures the affection of the modern reader, far more strongly than his conqueror has ever done”.
It’s not a universal tendency. Some drily point out that the Iliad more tells than shows Hector’s prowess as a warrior – “Many, but not all, scholars of the Iliad see an incongruence between Hector’s in-story reputation and his actual achievements”. On the other hand, others argue Hector should have played it safe, “following his wife’s practical advice to defend Troy from the city wall” rather than “fighting on the frontlines for the sake of glory” – he was Troy’s crown prince after all.
However, Hector was fated to fall in an epic for which the declared subject in its opening line is the wrath of Achilles – which was, after all, targeted on Hector, at least after Achilles’ companion Patroclus is killed by Hector. This time, it’s personal for Achilles – and so he killed Hector, leaving the Trojan king Priam to beg Achilles if the latter could please stop dragging Hector’s dead body behind him while doing victory laps in his chariot.
Still, it’s hard not to see Hector as more heroic or sympathetic to Achilles, particularly as Hector is fighting foremost to defend his city and family.
“Hector throughout the Trojan War brings glory to the Trojans as their best fighter. He is loved by all his people and known for never turning down a fight. He is gracious to all and thus thought of favorably by all but the Achaeans…He turns the tide of battle”.
That consistent tendency to see Hector as more heroic, or at least more sympathetic, than Achilles – has also carried over to the Trojans against the Greeks in general. The Romans traditionally traced their lineage to Troy and hence accordingly took a positive view of Hector, followed by medieval writers who hailed Hector as one of the “Nine Worthies” or nine heroes from Biblical, classical and medieval sources, as well as others since who have favored Hector as the true hero of the Iliad.
RATING:
A-TIER (TOP TIER)
