brave in battle and honorable in his convictions. This great Trojan warrior is always conscious of his responsibilities to his family and to his people. When Hector returns home to get his facile brother Paris, his mother offers him some wine, but he responds, Dont offer me mellow wine, mother, not now-/ youd sap my limbs, Id lose my nerve for war./ And Id be ashamed to pour a glistening cup to Zeus/ with unwashed hands (p 124). Hector is shown as very courageous and noble, but once he is faced with Achilles, this fearlessness decays. This metamorphosis from gallant warrior to cowardice is ultimately the result of his own actions. With the killing of Patroclus, the only warrior who is any real match to Hector is brought back to the battle. At first, Hector holds his determination to face Achilles, even though his family and troops warn him that this is a very unwise decision. When cautioned of Troys certain doom if they continue in the battlefields by Polydamas, a Trojan leader, Hector replies with his helmet flashing, If it really was Achilles who reared beside the ships,/ all the worse for him- if he wants his fill of war./ I for one will never run from his grim assault,/ Ill stand up to the man- (p168). This all changes once Hector sees the rage-filled Achilles racing towards him. Hector looked up, saw him, started to tremble,/ nerve gone, he could hold his ground no longer,/ he left the gates behind and away he fled in fear-(p 180). The picture of Hector we are left with is that of one fooled by the gods to face his fears and then gruesomely defeated by his nemesis.And so we are left with two heroes, both concerned with honor, yet consumed in two very contrasted pursuits of it. The almost god-like Achilles in a self-centered pursuit, seeks honor only on his own terms. When his pride is hurt, he irrationally turns his back on the traditional idea of honor and abandons those who need him the most. The noble Hector pursues honor ...
