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This article is all about Achilles.

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Achilles, celebrated Trojan War hero of Greek myth, was famed for his anger and ‘Achilles heel’, discover the story of his life.

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Who Hector and Achilles were and why they fought in the Trojan War

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this is a good article that explains the two characters as well as the story of the Trojan war.

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The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had

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https://blog.britishmuseum.org/who-was-achilles/
Achilles life story

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Achilles, celebrated Trojan War hero of Greek myth, was famed for his anger and ‘Achilles heel’, discover the story of his life.

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The article explains about who is Achilles and all about his life and what he did

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The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had

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https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/achilles
talks about the Achilles and Hector.

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The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had

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This explains how Achilles was manliness and Hector was learning manliness

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With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we've decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in November 2016.
For the Ancient Greeks, Homer's Iliad was the Bible on andreia - that is, manliness, particularly manly courage.

Alexander the Great was said to have kept a special edition of the epic poem (prepared by his tutor Aristotle) under his pillow during his conquests and he'd read from it often. For Alexander, Achilles was andreia incarnate, and so the young king patterned his life after him. When he began his conquest of Asia, Alexander made a detour to pay homage to Achilles' tomb. Whenever he experienced bouts of self-doubt, he'd pray to Achilles' goddess mother, Thetis, for comfort. When his best friend and general, Hephaestion, was killed in battle, Alexander mourned deeply, just as Achilles had grieved for his best friend, Patroclus.

Many young men since Alexander have also found inspiration from Achilles, the mighty, swift-footed warrior. For he embodies an ideal that they, deep in their gut, keenly desire: undaunted courage and physical prowess.

Yet while Achilles may be the perfect embodiment of andreia, and get all the attention and adulation, there is another character who exemplified manliness in The Iliad as well, and actually provides a better roadmap on how most men can achieve it.

Achilles: Being Manliness

Nothing could stop Achilles in battle. He feared no one, not even King Agamemnon, the elected leader of the Greek hosts at Troy.

Achilles was fast, agile, and strong. He made heroic feats look easy.

His , or spiritedness, burned white hot, so much so that it would often overtake him while he unleashed carnage on the battlefield.

Achilles' reputation for andreia was so great that the Trojans cowered in fear when they saw Patroclus walking towards the battlefield wearing his friend's armor, mistaking him for the legendary warrior himself.

Achilles was also a handsome fella to boot. Homer described him as "beautiful." It's fitting that Brad Pitt played Achilles in the film adaptation of The Iliad.

Of course, Achilles did have some major flaws. His uncontrollable rage, a hyper sense of honor, and a vulnerable heel all led to his early downfall. But it was a price he had to pay to immortalize his perfect andreia and secure a legacy in which people still today talk about his excellence in courage and warfare.

Yet, making Achilles one's exemplar poses a significant difficulty for us mere mortal men . . . because Achilles wasn't a mere mortal.

His mother was a goddess, making him a warrior demigod. Achilles didn't have to work at andreia. He couldn't help not being brave, virile, and good looking; it was built right into his divine DNA. Achilles came out of the womb a man. Andreia was just a part of his being.

So while the andreia of Achilles can certainly serve as an ideal, his life isn't a very useful pattern for most men to follow, unless of course, your mother happens to be an immortal Olympian goddess.

There is, however, a character from The Iliad who does provide a helpful model for men on attaining andreia. And he happens to be Achilles' mortal enemy: the Trojan prince, Hector.

Hector: Learning Manliness

For nine long years, Hector led the defense of the city of Troy against the Greek onslaught. He was a battle-hardened warrior, and, like Achilles, had a reputation for andreia.

But Hector was different from Achilles. He was 100% mortal.

Unlike Achilles who was born with andreia, Hector had to learn it.

He even admitted so in perhaps one of the most touching scenes of Western literature.

Hector, battle weary and covered with dust and gore after preventing a Greek route of his forces, comes back inside the protective walls of Troy for rest. There he meets his loving and loyal wife Andromache who begs him not to go back into battle, afraid the next time her husband returns, it'll be on his shield, rather than with it.

Hector, still in his armor, confesses to his wife that he shares the same fear. How un-Achilliean! Achilles would have responded with a chortle, a boast, a patronizing retort to his wife not to worry her sweet little head about it. But Hector is human and has some humility about his ability and his bravery.

As he reflects to Andromache:

All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman.
But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy
and the Trojan women trailing their long robes
if I would shrink from battle now, a coward.
Nor does the spirit urge me on that way.
I've learned it all too well. To stand up bravely,
always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers,
winning my father great glory, glory for myself.

Did you catch that? I italicized it to help you out.

Hector says he had to learn how to be brave and fight. He experiences courage not as a lack of fear, but the practiced ability to feel fear, and then decide to move forward anyway.

The Greek word for "learn" is didaskein and English professor David Mikics astutely notes that didaskein is never used anywhere else in The Iliad to describe learning about bravery or manliness. Just in this instance. Homer is clearly setting up a contrast between Hector and his instinctively fierce rival, Achilles.

While Achilles was born manly, Hector had to learn andreia. He had to learn how to be fierce and strong, which suggests it wasn't in his nature to be so.

Instead Hector was probably by nature a nice guy. No, not the insufferable nice guy nice guy. I'm talking niceness in terms of being genuinely kind, compassionate, and considerate to others. There's evidence for this characterization in the text; for example, while others blamed and resented Helen for starting the Trojan War, Hector went out of his way to show kindness towards her.

Further, following Hector's admission to his wife that he had to learn andreia, his young son, Astyanax, catches sight of him in his blood-stained armor, and, not recognizing his father, begins to scream. Laughing, Hector takes off his helmet, picks up his boy and tosses him in the air while giving him kisses, just like you see dads do today.

Hector was a good guy. A caring husband and a loving father.

But he understood that goodness must be backed with strength. Hector recognized, like Theodore Roosevelt did millennia later, that "unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail."

And so he spent his life learning that which didn't come naturally to him, but which he desired in order to live with andreia. He learned from observation and from practice how to be brave, daring, and strong. Hector dedicated himself to an education in virile manhood.

Hector: A Fellow Traveler on the Path to Manhood

I relate with Hector.

I think of myself as a "good guy." I'm naturally inclined to be kind and friendly towards others. And like Hector, I'm a family man.

But being an andros? A courageous, fierce, thumos-driven, physically adept, and strong man?

That's something I've had to learn and am still learning. It's not in my nature. If I just followed my druthers, I'd probably do a lot of sitting around on a beanbag chair, playing video games and eating nachos. But because I believe that developing andreia is essential to achieving arête (excellence) and eudemonia (flourishing) as a man, and because I value goodness and desire that others have the chance to pursue arête as well, each day I strive to develop the strength and courage to protect that possibility.

I've come across some men who are more like Achilles. They were born with andreia. They were naturally courageous, physically adept, and comfortable with risk, even as boys. When I've met these sorts of men, I've found myself being awestruck. Like Achilles, they embody an ideal of virile manliness that I can't help but respect, even if they're a bit rough around the edges.

But inspiring as these men can be, they don't provide useful insights on how to develop that same sort of andreia. It'd be like asking Usain Bolt how to become a faster sprinter. First step: be Usain Bolt. Not very useful.

Instead, I prefer looking for the men who are by nature good guys like Hector, but who had to learn how to become fierce. Those guys will have some pointers.

Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass, Winston Churchill, and my grandfather are just a few of these "Gentleman Barbarians" who I look to for insights on how to gain an autodidactic education in andreia.

Most men I've encountered are fellow Hectors. They're good guys who have to work at being manly. It can be easy to feel insecure about the fact that you have to constantly learn and re-learn how to be a man. Achilles-types sometimes scoff at the idea of actively trying to learn the art of manhood, and evince disbelief that other men haven't known how to do certain skills since they were young boys, and don't embody certain traits intuitively.

But such insecurity is misplaced, and such criticism wrong-headed. Few men emerge from the womb with hair on their chest, or simply absorb the skills and traits of manhood from the ether. Lots of great men throughout history have had to intentionally set out to learn manliness, including Hector.

Being or learning. Those are two paths towards andreia. For most of us, learning is the path we must take. It's the path I'm on, at least. The Art of Manliness is where I've shared some of the ideas I've picked up along my journey towards that goal. And it's been great meeting other Hectors - good guys - along the way who've made the conscious decision to learn manliness too.

Note: This article was inspired by Mark Edmundon's excellent Why Football Matters. Be sure to listen to my podcast with him as well.

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Hector and Achilles: Two Paths to Manliness

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With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we've decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in November 2016. For the Ancient Greeks, Homer's Iliad was the Bible on andreia - that is, manliness, particularly manly courage.

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hector learned to be fierce

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With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we've decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in November 2016.
For the Ancient Greeks, Homer's Iliad was the Bible on andreia - that is, manliness, particularly manly courage.

Alexander the Great was said to have kept a special edition of the epic poem (prepared by his tutor Aristotle) under his pillow during his conquests and he'd read from it often. For Alexander, Achilles was andreia incarnate, and so the young king patterned his life after him. When he began his conquest of Asia, Alexander made a detour to pay homage to Achilles' tomb. Whenever he experienced bouts of self-doubt, he'd pray to Achilles' goddess mother, Thetis, for comfort. When his best friend and general, Hephaestion, was killed in battle, Alexander mourned deeply, just as Achilles had grieved for his best friend, Patroclus.

Many young men since Alexander have also found inspiration from Achilles, the mighty, swift-footed warrior. For he embodies an ideal that they, deep in their gut, keenly desire: undaunted courage and physical prowess.

Yet while Achilles may be the perfect embodiment of andreia, and get all the attention and adulation, there is another character who exemplified manliness in The Iliad as well, and actually provides a better roadmap on how most men can achieve it.

Achilles: Being Manliness

Nothing could stop Achilles in battle. He feared no one, not even King Agamemnon, the elected leader of the Greek hosts at Troy.

Achilles was fast, agile, and strong. He made heroic feats look easy.

His , or spiritedness, burned white hot, so much so that it would often overtake him while he unleashed carnage on the battlefield.

Achilles' reputation for andreia was so great that the Trojans cowered in fear when they saw Patroclus walking towards the battlefield wearing his friend's armor, mistaking him for the legendary warrior himself.

Achilles was also a handsome fella to boot. Homer described him as "beautiful." It's fitting that Brad Pitt played Achilles in the film adaptation of The Iliad.

Of course, Achilles did have some major flaws. His uncontrollable rage, a hyper sense of honor, and a vulnerable heel all led to his early downfall. But it was a price he had to pay to immortalize his perfect andreia and secure a legacy in which people still today talk about his excellence in courage and warfare.

Yet, making Achilles one's exemplar poses a significant difficulty for us mere mortal men . . . because Achilles wasn't a mere mortal.

His mother was a goddess, making him a warrior demigod. Achilles didn't have to work at andreia. He couldn't help not being brave, virile, and good looking; it was built right into his divine DNA. Achilles came out of the womb a man. Andreia was just a part of his being.

So while the andreia of Achilles can certainly serve as an ideal, his life isn't a very useful pattern for most men to follow, unless of course, your mother happens to be an immortal Olympian goddess.

There is, however, a character from The Iliad who does provide a helpful model for men on attaining andreia. And he happens to be Achilles' mortal enemy: the Trojan prince, Hector.

Hector: Learning Manliness

For nine long years, Hector led the defense of the city of Troy against the Greek onslaught. He was a battle-hardened warrior, and, like Achilles, had a reputation for andreia.

But Hector was different from Achilles. He was 100% mortal.

Unlike Achilles who was born with andreia, Hector had to learn it.

He even admitted so in perhaps one of the most touching scenes of Western literature.

Hector, battle weary and covered with dust and gore after preventing a Greek route of his forces, comes back inside the protective walls of Troy for rest. There he meets his loving and loyal wife Andromache who begs him not to go back into battle, afraid the next time her husband returns, it'll be on his shield, rather than with it.

Hector, still in his armor, confesses to his wife that he shares the same fear. How un-Achilliean! Achilles would have responded with a chortle, a boast, a patronizing retort to his wife not to worry her sweet little head about it. But Hector is human and has some humility about his ability and his bravery.

As he reflects to Andromache:

All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman.
But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy
and the Trojan women trailing their long robes
if I would shrink from battle now, a coward.
Nor does the spirit urge me on that way.
I've learned it all too well. To stand up bravely,
always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers,
winning my father great glory, glory for myself.

Did you catch that? I italicized it to help you out.

Hector says he had to learn how to be brave and fight. He experiences courage not as a lack of fear, but the practiced ability to feel fear, and then decide to move forward anyway.

The Greek word for "learn" is didaskein and English professor David Mikics astutely notes that didaskein is never used anywhere else in The Iliad to describe learning about bravery or manliness. Just in this instance. Homer is clearly setting up a contrast between Hector and his instinctively fierce rival, Achilles.

While Achilles was born manly, Hector had to learn andreia. He had to learn how to be fierce and strong, which suggests it wasn't in his nature to be so.

Instead Hector was probably by nature a nice guy. No, not the insufferable nice guy nice guy. I'm talking niceness in terms of being genuinely kind, compassionate, and considerate to others. There's evidence for this characterization in the text; for example, while others blamed and resented Helen for starting the Trojan War, Hector went out of his way to show kindness towards her.

Further, following Hector's admission to his wife that he had to learn andreia, his young son, Astyanax, catches sight of him in his blood-stained armor, and, not recognizing his father, begins to scream. Laughing, Hector takes off his helmet, picks up his boy and tosses him in the air while giving him kisses, just like you see dads do today.

Hector was a good guy. A caring husband and a loving father.

But he understood that goodness must be backed with strength. Hector recognized, like Theodore Roosevelt did millennia later, that "unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail."

And so he spent his life learning that which didn't come naturally to him, but which he desired in order to live with andreia. He learned from observation and from practice how to be brave, daring, and strong. Hector dedicated himself to an education in virile manhood.

Hector: A Fellow Traveler on the Path to Manhood

I relate with Hector.

I think of myself as a "good guy." I'm naturally inclined to be kind and friendly towards others. And like Hector, I'm a family man.

But being an andros? A courageous, fierce, thumos-driven, physically adept, and strong man?

That's something I've had to learn and am still learning. It's not in my nature. If I just followed my druthers, I'd probably do a lot of sitting around on a beanbag chair, playing video games and eating nachos. But because I believe that developing andreia is essential to achieving arête (excellence) and eudemonia (flourishing) as a man, and because I value goodness and desire that others have the chance to pursue arête as well, each day I strive to develop the strength and courage to protect that possibility.

I've come across some men who are more like Achilles. They were born with andreia. They were naturally courageous, physically adept, and comfortable with risk, even as boys. When I've met these sorts of men, I've found myself being awestruck. Like Achilles, they embody an ideal of virile manliness that I can't help but respect, even if they're a bit rough around the edges.

But inspiring as these men can be, they don't provide useful insights on how to develop that same sort of andreia. It'd be like asking Usain Bolt how to become a faster sprinter. First step: be Usain Bolt. Not very useful.

Instead, I prefer looking for the men who are by nature good guys like Hector, but who had to learn how to become fierce. Those guys will have some pointers.

Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass, Winston Churchill, and my grandfather are just a few of these "Gentleman Barbarians" who I look to for insights on how to gain an autodidactic education in andreia.

Most men I've encountered are fellow Hectors. They're good guys who have to work at being manly. It can be easy to feel insecure about the fact that you have to constantly learn and re-learn how to be a man. Achilles-types sometimes scoff at the idea of actively trying to learn the art of manhood, and evince disbelief that other men haven't known how to do certain skills since they were young boys, and don't embody certain traits intuitively.

But such insecurity is misplaced, and such criticism wrong-headed. Few men emerge from the womb with hair on their chest, or simply absorb the skills and traits of manhood from the ether. Lots of great men throughout history have had to intentionally set out to learn manliness, including Hector.

Being or learning. Those are two paths towards andreia. For most of us, learning is the path we must take. It's the path I'm on, at least. The Art of Manliness is where I've shared some of the ideas I've picked up along my journey towards that goal. And it's been great meeting other Hectors - good guys - along the way who've made the conscious decision to learn manliness too.

Note: This article was inspired by Mark Edmundon's excellent Why Football Matters. Be sure to listen to my podcast with him as well.

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Hector and Achilles: Two Paths to Manliness

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With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we've decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in November 2016. For the Ancient Greeks, Homer's Iliad was the Bible on andreia - that is, manliness, particularly manly courage.

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This is a detailed description of both Achilles and Hector, as well as some of their differences and similarities.

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and kings come to life in a way that you don't see too often. Two characters, especially, drive the heart of the story: Trojan Hector, and Greek Achilles. Though these characters are nemeses, and even though they seem to hate each other, they have more in common than they have differences.

Achilles, according to legend, was half-immortal: his mother, a sea-nymph, dipped him into the River Styx when he was only a baby. This meant he was completely indestructible- all except for his heel, which his mother used to hold him when she dipped him into the water. According to The Poet, he is the greatest warrior that ever lived: "bigger than Heracles, bigger than Sinbad, bigger than . . . well, who's the greatest warrior living now?" His life is surrounded by the supernatural; he was raised by a centaur, he can speak to animals, and it's been prophesied that he'll die in Troy. More important than all this, though, is Achilles' character; he is extremely prideful, vengeful, and quick to anger.

Hector, on the other hand, was all mortal. He was the son of Priam, the king of Troy. It was his brother, Paris, that kidnapped Helen and started off the entire war. And just like Achilles, Hector is very prideful. He refuses to retreat, he refuses to let anyone else lead the battles against the Greeks, and he refuses, most of all, to surrender to the other side. Even when his wife and child beg him to call off the fighting, he won't do it. He would rather die in the glory of battle than live with defeat.

Achilles, in his pride, refuses to fight against the Trojans; he's been offended by the Greek leader, so he lets the army suffer and falter in order to prove a point. Hector, on the other hand, fights wholeheartedly; he wants to defend his country and his family, so he gives the battle his all. But he's not only fighting to defend his country; he's fighting for the glory of it. "He won't let anyone else lead the charge for Troy. . . . He wants to be in charge. Complicated. Full of hubris." He's the one who eventually ends up killing Achilles' best friend, Patroclus. And it's only Patroclus' death that finally spurs Achilles to fight.

Hector wants to battle Achilles to avenge his country and defend it against future Greek attacks. In An Iliad, he considers reasoning with Achilles, but his pride overcomes him. Similarly, instead of letting bygones be bygones, Achilles swears vengeance on Hector and goes after him and his armies. It's their fight to the death that sits at the heart of the play.

What makes these characters so similar? In a word, it's their pride. Neither one is willing to lose or to concede anything, even if it is for a greater good. Instead, each character lets his pride fuel his rage and his desire for vengeance. Each has a passionate love for and loyalty toward others; Hector cares for his wife and son more than anything. In An Iliad, we see his tenderness and love as he speaks with his baby son, and we see his worry for his wife. Likewise, Achilles has an intense attachment to two characters: his lover Briseis and his best friend Patroclus. We learn in the play that "Patroclus and Achilles were more than friends, they were brothers. And really they were more than brothers, they loved each other."

We learn that both Achilles and Hector are good men. They are driven by courage and nobility; they want only to defend and avenge their loved ones. Each of them is their respective side's best warrior. It's no wonder that Homer wrote so much about them. But ultimately, it's their pride and anger that destroys them. An Iliad shows us that each character lets his pride overcome everything he loves until there's nothing left but rage and war.

Even though they seem very different when you first look at them, Hector and Achilles are very alike; they are men who want what is best for themselves and for their loved ones. Come see An Iliad this season; you'll see the beauty of love and loyalty and the dangers of pride and anger. And most of all, you'll see a beautiful, but sad, tale portrayed in exquisite language and masterful storytelling.
The Festival production of An Iliad

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Who Were Achilles and Hector? - Utah Shakespeare Festival

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and king

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This article is the summary of the Trojan war with some key details.

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The Trojan War

Until about a 100 years ago, we were quite sure that the Trojan War was purely legend, and that asking when it happened would be like asking when Atlantis sank. But at the close of the 19th century archaeologists led by Heinrich Schliemann found the remains of a great citadel that existed on the Western shore of Asia Minor, the traditional location of Troy, and which appeared to be overrun in a great war around the year 1250 B.C.E., a time which is compatible with the traditional story of the Trojan War. In the ancient world, the legend underwent many changes and amplifications. The kernel of the story is contained in Homer's two epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The incidents he relates, whether narrated in depth or only touched upon, were elaborated or developed by the post-Homeric poets, partly by connecting them with other popular traditions, and partly by the addition of further details of their own. The account that follows highlights the important incidents of the war in Homer's version, and in other versions where they are relevant for our class.

In Homer it is simply the rape of Helen which is the occasion of the war. A later legend traced its origin to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, when Eris threw down among the assembled gods a golden apple inscribed, "For the fairest." The quarrel that ensued between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite for the prize of beauty was decided by the Trojan prince Paris in favor of Aphrodite, who in return secured for him the possession of Helen, while Hera and Athena became, from that time onward, the implacable enemies of the whole Trojan race. According to Homer, after Paris carried off Helen, her husband Menelaus was understandably upset. He happened to be brother to Agamemnon, the greatest king among the Greeks, and the two of them visited all the Greek chieftains and convinced them to take part in a great expedition which they were preparing to avenge the wrong. Agamemnon was chosen commander-in-chief; next to him the most prominent Greek heroes are his brother Menelaus, Achilles and Patroclus, two unrelated men named Ajax, Teucer, Nestor and his son Antilochus, Odysseus, Diomedes, Idomeneus, and Philoctetes, who, however, at the very outset of the expedition had to be left behind, and does not appear on the scene of action until just before the fall of Troy. The entire host of 100,000 men and 1,186 ships assembled in the harbor of Aulis. Here, while they made sacrifices to secure the good will of the gods for the expedition, a snake darted out from under the altar, ascended a tree, devoured a brood of eight young sparrows and the mother-bird, and finally was turned into stone. This omen Calchas, the seer of the host, interpreted to mean that the war would last nine years, and terminate in the tenth with the destruction of Troy [Iliad ii 299-332]. Agamemnon had already received an oracle from Delphi that Troy would fall when the best of the Greeks quarreled.

In Homer the crossing to Troy follows immediately; but in the later story the Greeks at first land by mistake in Mysia, in the country of Telephus. They are dispersed by a storm and driven back to Greece, and then assemble afresh at Aulis. Once there, they learn that divine disfavor is preventing them from the crossing to Troy until Agamemnon agrees to sacrifice his own daughter Iphigenia to appease the angry gods (an incident entirely unknown to Homer). After landing, skirmishing, and pitching their camp, Odysseus and Menelaus proceed as ambassadors to Troy, to demand the surrender of Helen. But this proposal, in spite of the inclination of Helen herself and the admonition of the Trojan Antenor, never takes hold, owing to the opposition of Paris. War is declared. The number of the Trojans is scarcely one tenth that of the besiegers; and although they possess many brave heroes, such as Aeneas, Sarpedon, Glaucus, and especially Hector, in their fear of Achilles they dare not risk a general engagement, and remain holed up behind their walls. On the other hand, the Achaeans can do nothing against the well-fortified and defended town, and see themselves confined to laying ambuscades and devastating the surrounding country, and compelled by lack of provisions to have resource to foraging expeditions in the neighborhood, undertaken by sea and by land under the generalship of Achilles.

At last the decisive tenth year arrives. The Iliad narrates the events of this year, confining itself to the space of fifty-one days. Over the course of the war, the Greeks have taken many war prizes from the surrounding countryside. One of these prizes happens to be Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo. He comes in priestly garb into the camp of the Greeks to ransom his daughter from Agamemnon. He is rudely repulsed, and Apollo consequently visits the Greeks with a plague. In an assembly of the Greeks summoned by Achilles, the seer Calchas declares the only means of appeasing the god to be the surrender of the girl without ransom. Agamemnon assents to the general wish; but, by way of compensation, takes from Achilles, whom he considers to be the instigator of the whole plot, his favorite slave Briseis. Achilles withdraws in a rage to his tent, and implores his mother Thetis to obtain from Zeus a promise that the Greeks should meet with disaster in fighting the Trojans until Agamemnon returns the girl and restores Achilles' honor. The Trojans immediately take the open field, and Agamemnon is induced by a promise of victory, conveyed in a lying dream from Zeus, to start the fight.

The armies are standing opposed to one another, prepared for fight, when they agree to a treaty that the whole conflict will be decided by a duel between Paris and Menelaus. Paris is overcome in the duel, and is only rescued from death by the intervention of Aphrodite. When Agamemnon presses for the fulfillment of the treaty, the Trojan Pandarus breaks the peace by shooting an arrow at Menelaus, and the agreement falls apart. The first open engagement in the war begins, in which, under the protection of Athena, Diomedes performs miracles of bravery and wounds even Aphrodite and Ares. Diomedes and the Lycian Glaucus are on the verge of fighting, when they recognize one another as hereditary guest-friends and stop their duel, a marker of how important is the concept of hospitality (XENIA, in Greek). The day ends with an indecisive duel between Hector and Ajax son of Telamon. They call a truce to bury their dead, and the Greeks, acting on the advice of Nestor, surround their camp with a wall and trench. When the fighting begins again, Zeus forbids the gods to take part in it, and ordains that the battle shall end with the defeat of the Greeks. On the following night Agamemnon already begins to think about fleeing, but Nestor advises reconciliation with Achilles. Agamemnon sends an embassy, including Odysseus, to make amends with Achilles. The efforts of ambassadors are, however, fruitless. Then Odysseus and Diomedes go out on a night-time reconnaissance mission, kill many Trojans, and capture a Trojan spy. On the succeeding day Agamemnon's bravery drives the Trojans back to the walls of the town; but he himself, Diomedes, Odysseus, and other heroes leave the battle wounded, and the Greeks retire behind the camp walls. The Trojans advance and attack the Greek walls. The opposition of the Greeks is brave; but Hector breaks the rough gate with a rock, and the stream of enemies pours itself unimpeded into the camp. Once more the Greek heroes who are still capable of taking part in the fight, especially the two Ajaxes and Idomeneus, succeed with the help of Poseidon in repelling the Trojans, while Telamonian Ajax dashes Hector to the ground with a stone; but the latter soon reappears on the battlefield with fresh strength granted to him by Apollo at the command of Zeus. Poseidon is obliged to leave the Greeks to their fate; they retire again to the ships, which Ajax in vain defends. The Trojans advance still further to where they are able to begin torching the Greek ships. At this point, Achilles allows his friend Patroclus to borrow his armour and enter the battle with their contingent of soldiers to help the distressed Greeks. Supposing it to be Achilles himself, the Trojans in terror flee from the camp before Patroclus, who pursues them to the town, and lays low vast numbers of the enemy, including the brave Sarpedon, whose corpse is only rescued from the Greeks after a severe fight. At last Patroclus himself is slain by Hector with the help of Apollo; Achilles' arms are lost, and even the corpse is with difficulty saved. And now Achilles repents of his anger, reconciles himself to Agamemnon, and on the following day, furnished with new and splendid armour by Hephaestus at the request of Thetis, avenges the death of his friend on countless Trojans and finally on Hector himself.

The Iliad concludes with the burial of Patroclus and the funeral games established in his honor, the restoration of Hector's corpse to Priam, and the burial of Hector, for which Achilles allows an armistice of eleven days. Immediately after the death of Hector the later legends bring the Amazons to the help of the Trojans, and their queen Penthesilea is slain by Achilles. Then appears Memnon at the head of an Ethiopian contingent. He slays Antilochus son of Nestor, but is himself slain by Achilles. And now comes the fulfillment of the oracle given to Agamemnon at Delphi; for at a sacrificial banquet a violent quarrel arises between Achilles and Odysseus, the latter declaring craft and not valour to be the only means of capturing Troy. Soon after, in an attempt to force a way into the hostile town through the Scaean gate, Achilles falls, slain by the arrow of Paris, directed by the god. After his burial, Thetis offers the arms of her son as a prize for the bravest of the Greek heroes, which provokes a fight among the Greeks for the title and the arms. Odysseus wins, and his main competition, the Telamonian Ajax, kills himself.

Odysseus captures Helenus, son of Priam, who advises the Greeks that Troy could not be conquered without the arrows of Heracles and the presence of someone related to Achilles. They fetch Philoctetes, the heir of Heracles, whom the Greeks had abandoned and left for dead on the island of Lemnos, and Neoptolemus, the young son of Achilles, who had been brought up on Seyros. The latter, a worthy son of his father, slays the last ally of the Trojans, Eurypylus, the brave son of Telephus; and Philoctetes, with one of the arrows of Heracles, kills Paris. Even when the last condition of the capture of Troy, the removal of a small statue of Athena, called the Palladium, from the temple of Athena on the citadel, has been successfully fulfilled by Diomedes and Odysseus, the town can only be taken by treachery. On the advice of Athena, Epeius, son of Panopeus, builds a gigantic wooden horse, in the belly of which the bravest Greek warriors conceal themselves under the direction of Odysseus. The rest of the Greeks pretend to abandon the fight. They burn their camp and embark on ship, only, however, to hide in waiting behind a nearby island. The Trojans, streaming out of the town, find the horse, and are in doubt as to what to do with it. According to the later legend, they are deceived by the treacherous Sinon, a kinsman of Odysseus, who has of his own free will remained behind. He pretends that he has escaped from an evil plan of Odysseus to use him as a human sacrifice, and that the horse has been erected to expiate the robbery of the Palladium. To destroy it would be fatal to Troy, he claims, but should it be brought into the city, the Trojans would conquer Europe. The Trojan Laocoon warns against the Greek gift and is killed by sea monsters. The Trojans take it as a sign and decide to bring the statue into the city.

The Trojans are overjoyed and celebrate their victory and the departure of the Greeks. Sinon in the night opens the door of the horse. The heroes descend, and light the flames that give to the Greek fleet the agreed-upon signal for its return. Thus Troy is captured; all the inhabitants are either slain or carried into slavery, and the city is destroyed. The only survivors of the royal house are Helenus, Aeneas, Hector's wife Andromache, and Cassandra, who is taken as a war prize by Agamemnon. The Greeks run riot in the conquered city and their offenses set off divine outrage. For many of the Greeks, their sufferings are far from over. Their voyages home, in Greek NOSTOI, are fraught with troubles. Only Nestor, Diomedes, Neoptolemus, Philoctetes, and Idomeneus reach home in safety; while Menelaus and Odysseus first have to undergo wanderings for years. The Locrian Ajax is killed at sea, and Agamemnon immediately after his arrival home.

See Also:
Odysseus in the Trojan War

Timeline of Relevant Events

Relevant genealogical information:

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The Trojan War Until about a 100 years ago, we were quite sure that the Trojan War was purely legend, and that asking when it happened would be like asking when Atlantis sank.

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Giovanni P             https://www.bard.org/news/who-were-achilles-and-hector           

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Giovanni P             https://www.bard.org/news/who-were-achilles-and-hector           

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This explains who Achilles and Hector of Troy were and their battle

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and kings come to life in a way that you don't see too often. Two characters, especially, drive the heart of the story: Trojan Hector, and Greek Achilles. Though these characters are nemeses, and even though they seem to hate each other, they have more in common than they have differences.

Achilles, according to legend, was half-immortal: his mother, a sea-nymph, dipped him into the River Styx when he was only a baby. This meant he was completely indestructible- all except for his heel, which his mother used to hold him when she dipped him into the water. According to The Poet, he is the greatest warrior that ever lived: "bigger than Heracles, bigger than Sinbad, bigger than . . . well, who's the greatest warrior living now?" His life is surrounded by the supernatural; he was raised by a centaur, he can speak to animals, and it's been prophesied that he'll die in Troy. More important than all this, though, is Achilles' character; he is extremely prideful, vengeful, and quick to anger.

Hector, on the other hand, was all mortal. He was the son of Priam, the king of Troy. It was his brother, Paris, that kidnapped Helen and started off the entire war. And just like Achilles, Hector is very prideful. He refuses to retreat, he refuses to let anyone else lead the battles against the Greeks, and he refuses, most of all, to surrender to the other side. Even when his wife and child beg him to call off the fighting, he won't do it. He would rather die in the glory of battle than live with defeat.

Achilles, in his pride, refuses to fight against the Trojans; he's been offended by the Greek leader, so he lets the army suffer and falter in order to prove a point. Hector, on the other hand, fights wholeheartedly; he wants to defend his country and his family, so he gives the battle his all. But he's not only fighting to defend his country; he's fighting for the glory of it. "He won't let anyone else lead the charge for Troy. . . . He wants to be in charge. Complicated. Full of hubris." He's the one who eventually ends up killing Achilles' best friend, Patroclus. And it's only Patroclus' death that finally spurs Achilles to fight.

Hector wants to battle Achilles to avenge his country and defend it against future Greek attacks. In An Iliad, he considers reasoning with Achilles, but his pride overcomes him. Similarly, instead of letting bygones be bygones, Achilles swears vengeance on Hector and goes after him and his armies. It's their fight to the death that sits at the heart of the play.

What makes these characters so similar? In a word, it's their pride. Neither one is willing to lose or to concede anything, even if it is for a greater good. Instead, each character lets his pride fuel his rage and his desire for vengeance. Each has a passionate love for and loyalty toward others; Hector cares for his wife and son more than anything. In An Iliad, we see his tenderness and love as he speaks with his baby son, and we see his worry for his wife. Likewise, Achilles has an intense attachment to two characters: his lover Briseis and his best friend Patroclus. We learn in the play that "Patroclus and Achilles were more than friends, they were brothers. And really they were more than brothers, they loved each other."

We learn that both Achilles and Hector are good men. They are driven by courage and nobility; they want only to defend and avenge their loved ones. Each of them is their respective side's best warrior. It's no wonder that Homer wrote so much about them. But ultimately, it's their pride and anger that destroys them. An Iliad shows us that each character lets his pride overcome everything he loves until there's nothing left but rage and war.

Even though they seem very different when you first look at them, Hector and Achilles are very alike; they are men who want what is best for themselves and for their loved ones. Come see An Iliad this season; you'll see the beauty of love and loyalty and the dangers of pride and anger. And most of all, you'll see a beautiful, but sad, tale portrayed in exquisite language and masterful storytelling.
The Festival production of An Iliad

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Who Were Achilles and Hector? - Utah Shakespeare Festival

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and king

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The article explains why Achilles killed Hector of Troy.

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In Greek mythology, Hector, the oldest child of King Priam and Hecuba, was the presumed heir to the throne of Troy. This devoted husband of Andromache and father of Astyanax was the greatest Trojan hero of the Trojan War, the main defender of Troy, and a favorite of Apollo.

Hector in The Iliad

As depicted in Homer's The Iliad, Hector is one of the principal defenders of Troy, and he very nearly won the war for the Trojans. After Achilles temporarily deserted the Greeks, Hector stormed the Greek camp, wounded Odysseus and threatened to burn the Greek fleet-until Agamemnon rallied his troops and repelled the Trojans. Later, with Apollo's help, Hector killed Patroclus, the best friend of the great Greek warrior Achilles, and stole his armor, which actually belonged to Achilles.

Enraged by the death of his friend, Achilles reconciled with Agamemnon and joined the other Greeks in fighting against the Trojans in order to pursue Hector. As the Greeks stormed the Trojan castle, Hector came out to meet Achilles in single combat-wearing the fateful armor of Achilles taken off the body of Patroclus. Achilles aimed and shot his spear into a small gap in the neck area of that armor, killing Hector.

Afterward, the Greeks desecrated Hector's corpse by dragging it around the grave of Patroclus three times. King Priam, Hector's father, then went to Achilles to beg for his son's body so he could give it a proper burial. Despite the abuse of the corpse at the hands of the Greeks, Hector's body had been kept intact due to the intervention of the gods.

The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector, held during a 12-day truce granted by Achilles. The mourners include Andromache, Hecabe, and Helen, all of whom perform individual laments for his death. After Hector's death, his wife Andromache was enslaved by the son of Achilles, and his son Astyanax was killed.

Hector in Literature and Film

Modern historians consider Hector the moral hero of the Iliad, who is doomed by Zeus who has selected Hector to bring about Patroclus' death in order to force Achilles back into battle.

In 1312 CE, Jacques de Longuyon, in the romance Les Voeux du paon, included Hector as one of three pagans among the Nine Worthies-chosen as models for medieval chivalry.

In The Inferno, completed about 1314 CE, Dante placed Hector in Limbo rather than hell, since Hector was regarded by Dante as one of the truly virtuous pagans.

In William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, written in 1609, Hector's death comes at the end of the play, and his noble nature serves to contrast against the arrogant pride shown by other characters.

The 1956 film, Helen of Troy marked the first time Hector appears in movies, this time played by actor Harry Andrews.

In the 2004 film Troy, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, Hector was played by actor Eric Bana.

Sources and Further Reading

Farron, S. "The Character of Hector in the 'Iliad'." Acta Classica, vol. 21, 1978, pp. 39-57, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24591547.

Homer. "The Iliad." edited by Jim Tineley and Al Haines, translated by Samuel Butler, Project Gutenberg, 2019. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2199/2199-h/2199-h.htm.

Most, Glenn W. "Anger and Pity in Homer's Iliad." Ancient Anger: Perspectives from Homer to Galen, edited by Susanna Braud and Glenn W. Most, vol. 32, Yale University Press, 2003, pp. 50-69.

Pantelia, Maria C. "Helen and the Last Song for Hector." Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), vol. 132, no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 21-27, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20054056.

Redfield, James M. "Nature and Culture in the Iliad: The Tragedy of Hector." Duke University Press, 1994.

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In Greek mythology, Hector, the oldest child of King Priam and Hecuba, was the presumed heir to the throne of Troy. This devoted husband of Andromache and father of Astyanax was the greatest Trojan hero of the Trojan War, the main defender of Troy, and a favorite of Apollo.

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This article explains the battle of Achilles and hector and the conflicts they had.

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The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had

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This website gives a brief overview of the second part of the Trojan War when Achilles and Hector fought against each other.

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adapted from Stories of the Ancient Greeks by Charles D. Shaw,

When Paris had carried off Helen to Troy, her husband Menelaus called on the Greek leaders to help him bring her back. That meant war, and some were very unwilling to risk their lives and the lives of their soldiers for such a cause. One named Odysseus persuaded several to go with him to the war, among them Achilles. The mother of this young man, Thetis, was unwilling to have him fight against Troy, so she dressed him like a girl and placed him among the daughters of a friendly king. Odysseus heard of this and put on the clothes of a traveling merchant. He went to the palace with rings and bracelets, belts and expensive clothing, and two or three good swords. The girls came out to see these treasures and were pleased with the jewelry. One among them did not look at the rings and nice clothes, but lifted the swords and tried their weight.

Odysseus said, "Young man, your dress is that of a girl, but your eye is that of a man. You are Achilles, and you must go with me to Troy to battle."

Two years were spent in collecting ships and men. The entire company met at Aulis, ready to sail together. The fleet sailed and soon reached the coast of Troy. War began at once and lasted for nine years without feeling like it could ever end.

An intense argument arose between Achilles and Agamemnon, a king, leader of the Greek soldiers, and brother to Menelaus. They were fighting over who would get the spoils of war. As leader, Agamemnon wanted to take the best for himself, but Achilles argued because Agamemnon did not fight in the battle, but Achilles did. Achilles said he would fight no more but would go home to Greece.

The gods and goddesses took a deep interest in the case. Hera and Athena were angry at Paris and the Trojans, but Aphrodite was friendly to them. Ares took her side, but Poseidon helped the Greeks.

Illustrations by John Flaxman, in by Alfred John Church, 1895,

Fighting went on more fiercely than ever. The Trojans won victory after victory, and the Greeks were driven to their ships. The enemy followed and were about to burn the ships when Poseidon went among the Greeks as an oracle and gave them new courage. Ajax the Greek met Hector of Troy, who threw his spear which struck but did no harm. Then Ajax took a huge stone and threw it with all his might. It fell on Hector like a falling mountain, and he sank to the ground, hurt and stunned. Zeus sent Apollo to cure him, and he soon was busy again in the fight.

The battle went against the Greeks. Some commanders were wounded, others were killed. Once more the Trojans reached the ships and were preparing to burn them.

A dear friend of Achilles, named Patroclus, went to the hero and said, "Oh, my friend! If you aren't going to come and help us, lend me your armor and your soldiers so I can drive away these enemies before they destroy all our ships."

Achilles said, "Take my armor and my men and drive away our enemies, but do not try to follow them without my help."

The Trojans thought they saw the great Achilles with his troops coming against them. They fled, and Patroclus followed, driving them like sheep, until he met Hector. These two fought, and Patroclus fell. Then Hector took from him the armor of Achilles and put it on.

When Achilles heard that his friend was dead he started up and said, "I will go out and fight with Hector this very day." His mother Thetis said, "Remember, you have no armor. Wait until tomorrow, and you shall have a suit better than the first."

She hurried to Hephæstus, who made the armor, and at the dawn of day it lay at the feet of Achilles. He went into the battle and drove the Trojans inside the wall of their city.

Only Hector stood outside waiting to meet him, but when he saw Achilles coming he turned and ran. Achilles followed him three times around the city; then Hector stood and fought. The spear of Achilles pierced him, and he fell.

Achilles stripped the armor from the body, tied Hector's feet behind his chariot, and drove around the city, dragging the dead hero through the dust. The Trojans stood weeping on the walls, among them the father and mother and wife of Hector, lamenting at the dreadful sight.

The Greeks took the body of Patroclus and burned it with many honors, but Hector's corpse lay out upon the field. Priam, his father and king of Troy, filled a wooden chest with gold and rich clothing and other costly gifts. The gods helped him and his servants carry it to the tent of Achilles in exchange for the corpse of Hector. It was accepted, and the weeping company carried back those poor remains to the city and gave them the highest funeral honors.
CEFR Level: CEF Level B1

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Story: The Trojan War Part 2: Achilles and Hector

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adapted from Stories of the Ancient Greeks by Charles D. Shaw, When Paris had carried off Helen to Troy, her husband Menelaus called on the Greek leaders to help him bring her back. That meant war, and some were very unwilling to risk their lives and the lives of their soldiers for such a cause.

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Article about Achilles and his life, who he is

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Achilles, celebrated Trojan War hero of Greek myth, was famed for his anger and ‘Achilles heel’, discover the story of his life.

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Quick introduction.

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and kings come to life in a way that you don't see too often. Two characters, especially, drive the heart of the story: Trojan Hector, and Greek Achilles. Though these characters are nemeses, and even though they seem to hate each other, they have more in common than they have differences.

Achilles, according to legend, was half-immortal: his mother, a sea-nymph, dipped him into the River Styx when he was only a baby. This meant he was completely indestructible- all except for his heel, which his mother used to hold him when she dipped him into the water. According to The Poet, he is the greatest warrior that ever lived: "bigger than Heracles, bigger than Sinbad, bigger than . . . well, who's the greatest warrior living now?" His life is surrounded by the supernatural; he was raised by a centaur, he can speak to animals, and it's been prophesied that he'll die in Troy. More important than all this, though, is Achilles' character; he is extremely prideful, vengeful, and quick to anger.

Hector, on the other hand, was all mortal. He was the son of Priam, the king of Troy. It was his brother, Paris, that kidnapped Helen and started off the entire war. And just like Achilles, Hector is very prideful. He refuses to retreat, he refuses to let anyone else lead the battles against the Greeks, and he refuses, most of all, to surrender to the other side. Even when his wife and child beg him to call off the fighting, he won't do it. He would rather die in the glory of battle than live with defeat.

Achilles, in his pride, refuses to fight against the Trojans; he's been offended by the Greek leader, so he lets the army suffer and falter in order to prove a point. Hector, on the other hand, fights wholeheartedly; he wants to defend his country and his family, so he gives the battle his all. But he's not only fighting to defend his country; he's fighting for the glory of it. "He won't let anyone else lead the charge for Troy. . . . He wants to be in charge. Complicated. Full of hubris." He's the one who eventually ends up killing Achilles' best friend, Patroclus. And it's only Patroclus' death that finally spurs Achilles to fight.

Hector wants to battle Achilles to avenge his country and defend it against future Greek attacks. In An Iliad, he considers reasoning with Achilles, but his pride overcomes him. Similarly, instead of letting bygones be bygones, Achilles swears vengeance on Hector and goes after him and his armies. It's their fight to the death that sits at the heart of the play.

What makes these characters so similar? In a word, it's their pride. Neither one is willing to lose or to concede anything, even if it is for a greater good. Instead, each character lets his pride fuel his rage and his desire for vengeance. Each has a passionate love for and loyalty toward others; Hector cares for his wife and son more than anything. In An Iliad, we see his tenderness and love as he speaks with his baby son, and we see his worry for his wife. Likewise, Achilles has an intense attachment to two characters: his lover Briseis and his best friend Patroclus. We learn in the play that "Patroclus and Achilles were more than friends, they were brothers. And really they were more than brothers, they loved each other."

We learn that both Achilles and Hector are good men. They are driven by courage and nobility; they want only to defend and avenge their loved ones. Each of them is their respective side's best warrior. It's no wonder that Homer wrote so much about them. But ultimately, it's their pride and anger that destroys them. An Iliad shows us that each character lets his pride overcome everything he loves until there's nothing left but rage and war.

Even though they seem very different when you first look at them, Hector and Achilles are very alike; they are men who want what is best for themselves and for their loved ones. Come see An Iliad this season; you'll see the beauty of love and loyalty and the dangers of pride and anger. And most of all, you'll see a beautiful, but sad, tale portrayed in exquisite language and masterful storytelling.
The Festival production of An Iliad

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Who Were Achilles and Hector? - Utah Shakespeare Festival

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and king

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This article tells the story of Hector and Achilles it also gives the different perspectives and background of Hector and Achilles.

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With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we've decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in November 2016.
For the Ancient Greeks, Homer's Iliad was the Bible on andreia - that is, manliness, particularly manly courage.

Alexander the Great was said to have kept a special edition of the epic poem (prepared by his tutor Aristotle) under his pillow during his conquests and he'd read from it often. For Alexander, Achilles was andreia incarnate, and so the young king patterned his life after him. When he began his conquest of Asia, Alexander made a detour to pay homage to Achilles' tomb. Whenever he experienced bouts of self-doubt, he'd pray to Achilles' goddess mother, Thetis, for comfort. When his best friend and general, Hephaestion, was killed in battle, Alexander mourned deeply, just as Achilles had grieved for his best friend, Patroclus.

Many young men since Alexander have also found inspiration from Achilles, the mighty, swift-footed warrior. For he embodies an ideal that they, deep in their gut, keenly desire: undaunted courage and physical prowess.

Yet while Achilles may be the perfect embodiment of andreia, and get all the attention and adulation, there is another character who exemplified manliness in The Iliad as well, and actually provides a better roadmap on how most men can achieve it.

Achilles: Being Manliness

Nothing could stop Achilles in battle. He feared no one, not even King Agamemnon, the elected leader of the Greek hosts at Troy.

Achilles was fast, agile, and strong. He made heroic feats look easy.

His , or spiritedness, burned white hot, so much so that it would often overtake him while he unleashed carnage on the battlefield.

Achilles' reputation for andreia was so great that the Trojans cowered in fear when they saw Patroclus walking towards the battlefield wearing his friend's armor, mistaking him for the legendary warrior himself.

Achilles was also a handsome fella to boot. Homer described him as "beautiful." It's fitting that Brad Pitt played Achilles in the film adaptation of The Iliad.

Of course, Achilles did have some major flaws. His uncontrollable rage, a hyper sense of honor, and a vulnerable heel all led to his early downfall. But it was a price he had to pay to immortalize his perfect andreia and secure a legacy in which people still today talk about his excellence in courage and warfare.

Yet, making Achilles one's exemplar poses a significant difficulty for us mere mortal men . . . because Achilles wasn't a mere mortal.

His mother was a goddess, making him a warrior demigod. Achilles didn't have to work at andreia. He couldn't help not being brave, virile, and good looking; it was built right into his divine DNA. Achilles came out of the womb a man. Andreia was just a part of his being.

So while the andreia of Achilles can certainly serve as an ideal, his life isn't a very useful pattern for most men to follow, unless of course, your mother happens to be an immortal Olympian goddess.

There is, however, a character from The Iliad who does provide a helpful model for men on attaining andreia. And he happens to be Achilles' mortal enemy: the Trojan prince, Hector.

Hector: Learning Manliness

For nine long years, Hector led the defense of the city of Troy against the Greek onslaught. He was a battle-hardened warrior, and, like Achilles, had a reputation for andreia.

But Hector was different from Achilles. He was 100% mortal.

Unlike Achilles who was born with andreia, Hector had to learn it.

He even admitted so in perhaps one of the most touching scenes of Western literature.

Hector, battle weary and covered with dust and gore after preventing a Greek route of his forces, comes back inside the protective walls of Troy for rest. There he meets his loving and loyal wife Andromache who begs him not to go back into battle, afraid the next time her husband returns, it'll be on his shield, rather than with it.

Hector, still in his armor, confesses to his wife that he shares the same fear. How un-Achilliean! Achilles would have responded with a chortle, a boast, a patronizing retort to his wife not to worry her sweet little head about it. But Hector is human and has some humility about his ability and his bravery.

As he reflects to Andromache:

All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman.
But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy
and the Trojan women trailing their long robes
if I would shrink from battle now, a coward.
Nor does the spirit urge me on that way.
I've learned it all too well. To stand up bravely,
always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers,
winning my father great glory, glory for myself.

Did you catch that? I italicized it to help you out.

Hector says he had to learn how to be brave and fight. He experiences courage not as a lack of fear, but the practiced ability to feel fear, and then decide to move forward anyway.

The Greek word for "learn" is didaskein and English professor David Mikics astutely notes that didaskein is never used anywhere else in The Iliad to describe learning about bravery or manliness. Just in this instance. Homer is clearly setting up a contrast between Hector and his instinctively fierce rival, Achilles.

While Achilles was born manly, Hector had to learn andreia. He had to learn how to be fierce and strong, which suggests it wasn't in his nature to be so.

Instead Hector was probably by nature a nice guy. No, not the insufferable nice guy nice guy. I'm talking niceness in terms of being genuinely kind, compassionate, and considerate to others. There's evidence for this characterization in the text; for example, while others blamed and resented Helen for starting the Trojan War, Hector went out of his way to show kindness towards her.

Further, following Hector's admission to his wife that he had to learn andreia, his young son, Astyanax, catches sight of him in his blood-stained armor, and, not recognizing his father, begins to scream. Laughing, Hector takes off his helmet, picks up his boy and tosses him in the air while giving him kisses, just like you see dads do today.

Hector was a good guy. A caring husband and a loving father.

But he understood that goodness must be backed with strength. Hector recognized, like Theodore Roosevelt did millennia later, that "unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail."

And so he spent his life learning that which didn't come naturally to him, but which he desired in order to live with andreia. He learned from observation and from practice how to be brave, daring, and strong. Hector dedicated himself to an education in virile manhood.

Hector: A Fellow Traveler on the Path to Manhood

I relate with Hector.

I think of myself as a "good guy." I'm naturally inclined to be kind and friendly towards others. And like Hector, I'm a family man.

But being an andros? A courageous, fierce, thumos-driven, physically adept, and strong man?

That's something I've had to learn and am still learning. It's not in my nature. If I just followed my druthers, I'd probably do a lot of sitting around on a beanbag chair, playing video games and eating nachos. But because I believe that developing andreia is essential to achieving arête (excellence) and eudemonia (flourishing) as a man, and because I value goodness and desire that others have the chance to pursue arête as well, each day I strive to develop the strength and courage to protect that possibility.

I've come across some men who are more like Achilles. They were born with andreia. They were naturally courageous, physically adept, and comfortable with risk, even as boys. When I've met these sorts of men, I've found myself being awestruck. Like Achilles, they embody an ideal of virile manliness that I can't help but respect, even if they're a bit rough around the edges.

But inspiring as these men can be, they don't provide useful insights on how to develop that same sort of andreia. It'd be like asking Usain Bolt how to become a faster sprinter. First step: be Usain Bolt. Not very useful.

Instead, I prefer looking for the men who are by nature good guys like Hector, but who had to learn how to become fierce. Those guys will have some pointers.

Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass, Winston Churchill, and my grandfather are just a few of these "Gentleman Barbarians" who I look to for insights on how to gain an autodidactic education in andreia.

Most men I've encountered are fellow Hectors. They're good guys who have to work at being manly. It can be easy to feel insecure about the fact that you have to constantly learn and re-learn how to be a man. Achilles-types sometimes scoff at the idea of actively trying to learn the art of manhood, and evince disbelief that other men haven't known how to do certain skills since they were young boys, and don't embody certain traits intuitively.

But such insecurity is misplaced, and such criticism wrong-headed. Few men emerge from the womb with hair on their chest, or simply absorb the skills and traits of manhood from the ether. Lots of great men throughout history have had to intentionally set out to learn manliness, including Hector.

Being or learning. Those are two paths towards andreia. For most of us, learning is the path we must take. It's the path I'm on, at least. The Art of Manliness is where I've shared some of the ideas I've picked up along my journey towards that goal. And it's been great meeting other Hectors - good guys - along the way who've made the conscious decision to learn manliness too.

Note: This article was inspired by Mark Edmundon's excellent Why Football Matters. Be sure to listen to my podcast with him as well.

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Hector and Achilles: Two Paths to Manliness

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With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we've decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in November 2016. For the Ancient Greeks, Homer's Iliad was the Bible on andreia - that is, manliness, particularly manly courage.

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This tells the story of Chilles and Hector and explains who they are.

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The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had

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this website shows and explains the story of achilles and hector

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In Greek mythology, Hector, the oldest child of King Priam and Hecuba, was the presumed heir to the throne of Troy. This devoted husband of Andromache and father of Astyanax was the greatest Trojan hero of the Trojan War, the main defender of Troy, and a favorite of Apollo.

Hector in The Iliad

As depicted in Homer's The Iliad, Hector is one of the principal defenders of Troy, and he very nearly won the war for the Trojans. After Achilles temporarily deserted the Greeks, Hector stormed the Greek camp, wounded Odysseus and threatened to burn the Greek fleet-until Agamemnon rallied his troops and repelled the Trojans. Later, with Apollo's help, Hector killed Patroclus, the best friend of the great Greek warrior Achilles, and stole his armor, which actually belonged to Achilles.

Enraged by the death of his friend, Achilles reconciled with Agamemnon and joined the other Greeks in fighting against the Trojans in order to pursue Hector. As the Greeks stormed the Trojan castle, Hector came out to meet Achilles in single combat-wearing the fateful armor of Achilles taken off the body of Patroclus. Achilles aimed and shot his spear into a small gap in the neck area of that armor, killing Hector.

Afterward, the Greeks desecrated Hector's corpse by dragging it around the grave of Patroclus three times. King Priam, Hector's father, then went to Achilles to beg for his son's body so he could give it a proper burial. Despite the abuse of the corpse at the hands of the Greeks, Hector's body had been kept intact due to the intervention of the gods.

The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector, held during a 12-day truce granted by Achilles. The mourners include Andromache, Hecabe, and Helen, all of whom perform individual laments for his death. After Hector's death, his wife Andromache was enslaved by the son of Achilles, and his son Astyanax was killed.

Hector in Literature and Film

Modern historians consider Hector the moral hero of the Iliad, who is doomed by Zeus who has selected Hector to bring about Patroclus' death in order to force Achilles back into battle.

In 1312 CE, Jacques de Longuyon, in the romance Les Voeux du paon, included Hector as one of three pagans among the Nine Worthies-chosen as models for medieval chivalry.

In The Inferno, completed about 1314 CE, Dante placed Hector in Limbo rather than hell, since Hector was regarded by Dante as one of the truly virtuous pagans.

In William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, written in 1609, Hector's death comes at the end of the play, and his noble nature serves to contrast against the arrogant pride shown by other characters.

The 1956 film, Helen of Troy marked the first time Hector appears in movies, this time played by actor Harry Andrews.

In the 2004 film Troy, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, Hector was played by actor Eric Bana.

Sources and Further Reading

Farron, S. "The Character of Hector in the 'Iliad'." Acta Classica, vol. 21, 1978, pp. 39-57, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24591547.

Homer. "The Iliad." edited by Jim Tineley and Al Haines, translated by Samuel Butler, Project Gutenberg, 2019. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2199/2199-h/2199-h.htm.

Most, Glenn W. "Anger and Pity in Homer's Iliad." Ancient Anger: Perspectives from Homer to Galen, edited by Susanna Braud and Glenn W. Most, vol. 32, Yale University Press, 2003, pp. 50-69.

Pantelia, Maria C. "Helen and the Last Song for Hector." Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), vol. 132, no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 21-27, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20054056.

Redfield, James M. "Nature and Culture in the Iliad: The Tragedy of Hector." Duke University Press, 1994.

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In Greek mythology, Hector, the oldest child of King Priam and Hecuba, was the presumed heir to the throne of Troy. This devoted husband of Andromache and father of Astyanax was the greatest Trojan hero of the Trojan War, the main defender of Troy, and a favorite of Apollo.

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this article is about who Hector and Achilles are

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and kings come to life in a way that you don't see too often. Two characters, especially, drive the heart of the story: Trojan Hector, and Greek Achilles. Though these characters are nemeses, and even though they seem to hate each other, they have more in common than they have differences.

Achilles, according to legend, was half-immortal: his mother, a sea-nymph, dipped him into the River Styx when he was only a baby. This meant he was completely indestructible- all except for his heel, which his mother used to hold him when she dipped him into the water. According to The Poet, he is the greatest warrior that ever lived: "bigger than Heracles, bigger than Sinbad, bigger than . . . well, who's the greatest warrior living now?" His life is surrounded by the supernatural; he was raised by a centaur, he can speak to animals, and it's been prophesied that he'll die in Troy. More important than all this, though, is Achilles' character; he is extremely prideful, vengeful, and quick to anger.

Hector, on the other hand, was all mortal. He was the son of Priam, the king of Troy. It was his brother, Paris, that kidnapped Helen and started off the entire war. And just like Achilles, Hector is very prideful. He refuses to retreat, he refuses to let anyone else lead the battles against the Greeks, and he refuses, most of all, to surrender to the other side. Even when his wife and child beg him to call off the fighting, he won't do it. He would rather die in the glory of battle than live with defeat.

Achilles, in his pride, refuses to fight against the Trojans; he's been offended by the Greek leader, so he lets the army suffer and falter in order to prove a point. Hector, on the other hand, fights wholeheartedly; he wants to defend his country and his family, so he gives the battle his all. But he's not only fighting to defend his country; he's fighting for the glory of it. "He won't let anyone else lead the charge for Troy. . . . He wants to be in charge. Complicated. Full of hubris." He's the one who eventually ends up killing Achilles' best friend, Patroclus. And it's only Patroclus' death that finally spurs Achilles to fight.

Hector wants to battle Achilles to avenge his country and defend it against future Greek attacks. In An Iliad, he considers reasoning with Achilles, but his pride overcomes him. Similarly, instead of letting bygones be bygones, Achilles swears vengeance on Hector and goes after him and his armies. It's their fight to the death that sits at the heart of the play.

What makes these characters so similar? In a word, it's their pride. Neither one is willing to lose or to concede anything, even if it is for a greater good. Instead, each character lets his pride fuel his rage and his desire for vengeance. Each has a passionate love for and loyalty toward others; Hector cares for his wife and son more than anything. In An Iliad, we see his tenderness and love as he speaks with his baby son, and we see his worry for his wife. Likewise, Achilles has an intense attachment to two characters: his lover Briseis and his best friend Patroclus. We learn in the play that "Patroclus and Achilles were more than friends, they were brothers. And really they were more than brothers, they loved each other."

We learn that both Achilles and Hector are good men. They are driven by courage and nobility; they want only to defend and avenge their loved ones. Each of them is their respective side's best warrior. It's no wonder that Homer wrote so much about them. But ultimately, it's their pride and anger that destroys them. An Iliad shows us that each character lets his pride overcome everything he loves until there's nothing left but rage and war.

Even though they seem very different when you first look at them, Hector and Achilles are very alike; they are men who want what is best for themselves and for their loved ones. Come see An Iliad this season; you'll see the beauty of love and loyalty and the dangers of pride and anger. And most of all, you'll see a beautiful, but sad, tale portrayed in exquisite language and masterful storytelling.
The Festival production of An Iliad

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Who Were Achilles and Hector? - Utah Shakespeare Festival

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This season's An Iliad is full of amazing stories, themes, poetry, and settings. But more than anything, this play is full of amazing characters. Even though every character is portrayed by one man, The Poet (played by Brian Vaughn), each of Homer's original warriors and soldiers and king

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https://www.thoughtco.com/prince-hector-of-troy-character-profile-111821

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In Greek mythology, Hector, the oldest child of King Priam and Hecuba, was the presumed heir to the throne of Troy. This devoted husband of Andromache and father of Astyanax was the greatest Trojan hero of the Trojan War, the main defender of Troy, and a favorite of Apollo.

Hector in The Iliad

As depicted in Homer's The Iliad, Hector is one of the principal defenders of Troy, and he very nearly won the war for the Trojans. After Achilles temporarily deserted the Greeks, Hector stormed the Greek camp, wounded Odysseus and threatened to burn the Greek fleet-until Agamemnon rallied his troops and repelled the Trojans. Later, with Apollo's help, Hector killed Patroclus, the best friend of the great Greek warrior Achilles, and stole his armor, which actually belonged to Achilles.

Enraged by the death of his friend, Achilles reconciled with Agamemnon and joined the other Greeks in fighting against the Trojans in order to pursue Hector. As the Greeks stormed the Trojan castle, Hector came out to meet Achilles in single combat-wearing the fateful armor of Achilles taken off the body of Patroclus. Achilles aimed and shot his spear into a small gap in the neck area of that armor, killing Hector.

Afterward, the Greeks desecrated Hector's corpse by dragging it around the grave of Patroclus three times. King Priam, Hector's father, then went to Achilles to beg for his son's body so he could give it a proper burial. Despite the abuse of the corpse at the hands of the Greeks, Hector's body had been kept intact due to the intervention of the gods.

The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector, held during a 12-day truce granted by Achilles. The mourners include Andromache, Hecabe, and Helen, all of whom perform individual laments for his death. After Hector's death, his wife Andromache was enslaved by the son of Achilles, and his son Astyanax was killed.

Hector in Literature and Film

Modern historians consider Hector the moral hero of the Iliad, who is doomed by Zeus who has selected Hector to bring about Patroclus' death in order to force Achilles back into battle.

In 1312 CE, Jacques de Longuyon, in the romance Les Voeux du paon, included Hector as one of three pagans among the Nine Worthies-chosen as models for medieval chivalry.

In The Inferno, completed about 1314 CE, Dante placed Hector in Limbo rather than hell, since Hector was regarded by Dante as one of the truly virtuous pagans.

In William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, written in 1609, Hector's death comes at the end of the play, and his noble nature serves to contrast against the arrogant pride shown by other characters.

The 1956 film, Helen of Troy marked the first time Hector appears in movies, this time played by actor Harry Andrews.

In the 2004 film Troy, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, Hector was played by actor Eric Bana.

Sources and Further Reading

Farron, S. "The Character of Hector in the 'Iliad'." Acta Classica, vol. 21, 1978, pp. 39-57, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24591547.

Homer. "The Iliad." edited by Jim Tineley and Al Haines, translated by Samuel Butler, Project Gutenberg, 2019. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2199/2199-h/2199-h.htm.

Most, Glenn W. "Anger and Pity in Homer's Iliad." Ancient Anger: Perspectives from Homer to Galen, edited by Susanna Braud and Glenn W. Most, vol. 32, Yale University Press, 2003, pp. 50-69.

Pantelia, Maria C. "Helen and the Last Song for Hector." Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), vol. 132, no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 21-27, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20054056.

Redfield, James M. "Nature and Culture in the Iliad: The Tragedy of Hector." Duke University Press, 1994.

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In Greek mythology, Hector, the oldest child of King Priam and Hecuba, was the presumed heir to the throne of Troy. This devoted husband of Andromache and father of Astyanax was the greatest Trojan hero of the Trojan War, the main defender of Troy, and a favorite of Apollo.

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https://iagtm.pressbooks.com/chapter/story-the-trojan-war-part-2-achilles-and-hector/

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adapted from Stories of the Ancient Greeks by Charles D. Shaw,

When Paris had carried off Helen to Troy, her husband Menelaus called on the Greek leaders to help him bring her back. That meant war, and some were very unwilling to risk their lives and the lives of their soldiers for such a cause. One named Odysseus persuaded several to go with him to the war, among them Achilles. The mother of this young man, Thetis, was unwilling to have him fight against Troy, so she dressed him like a girl and placed him among the daughters of a friendly king. Odysseus heard of this and put on the clothes of a traveling merchant. He went to the palace with rings and bracelets, belts and expensive clothing, and two or three good swords. The girls came out to see these treasures and were pleased with the jewelry. One among them did not look at the rings and nice clothes, but lifted the swords and tried their weight.

Odysseus said, "Young man, your dress is that of a girl, but your eye is that of a man. You are Achilles, and you must go with me to Troy to battle."

Two years were spent in collecting ships and men. The entire company met at Aulis, ready to sail together. The fleet sailed and soon reached the coast of Troy. War began at once and lasted for nine years without feeling like it could ever end.

An intense argument arose between Achilles and Agamemnon, a king, leader of the Greek soldiers, and brother to Menelaus. They were fighting over who would get the spoils of war. As leader, Agamemnon wanted to take the best for himself, but Achilles argued because Agamemnon did not fight in the battle, but Achilles did. Achilles said he would fight no more but would go home to Greece.

The gods and goddesses took a deep interest in the case. Hera and Athena were angry at Paris and the Trojans, but Aphrodite was friendly to them. Ares took her side, but Poseidon helped the Greeks.

Illustrations by John Flaxman, in by Alfred John Church, 1895,

Fighting went on more fiercely than ever. The Trojans won victory after victory, and the Greeks were driven to their ships. The enemy followed and were about to burn the ships when Poseidon went among the Greeks as an oracle and gave them new courage. Ajax the Greek met Hector of Troy, who threw his spear which struck but did no harm. Then Ajax took a huge stone and threw it with all his might. It fell on Hector like a falling mountain, and he sank to the ground, hurt and stunned. Zeus sent Apollo to cure him, and he soon was busy again in the fight.

The battle went against the Greeks. Some commanders were wounded, others were killed. Once more the Trojans reached the ships and were preparing to burn them.

A dear friend of Achilles, named Patroclus, went to the hero and said, "Oh, my friend! If you aren't going to come and help us, lend me your armor and your soldiers so I can drive away these enemies before they destroy all our ships."

Achilles said, "Take my armor and my men and drive away our enemies, but do not try to follow them without my help."

The Trojans thought they saw the great Achilles with his troops coming against them. They fled, and Patroclus followed, driving them like sheep, until he met Hector. These two fought, and Patroclus fell. Then Hector took from him the armor of Achilles and put it on.

When Achilles heard that his friend was dead he started up and said, "I will go out and fight with Hector this very day." His mother Thetis said, "Remember, you have no armor. Wait until tomorrow, and you shall have a suit better than the first."

She hurried to Hephæstus, who made the armor, and at the dawn of day it lay at the feet of Achilles. He went into the battle and drove the Trojans inside the wall of their city.

Only Hector stood outside waiting to meet him, but when he saw Achilles coming he turned and ran. Achilles followed him three times around the city; then Hector stood and fought. The spear of Achilles pierced him, and he fell.

Achilles stripped the armor from the body, tied Hector's feet behind his chariot, and drove around the city, dragging the dead hero through the dust. The Trojans stood weeping on the walls, among them the father and mother and wife of Hector, lamenting at the dreadful sight.

The Greeks took the body of Patroclus and burned it with many honors, but Hector's corpse lay out upon the field. Priam, his father and king of Troy, filled a wooden chest with gold and rich clothing and other costly gifts. The gods helped him and his servants carry it to the tent of Achilles in exchange for the corpse of Hector. It was accepted, and the weeping company carried back those poor remains to the city and gave them the highest funeral honors.
CEFR Level: CEF Level B1

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Story: The Trojan War Part 2: Achilles and Hector

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adapted from Stories of the Ancient Greeks by Charles D. Shaw, When Paris had carried off Helen to Troy, her husband Menelaus called on the Greek leaders to help him bring her back. That meant war, and some were very unwilling to risk their lives and the lives of their soldiers for such a cause.

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Link the article, then give a quick summary of it