The Iliad The Iliad Book 22 : Death of Hector

Plot Summary Plot Summary Hector confronts him. At first, the mighty Trojan considers trying

to negotiate with Achilles, but he soon realizes the hopelessness of his cause and flees. He runs around the city three times, with Achilles at his heels. Zeus considers saving Hector, but Athena persuades him that the mortal's time has come. Zeus places Hector's and Achilles' respective fates on a golden scale, and, indeed, Hector's sinks to the ground.

 During Hector's fourth circle around the city walls, Athena appears before him, disguised as his ally Deiphobus, and convinces him that together they can take Achilles. Hector stops running and turns to face his opponent. He and Achilles exchange spear throws, but neither scores a hit. Hector turns to Deiphobus to ask him for a lance; when he finds his friend gone, he realizes that the gods have betrayed him. In a desperate bid for glory, he charges Achilles. However, he still wears Achilles' old armor—stolen from Patroclus's dead body—and Achilles knows the armor's weak points intimately. With a perfectly timed thrust he puts his spear through Hector's throat. Near death, Hector pleads with Achilles to return his body to the Trojans for burial, but Achilles resolves to let the dogs and scavenger birds maul the Trojan hero.

Hector also prophesies Achilles death

This Book shows the values This Book shows the values and religious the Ancient and religious the Ancient Greeks had Greeks had Shows how the Ancient Greeks

believed the Gods and Goddess lived and the roles they played in society.

The types of heroes that the Greeks valued.

That the ancient Greeks valued death and wars

The Gods and GoddessThe Gods and GoddessGods & Goddess

in this book : Apollo, Athena and Zeus

“The Greek Gods were anthropomorphic….they fought, loved, and suffered; they liked some people better than others; and they had individual personalities and character traits.”(Nelson & Allard-Nelson 2004, p.73)

Roles in this bookRoles in this book Example what roles the

Ancient Greeks thought the Gods and Goddess had during wars and that they favoured sides.

Ancient Greeks thought the Gods and Goddess appreciated offers and that were made to them and it give you favour.

Shows that the Greeks thought it was the Gods who controlled destiny

Gods and Goddess favour certain people.

An example of the Gods favouring one person would be these words of Zeus in the Iliad “This is an unhappy business! I have a warm place in my heart for this man who is being chased before my eyes round the walls of Ilium. I grieve for Hector. He has burnt the things of many oxen in my honor” (Rieu 1950, p.85)

Hector & Achilles Hector & Achilles Hector is fighting to

protect his country and family

Achilles is fighting for glory and revenge

Duel the two both show heroic qualities and they are both the best fighters of the two sides

Heroic qualities Heroic qualities The final duel between

Achilles and Hector becomes not only a duel of heroes but heroic values

Achilles fighting style is God like which is also a heroic quality. He is also part God.

Hector is motivated by the fact he wants to kill Achilles because he has killed many of his family members and country man and wants to stop him from kill more Trojans though he flees when he returns to fight he fights for glory and goes down fighting which is very symbolic of heroes.

“Many Greeks considered Homeric texts a source of moral examples and ideals.” (Nelson & Allard-Nelson 2004, p.73).

What this shows us about What this shows us about Greek society Greek society So therefore the duel

between Hector and Achilles shows the types of heroes the Ancient Greeks idolized.

The Iliad help inspired Alexander the Great. What he should model himself to be

This shows that the Greeks valued the morals and ideals of the Iliad.

Ancient Greeks valued death Ancient Greeks valued death and warsand warsHector dying in the

duel is shown to be a hero’s death and the best way to die.

While Hector dies in this scene, the values that he represents- nobility, self-respect arguably survive him.

“My doom has come upon me; let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.”( The Iliad, Book XVIII ,Line 483,)

Examples of this Values Examples of this Values shown in this Book in Greek shown in this Book in Greek society society Battle of

Thermopylae – 300 Spartans

Would rather die in battle then run away or surrender

So Hector going back to fight shows that value

Conclusion Conclusion Book 22 of the Iliad is a reflection of Ancient

Greek society because it shows the religious beliefs and values they had in their society. The Book 22: The Death of Hector is an example of how the Iliad represents the religious beliefs and the values, it shows that Greeks believed that the God and Goddess played an important role in Greek society and that the valued war and death. This Book of the Iliad arguably shows that the Ancient Greeks believed the Gods and Goddess controlled destiny and fates. It also shows the ancient Greeks valued heroism and war.