SUMMARY OF THE ILIAD BOOK 22, THE DEATH OF HECTOR P.

1 Apollo plays a trick on Achilles who has come back into the battle by diverting him away from the escaping Trojans who are trying to get inside the gates. Achilles is furious when Apollo reveals himself to him and wishes he could kill him. He then dashes off towards the town like a prize racehorse or the Autumn Star, beautiful but bringing doom to all. Priam is in a state when he sees him approach as he knows his son Hector is alone outside the gate. He shouts down to Hector from the walls begging him to come inside, telling him that he has already lost too many sons to the savage Achilles and that Troy will be lost without him. He describes his own miserable death if Hector should die. Then his mother, Hecuba pleads with him to come in to safety. She reminds him of how she nursed him as a baby and that if Achilles kills him he will not get a proper burial. But Hector stands immobile, like a snake who has eaten poisonous herbs as Achilles approaches. But inside he is worried and wonders what to do. He feels he cannot retreat inside the walls because of his failure to call a retreat earlier on. Because of this men's lives were lost and he would now be called a coward. He knows that it would be better for him to die gloriously. He then wonders whether to try to speak to Achilles and come to terms with him. He could offer him Helen and half the moveable goods in Troy. But then he realises that there is no way that Achilles would stop to talk to him, he would kill him first. At the last minute, as Achilles approaches, Hector panics and starts to run. He is chased by Achilles like a hawk after a dove. They run past the hot and cold springs of the Scamander like two magnificent racehorses in a chariot race with a prize of a cauldron or a woman. The gods watched in silence till Zeus says that he grieves for Hector and wonders whether to save his life. Athene gives out to him and says that Hector's doom has long been settled and he must die. Zeus gives her permission to go down to Troy and to intervene in the duel. The chase continues with Achilles like a hound after a deer. The two men are like as if they are in a nightmare, neither pursuer nor pursued making progress. For the last time Apollo helps Hector and gives him an extra spurt of speed, but then Zeus holds out his golden scales and it comes down on the side of Hector's doom.

Athene first goes up to Achilles and tells him to stop, that with her help he will defeat Hector. She then goes to Hector disguised as his brother Deiphobus and offers to help him. Hector is delighted and says that Deiphobus was always his favourite brother. "Deiphobus" says that he came to help despite the pleas of Priam and Hecuba because he was so worried about Hector.

BOOK 22 PAGE 2 Hector stops and speaks to Achilles asking for a deal. He asks that whoever dies, his body should be given to his family for a proper burial. Achilles replies that Hector is mad to even think that he could bargain with him. He says that lions do not talk to men, nor wolves to lambs. He then hurls his spear but Hector ducked and avoided it. He did not see Athene return it to Achilles. Proudly he taunts Achilles and says that he wishes his spear will be buried in his flesh. Sure enough he does hit the centre of Achilles' shield but the spear bounces off. Hector then shouts for Deiphobus's help but realises that he has been tricked by the gods. He decides at least to die a glorious death and rushes towards Achilles with his sword. Achilles gets him in the gullet with his spear. Achilles stands over the fallen hero and points out how dearly he has paid for killing Patroclus. He says his body will be left for the dogs and birds of prey. Hector, dying, asks again for his body to be returned to his family for burial. Achilles refuses and says if he had the appetite he would carve him up and eat him raw himself. Hector advises him to do the right thing as the gods will take note when it comes to his turn to die. He says that Achilles's death will come at the hands of Paris and Apollo. Then he dies. Then all the Myrmidons come up to marvel at Hector's body and each stabbed him joking that he was easier to handle now than when he set fire to the ships. Achilles wonders whether to go back to the camp or to follow up this victory to see if the Trojans will surrender. Then he suddenly remembers that Patroclus is still unburied. He does something shameful then, he cuts open Hector's heels, straps them to his chariot and rides back to camp with his body dragging in the dust.

A cry of grief went up from the walls of Troy and Priam tried to get out of the city to stop Achilles but the people stopped him. He bewails the loss of Hector his finest son and wishes he could have died in his arms. Then Hecuba laments, but Andromache still had not heard the news. She was inside weaving and had got her maids to prepare a hot bath for Hector. She hears the sound of Hecuba's wailing and has a dreadful feeling of horror, she can hardly move and her heart beats wildly. She rushes to the wall and sees Hector's body being dragged away. She faints and when she recovers laments bitterly. She says that life will now be hopeless for Astyanax if he survives. He will be an outcast at feasts, just given a little charity but not included, beaten by other children. She pictures Hector's body far from home dumped at the Greek ships, with all his lovely clothing no use to him. She will burn it all.