5 minute Summary-Book 22-Nick Blake

Book 22 begins with the Trojans fleeing into the city walls as the Achaeans push closer to the gates, but Hector decides to stay outside and fight by the Schaian gates. At this point, Apollo asks Achilles why he has been chasing him thus revealing that Achilles had been tricked again. Achilles is angered but knows he cannot kill an immortal god, so he sets off at a fast pace back to the Trojan gates. Priam is the first to see Achilles heading for them and compares him to Orion’s Dog star which is the brightest of starts but also brings evil and hardship to the people. Priam then tries to convince Hector to save himself and avoid conflict with Achilles who had already killed many of Priam’s sons. He describes how without Hector many will die and that Priam himself would be killed and fed to his own dogs, a pitiable death. Hector’s mother Hecuba also joins Priam in trying to convince Hector to enter the city, but Hector remains.

Hector is described as a snake under the rocks, waiting with poison as Achilles draws near. Hector begins thinking alone and regrets not taking Poulydamas’ advice to return to the city instead of attacking the ships, thus taking the blame for the impending fall of Troy. For a moment, Hector considers offering a peace treaty that would turn over half of the city’s possession to the Achaeans, but he quickly realizes the impossibility of it and decides to fight instead.

Once Achilles closes in on Hector, Hector loses his courage and tries to run away from Achilles. During the chase, the two are described as follows:

“As a hawk in the mountains, quickest of all flying things,

Swoops after a trembling dove with ease: she flies in terror

Before him, but he keeps close behind her, screaming loud,

And lunging for her time after time as his heart urges him to kill.

So Achilles flew for Hector in full fury”  Iliad 22.139-143 (Hammond)

The chase is also compared to a dog chasing a fawn, funeral game competitions with Hector’s life being the prize, and a nightmare where one person cannot escape and the other cannot catch him. Hector and Achilles circle the walls three times, passing by the two rivers where Trojan women used to wash their clothes. Zeus briefly contemplates saving Hector’s life, but Athene convinces him otherwise. Apollo then puts strength into Hector’s legs to run faster. Athene then goes down to Achilles and tells him that she will help him kill Hector. She then disguises herself as Hector’s beloved brother Deiphobos and catches up to Hector. In disguise she convinces Hector that the two of them can take on Achilles, and Hector, grateful for his brother’s help, agrees.

Achilles kills Hector

After Hector reaches Achilles, he asks for an agreement that whoever is killed will have his body returned to his people. Achilles scowls, turning down the offer, and launches his spear. Hector avoids the spear and throws his own at Achilles, but it doesn’t penetrate his shield. Turning to get another spear from his brother, Hector realizes that he has been tricked by Athene and charges at Achilles with his sword. Achilles spots a weakness in Hector’s armor and stabs him in the neck. As Hector is dying, he asks again for Achilles to return his body, but Achilles responds saying that he will feed Hector’s body to the dogs and birds and would rather eat him himself than return his body. Achilles then takes Hector’s armor and contemplates further pressing the Trojans or returning to the hips and Patroclus. Deciding to return to the ships, he straps Hector’s body to his chariot by his feet and drags him back to the ships.

Achilles drags Hector

Priam and Hecuba see this and begin groaning and mourning at the sight of their son. Priam rolls around in dung and wishes to go out to the ships to get Hector’s body back. Meanwhile, Andromache draws a hot bath for Hector, unaware of his death, and begins to hear the wailing throughout Troy. When she reaches the wall and sees Hector’s body being dragged to the ships, she blacks out in a similar fashion as warriors on the battlefield die. After waking, she begins wailing and describes how their son Astyanax will live the life of an outcast orphan and suffer many hardships.