- Hector
-
/hek"teuhr/, n.1. Class. Myth. the eldest son of Priam and husband of Andromache: the greatest Trojan hero in the Trojan War, killed by Achilles.2. (l.c.) a blustering, domineering person; a bully.3. a male given name.v.t.4. (l.c.) to treat with insolence; bully; torment: The teacher hectored his students incessantly.v.i.5. (l.c.) to act in a blustering, domineering way; be a bully.[ < L < Gk Héktor, special use of adj. héktor holding fast]
* * *
IIn Greek legend, the eldest son of Priam and Hecuba, the husband of Andromache, and the chief warrior of the Trojan army.In Homer's Iliad he is notable not only for his military prowess but also for his nobility of character. He was a favorite of Apollo, who helped him slay Achilles' friend Patroclus in combat; in reprisal, Achilles killed Hector in battle and dragged his naked body around the walls of Troy.II(as used in expressions)Hector Hugh MunroBerlioz Louis HectorCarondelet Francisco Luis Hector baron deVillars Claude Louis Hector duke deHector St. John de CrèvecoeurJ. Hector St. John* * *
in Greek legend, the eldest son of the Trojan king Priam and his queen Hecuba. He was the husband of Andromache and the chief warrior of the Trojan army. In Homer's Iliad he is represented as an ideal warrior and the mainstay of Troy. His character is drawn in most favourable colours as a good son, a loving husband and father, and a trusty friend. His leave-taking of Andromache in the sixth book of the Iliad, and his departure to meet Achilles for the last time, are movingly described. He is an especial favourite of Apollo, and later poets even described him as son of that god. His chief exploits during the Trojan War were his defense of the wounded Sarpedon, his fight with Ajax, son of Telamon (his particular enemy), and the storming of the Greek ramparts. When Achilles, enraged with Agamemnon, deserted the Greeks, Hector drove them back to their ships, which he almost succeeded in burning. Patroclus, the friend of Achilles, who came to the help of the Greeks, was slain by Hector with the help of Apollo. Then Achilles, to revenge his friend's death, returned to the war, slew Hector, dragged his body behind his chariot to the camp, and afterward round the tomb of Patroclus. Aphrodite and Apollo preserved it from corruption and mutilation. Priam, guarded by Hermes, went to Achilles and prevailed on him to give back the body, which was buried with great honour. Hector was afterward worshipped in the Troad and also at Tanagra, east of Thebes.* * *
Universalium. 2010.