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Delahoyde & Hughes
Orpheus
HOMER'S ILIAD:
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Questions for Book XXII:
Apollo chides Achilles for chasing him, an indication that Achilles is
being reckless in his battle-wrath. Achilles rants that Apollo is getting
in his way.
Priam laments the loss of so many sons to Achilles. He cannot currently
see two others, Lycaon and Polydorus, and the pathos of the scene is that
we know these guys are dead now too (22.54f). King Priam mentions the
riches of Troy (22.59f), which got Schliemann excited in the 19th
century. Priam also laments his old age, expressing the philosophy that
one should die young, in glory, and leave a good-looking corpse (22.83f).
"When an old man's killed / and the dogs go at the gray head and the gray
beard / and mutilate the genitals--that is the cruelest sight / in all
our wretched lives!" (22.87-90).
Hecuba, Priam's queen, yanks out a breast and makes a melodramatic
speech. (Hector should be thinking, "Good Lord, Mother, put that back!")
Unlike almost all previous characters, Hector, facing the showdown,
ponders his options. He has a real case against the gods if he wanted to
give himself over to complaining, but he doesn't: "Now my army's ruined,
thanks to my own reckless pride" (22.124). He logically considers
negotiating, surrendering, etc. But he knows the futility of these.
Eventually, Hector runs -- a surprising event, but a very human weak
moment. He passes by "double wellsprings" of the river Scamander
(22.178ff), another clue that proved key for Schliemann in the
archaeological discovery of Troy. Hector circles Troy, chased by
Achilles, and this mythological image of the circle crops up repeatedly
now for a while. The scales of Fate go against Hector (22.249f), and with
Athena disguising herself as his brother Deiphobus, he is tricked into
his last hopes. Hector takes a stand and proposes a pact of honor with
Achilles regarding whichever of them ends as a corpse, no doubt him, but
Achilles refuses. The spear volley is rigged by Athena, and "Deiphobus"
disappears (22.348), but Hector, even when he realizes he's been duped,
accepts his fate rather than bitches about being cheated out of life. The
two warriors attack each other, Hector in Achilles' former armor. The
vulnerable spot is the neck, where Achilles inflicts the wound. Hector
again begs for some funereal dignity, but Achilles is excessive in
brutality: "Would to god my rage, my fury would drive me now / to hack
your flesh away and eat you raw" (22.408-409). Hector goes down to the
House of Death.
The Greeks gather like jackals over Hector's corpse and stab at his
corpse. Good work, men. Achilles strings Hector's ankles together with
rawhide, ties him to his chariot, and drags his corpse around Troy. The
Trojans' grief is extreme.
Iliad Index
Orpheus: Greek Mythology