Things finally came to a head, and Achilles met the great Trojan warrior Hector head on. The battle was all one could expect and more, a clash of mortals so bright and godlike that Olympus itself must have stood in awe. Forgive me, it is not like me to wax poetic. But this was a beauty of a fight, make no mistake about it.
There he was: Hector, alone, the only Trojan outside the walls of Troy. His father pitifully calling for him to retreat but he stoically refuses. Have to admire the man...Hector, that is. He knew he'd screwed up by telling the Trojans to camp outside the gates and wasn't going to be gutless enough to retreat himself.
Then with the running. Three times around the city, the running. I don't know if Hector thought he could wear Achilles out, but it didn't work. Fourth time around, and Achilles manages to get a spear through Hector. Not very bright, wearing Achilles' old armor. I mean, who is going to know its' weak points better than the original owner?
Knowing his race is run (pun only a little intended) Hector asks for his body to be returned for burial to his family. Now this is where the 'Thou shall not screw with Achilles' comes in. Not only does he not return Hector's body, the lunatic ties it to his chariot and drags it around the city!
He stops his foray into corpse abuse long enough to hold funeral games for poor Patroclus, who had gone unburied all this time while Achilles was wreaking havoc. Diomedes won a hotly contested chariot race, good on him! Patroclus was seen decently laid to rest, and Achilles started eating again. Still not with the bathing, though. Ugh.
This went on for a total of twelve days. Twelve days of seeing that body (which was not putrefying in the sun and elements; the gods again, I can only think) bounce along behind Achilles' chariot. The matter was finally laid to rest in more ways than one when the got Hermes apparently guided Priam and a chariot full of treasure into camp and into Achilles' presence to plead for the return of Hector's body. Whatever he said, it worked. I understand both men wept and Achilles allowed Priam to rest in his tent. However, quite intelligently, Priam slipped back off to Troy in the night with his son's body.
The Trojans had a reprieve of ten days, during which time they prepared the pyre and held Hector's funeral. I couldn't help but feel a little grief myself. He was a decent man, for all that he was a Trojan. He was a hero.
I watched the smoke from the pyre for a long time.
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