Professor Edith Hall

Oh, gosh, yes. And he's a worthy opponent for Achilles.

Oh, gosh, yes. And he's a worthy opponent for Achilles.

Oh, gosh, yes. And he's a worthy opponent for Achilles.

He's more heroic for many reasons. One is that he's 100% mortal. Achilles has got this advantage that he's bionic. He's half divine. His mother is Thetis. He's got supernatural powers on the battlefield. The only reason he'll ever die is because of his ankle. And of course, that's not in this poem. But he could have been fully immortal. He's very nearly fully immortal.

He's more heroic for many reasons. One is that he's 100% mortal. Achilles has got this advantage that he's bionic. He's half divine. His mother is Thetis. He's got supernatural powers on the battlefield. The only reason he'll ever die is because of his ankle. And of course, that's not in this poem. But he could have been fully immortal. He's very nearly fully immortal.

He's more heroic for many reasons. One is that he's 100% mortal. Achilles has got this advantage that he's bionic. He's half divine. His mother is Thetis. He's got supernatural powers on the battlefield. The only reason he'll ever die is because of his ankle. And of course, that's not in this poem. But he could have been fully immortal. He's very nearly fully immortal.

Hector is 100% ordinary guy. He's the Prince of Troy. He loves his dad very much, Priam. His dad, Priam, is too old to run military ops. So while Priam is still administrative king, Hector is his commander-in-chief and shares the monarchical duties. He's a lovely husband. This is one of the really big contrasts that were

Hector is 100% ordinary guy. He's the Prince of Troy. He loves his dad very much, Priam. His dad, Priam, is too old to run military ops. So while Priam is still administrative king, Hector is his commander-in-chief and shares the monarchical duties. He's a lovely husband. This is one of the really big contrasts that were

Hector is 100% ordinary guy. He's the Prince of Troy. He loves his dad very much, Priam. His dad, Priam, is too old to run military ops. So while Priam is still administrative king, Hector is his commander-in-chief and shares the monarchical duties. He's a lovely husband. This is one of the really big contrasts that were

Achilles and Agamemnon are raping all these slave girls by compulsion and coercion. Hector's got this wife who adores him. He's not adulterous. He's got a baby son who adores him. All his people adore him. He's nice to his mother. He's even nice to Helen. And he is fighting a defensive war.

Achilles and Agamemnon are raping all these slave girls by compulsion and coercion. Hector's got this wife who adores him. He's not adulterous. He's got a baby son who adores him. All his people adore him. He's nice to his mother. He's even nice to Helen. And he is fighting a defensive war.

Achilles and Agamemnon are raping all these slave girls by compulsion and coercion. Hector's got this wife who adores him. He's not adulterous. He's got a baby son who adores him. All his people adore him. He's nice to his mother. He's even nice to Helen. And he is fighting a defensive war.

And how many of us these days, most of us do not glorify aggressive militarism, but can absolutely identify with somebody who's risking his life to defend his people, his wife and his baby. This is the acceptable face of violence for most of us is defensive. So he's got all these moral cards stacked in his favor. And he is impetuous.

And how many of us these days, most of us do not glorify aggressive militarism, but can absolutely identify with somebody who's risking his life to defend his people, his wife and his baby. This is the acceptable face of violence for most of us is defensive. So he's got all these moral cards stacked in his favor. And he is impetuous.

And how many of us these days, most of us do not glorify aggressive militarism, but can absolutely identify with somebody who's risking his life to defend his people, his wife and his baby. This is the acceptable face of violence for most of us is defensive. So he's got all these moral cards stacked in his favor. And he is impetuous.

That is his main failing, that he doesn't deliberate properly before engaging in military strategies. But he also, there's a crucial moment before the final showdown where he could go back into Troy. He could. He's been fighting for days. He could go back in and he stands on the battlefield and says, it's a very metaphysical moment.

That is his main failing, that he doesn't deliberate properly before engaging in military strategies. But he also, there's a crucial moment before the final showdown where he could go back into Troy. He could. He's been fighting for days. He could go back in and he stands on the battlefield and says, it's a very metaphysical moment.

That is his main failing, that he doesn't deliberate properly before engaging in military strategies. But he also, there's a crucial moment before the final showdown where he could go back into Troy. He could. He's been fighting for days. He could go back in and he stands on the battlefield and says, it's a very metaphysical moment.

Shall I go back in and feel shame before the women of Troy with their trailing robes that I'm not out there fighting for them? Shall I go inside and survive, be safe, but feel shame? Or shall I just die and do a big thing? And this big thing is the actual translation of the Greek, megaterexon. Having done a big thing, and I will at least get immortal fame, go down nobly.

Shall I go back in and feel shame before the women of Troy with their trailing robes that I'm not out there fighting for them? Shall I go inside and survive, be safe, but feel shame? Or shall I just die and do a big thing? And this big thing is the actual translation of the Greek, megaterexon. Having done a big thing, and I will at least get immortal fame, go down nobly.