Hector, Prince of Troy
Origin:
Greek Myth
Hector was the prince of Troy and its chief defender. As a Homeric hero Hector is traditionally prone to arrogance and brash decision-making based on his desire for great personal glory. However, what separates Hector from the traditional view of Homeric heroes is his sense of duty to his home city of Troy.
As the story of the Iliad unfolds, it becomes apparent that Hector, distinguishable as one of the only human heroes, fights primarily out of his fear of failure to the Trojan people: “…the men must see to the fighting, all men who are the people of Ilion (Troy), but I beyond others” Iliad 6.490.
In the end Hector is killed by the vastly superior demi-god Achilles, and his decision to turn and fight is due in part to his desire to stand up to the certainty of his own death with the slight glimmer of typically human optimism that he may win. In the Homeric world it is unconventional to find a hero fighting for anyone or anything other than himself, but in Hector, Homer creates a hero who has a different reason to fight, one that all humans can relate to, that of family and home.
Submitted by:
Jonathan Burbidge
Sources:
Colin Leslie
Blue Jacket
Michael Monsoor
Bolt - Hero's Journey
Steve Biko