Book Six

With the gods withdrawn from the fray, the battle seeks its own course. The Greeks seem to have the upper hand, each of their captains downing his man either in face-to-face combat or from behind at a dead run down the plain of Troy. Menelaus (meh-neh-LAY-us) comes upon a Trojan ally whose team has bolted, shattering the chariot and spilling the rider out at his enemy's feet. The man hugs Menelaus' knees in the time-honored gesture of supplication, pleading that his father will offer a vast ransom for his life. Menelaus verges on accepting the proposal but then Agamemnon (a-guh-MEM-non) comes up and chastises him for showing mercy. "Going soft, my brother? We're here to kill Trojans, man and boy, and obliterate Troy." Menelaus rudely shoves the suppliant away and Agamemnon runs him through. Aged Nestor harrangues the troops: "Kill now, booty later!"

The Trojans are on the verge of retreating within their city wall when Trojan prince Helenus (HEL-e-nus) advises Hector (HEK-tor) to fire up the troops. Having done so, Hector himself is to return to Troy and arrange a great sacrifice to Athena (a-THEE-nuh) in hopes that she will restrain the fury of Diomedes (dy-uh-MEE-deez). Hector complies with this advice. Meanwhile, Diomedes has challenged Glaucus (GLAW-kus) of Lycia (LISH-uh) to single combat, instructing the man to identify himself before meeting his doom.

Glaucus tells the story of his parentage, beginning with the famous trickster Sisyphus (SIS-i-fus) of Corinth (CAW-rinth), whose son, another Glaucus, sired the hero Bellerophon (buh-LAIR-uh-fon). The latter was falsely accused by the wife of King Proetus (PREE-tus) of Argos (AR-gos), who secretly lusted after the hero but accused him to her husband of lusting after her. Not wanting to murder Bellerophon, a guest in his house, Proetus sent him off to distant Lycia, to the south of Troy, with a sealed letter to Lycia's king — instructions that the bearer be put to death.

Equally unwilling to murder a guest, the Lycian king sent Bellerophon to slay the Chimaera (ky-MEE-ruh), a fire-breathing monster equal parts lion, snake, and goat. Bellerophon succeeded against all odds and made equally quick work of human foes against whom the king dispatched him, including the fierce warrior women known as Amazons. When an ambush by the king's own men was annihilated by its intended victim, the Lycian monarch reversed course and offered Bellerophon half his kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage. With the Lycian princess Bellerophon sired three children, one of whom was the parent of Glaucus.

Upon hearing this, Diomedes exclaims, "Then we must not fight each other, for we are guest friends! My grandfather played host to Bellerophon, and they exchanged gifts of hospitality. Now you are always welcome at my hearth in Argos, and I at yours in Lycia. Come, let us exchange armor." Glaucus readily assents to this proposal, despite the fact that his golden armor is worth ten times Diomedes' bronze.

By this time Hector has reached the main city gates and entered Troy. Finding his mother in the palace, he instructs her to arrange the sacrifice to Athena. Declining her suggestion of a thirst-quenching draft of wine, and forbearing to make an offering to Zeus since he is inappropriately spattered in blood and gore, he sets off in search of his brother Paris. Queen Hecuba (HEH-kew-bah) proceeds as instructed, selecting the most valuable robe in the palace storeroom and laying it on the knees of Athena's image in her shrine. While attendants beseech the goddess with shrieking cries, Hecuba offers the sacrifice of twelve fine cattle if Athena will only pity Troy. But the goddess is deaf to this plea.

At ease in his bedroom, languidly toying with his armor while Helen weaves with her serving women, Paris calmly accepts the bitter reproaches of his brother. Helen has already talked him into rejoining the army that is fighting and dying for his cause. For her own part, Helen expresses self-loathing and a pained consciousness of the sacrifices being made on her behalf. Declining her invitation to sit and rest, Hector takes his leave. Before rejoining the battle, he wants to see his wife and son. He finds Andromache (an-DROM-uh-kee) on the ramparts where, the baby in her arms, she has been desperately scanning the battle, certain that the Greeks have found the weak spot in the city's defense. She implores her husband to withdraw his troops within the walls.

Hector replies that he'd be ashamed to show such weakness even though he knows in his heart that Troy must fall. And it isn't the thought of that inglorious fate that pains him, but rather the premonition of Andromache's end. For some day she'll be slave to some Greek, reduced to common household labor. She might be drawing water at the well one day, silently weeping, only to overhear it said, "There goes the wife of Hector of Troy, his city's great defender." And the tears will come once more, hotter than ever, at the thought of all she's lost and the husband who could not protect her.

Hector reaches for his son, but the child recoils in horror. Laughing, Hector removes his huge brazen helmet with its horsehair crest. Now he takes the boy and tosses him in his arms, praying aloud to Zeus. "May he grow up to be brave and strong, a fighter like his father. May he bring joy to his mother's heart by bringing home the spoils of war, the bloody armor of his mortal foes."

Donning his helmet, Hector takes his leave. Before he has reached the city gates, Paris comes running up to join him. Together they go back to war.

Note:

Hector complies with this advice — As he hurries toward Troy after rallying his men, Hector carries his shield on his back. So large were the shields of that era that Hector's is described as reaching from his neck to his ankles.