Week 3 Storytelling: Hector's Victory

Hector stood guard outside the gates of Troy as Achilles was causing his fellow soldiers and countrymen to fall back behind the well in droves. Hector listened to King Priam, his father, beg him to return to the safety of the fortified city, because King Priam believed that not even Hector, the cities greatest warrior, could stand up to Achilles. Hector would not even recognize the pleading of his mother, Queen Hecuba. Hector simply stood outside the gate like a stone sentinel, watching his foe draw nearer.

Zeus, watching these events unfold from Olympus, began to have a change of heart. He had promised Thetis that Achilles would succeed against the men of Troy, but seeing how Achilles had driven his enemies back inside the wall, Zeus decided that he had exacted revenge for Patroclus. Zeus then sent his messenger, Hermes, to tell Achilles to stand down, or be prepared to meet his fate on the battlefield.

Achilles received Hermes, but sent him back to Zeus with the message that he would not stop until the man who had killed Patroclus laid dead on the sand. Achilles began his final approach to the walls of Troy, and the lone figure standing under the main gate awaiting him.

The reply from Achilles angered Zeus, and he forbid the rest of the Gods from interfering in the upcoming fight. He declared that "Whomever is left standing at the end of this day shall earn that right through his actions alone". Athené and Apollo in particular took umbrage with this statement, but they did not dare disobey Zeus.

Achilles slowly approached the open clearing where Hector stood waiting for him.

Hector and Achilles fighting, from Ari Kohen

"We meet at last, on the field of battle", Hector said to Achilles.

"Yes, and it is where you shall die, for you killed the man who I loved most, Patroclus", replied Achilles.

Both Hector and Achilles having said what they wanted to, they slowly began to circle each other, both of them with their spear ready in a throwing position. Suddenly, Achilles braced and threw his spear with all of his might at Hector, but just missed. The spear flew over Hector's left shoulder. Seeing Achilles defenseless and standing still, Hector also threw his spear, but missed Achilles, with the spear flying a foot wide of Achilles.

After a moments peace as both the soldiers evaluated their situation, they drew their swords from their scabbards and charged at each other yelling. Achilles raised his arm to strike, but Hector deftly dodged. Hector then thrust his sword into the armpit of Achilles' raised arm, where his plates of armor met. The sword pierced his arm, rendering him unable to fight. Achilles fell to his knees and began to beg for mercy, with all the soldiers from Greece and Troy looking on. Hector looked up at the castle walls, where his father stood watching him. He then took his sword, and slew Achilles.

The Greeks, who had all been watching the fight, immediately withdrew back to their camps. King Agamemnon, knowing that Achilles was his greatest chief, knew his soldiers would be too demoralized to continue fighting, and the next day they withdrew from Troy forever.

Author's Note: This week, I've decided to rewrite Homer's Iliad as if Hector had won in his fight against Achilles. I did similar writing in Epics of India, so I decided to give it another try. It's fun to explore alternate possibilities in given universes. In the original source, Achilles kills Hector with help from the Gods, so I decided that removing that element would give Hector a more fair shot at winning. I also wrote the ending so that the Greeks withdrew, and never built their horse. 

From Homer's Iliad, retold by A.J. Church.