Trey Laughrun
June 23, 2008
Primary Source #2
Family Man and War Hero
In The Trojan Hero Hector Prepares to Meet his Destiny by Homer conveys the
most important aspect of Trojan life. Even though Hector is knows he is destined to loose
the battle he is about to embark on, he fights anyway because if he shied away from battle
he would be thought of a coward with no honor. The only thing a Trojan man has to pride
himself on is his honor and his family. While departing to go to battle Hector prays to
Zeus for his son and wife, as they say their tearful and emotional goodbyes the reader
understands how important family is to the Trojans. In this primary source the Trojan
hero, Hector, expresses how important family and honor is in ancient Greece through his
emotions and actions toward his family and warfare.
As Hector prepares to fight the Mycenean hero Achilles, he knows he is destined
to loose, but he fights anyway to maintain his and his families honor. Hector says that he
would shame the Trojans if he were to shrink away from battle. This speaks to just how
war a Trojan man would go to sustain his honor. Hector was willing to pay the ultimate
price, death, in order to maintain his honor of a brave and honorable man.
Before the battle Hector prays to Zeus that his son will be prove to be a valiant
warrior like he was. He reaches out to his son, who is weeping for his father. This act
shows how not only the importance of warfare but also family. Hector’s wife cries as she
gives her husband farewell as they embrace and hug each other. From the primary source
it is easy to see that the two main aspect of ancient Greece is family and warfare.
The text book tends to focus on Greece’s military conflicts and leaders more than
it does on the family aspect which was of equal importance during this time period. Its
focus is on warfare and in particular the Persian-Greek wars that dominated much of
Greek life in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.E. With civilization like those of the
Spartans, whose extreme military focus included such techniques as taking seven year old
boys away from their home and enrolling them into a military boarding school; it is hard
not to focus on the warfare aspect of life. But family played a vital role in everyday life
of the Trojans.
To the Trojans family meant everything to them, as displayed in the primary
source document. Hector knows if he goes to battle with Achilles he will surely loose
.But he does so still in order to maintain the honor of his family name. Just before battle
he does not pray to Zeus for his personal success in the upcoming battle, he prays for his
son and his wife.
In The Trojan Hero Hector Prepares to Meet his Destiny by Homer conveys the
most important aspect of Trojan life. Hector is knows he is destined to loose the battle he
is about to embark on but he fights anyway to maintain the honor of his family name. The
only thing a Trojan man has to pride himself on is his honor and his family. While
departing to go to battle Hector prays to Zeus for his son and wife, as they say their
tearful and emotional goodbyes the reader understands how important family is to the
Trojans. The fact that he is praying not for personal reasons as he is about to fight,
instead he prays for his wife and child also speaks to how important family was. In this
primary source the Trojan hero, Hector, expresses how important family and honor is in
ancient Greece through his emotions and actions toward his family and warfare.