Hector discussing reasons why he fights against Greeks and against Achilles. What appears to be his main motivation for fighting? What does this teach us about ancient Greek society and its values?

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Hector discussing reasons why he fights against Greeks and against Achilles. What appears to be his main motivation for fighting? What does this teach us about ancient Greek society and its values?
Prof. Golden
Weekly Response No.2
HIST 103
Due on Thursday
Text: Homer, Iliad, two selections.
1-Homer, Iliad Book 6 excerpt (the selection titled "Homer's Idea of Excellence" in the
Additional Readings section on Blackboard).
2-Homer, Iliad Book 22 excerpt printed below.
For historical context, consult Cole, Symes Chapter 2 on Mycenaean Greece and
Chapter 3 on Greek culture in general.
Question: Once you have read the selections noted above, please write a short, 1-page
response, answering the following the question:
In these two passages, we see Hector discussing the reasons why he fights against the
Greeks and against Achilles. What appears to be his main motivation for fighting?
What does this teach us about ancient Greek society and its values?
Please be sure to use the evidence provided in the text to support your answer.
Format: Please submit your response through Blackboard. Upload your response either
as a text file of some sort (using Word or any other word processing program that can
be saved into a readable format: .txt .rtf.doc.docx .odt), a PDF (.pdf), or at the very least
just paste your text into the Write Submission box. Do not send me a link to the
document in a cloud-based system (for example, Google Docs). GDocs has an option to
download your work as a PDF or .docx file. The same is true for Microsoft OneDrive.
Upload that. If you have trouble uploading, as I mentioned, you can also click the Write
Submission button and then copy and paste your response into the text submission
area.
Text: Homer, Iliad Book 22 excerpt (trans. S. Butler):
[Note: in this passage, Hector is about to face Achilles in the final battle before the
walls of Troy]
"Alas," said he [Hector] to himself in the heaviness of his heart, "if I go within the
gates, Polydamas will be the first to heap reproach upon me, for it was he that urged me
to lead the Trojans back to the city on that awful night when Achilles again came forth
against us. I would not listen, but it would have been indeed better if I had done so.
Now that my folly has destroyed the host, I dare not look Trojan men and Trojan
women in the face, lest a worse man should say, 'Hector has ruined us by his self-
confidence.' Surely it would be better for me to return after having fought Achilles and
slain him, or to die gloriously here before the city.
What, again, if were to lay down my shield and helmet, lean my spear against
the wall and go straight up to noble Achilles? What if I were to promise to give up
Helen, who was the fountainhead of all this war, and all the treasure that Alexander
[Paris] brought with him in his ships to Troy, aye, and to let the Achaeans divide the
half of everything that the city contains among themselves? I might make the Trojans,
by the mouths of their princes, take a solemn oath that they would hide nothing, but
would divide into two shares all that is within the city- but why argue with myself in
this way? Were I to go up to him he would show me no kind of mercy; he would kill me
then and there as easily as though I were a woman, when I had off my armor. There is
no parleying with him from some rock or oak tree as young men and maidens prattle
Transcribed Image Text:Prof. Golden Weekly Response No.2 HIST 103 Due on Thursday Text: Homer, Iliad, two selections. 1-Homer, Iliad Book 6 excerpt (the selection titled "Homer's Idea of Excellence" in the Additional Readings section on Blackboard). 2-Homer, Iliad Book 22 excerpt printed below. For historical context, consult Cole, Symes Chapter 2 on Mycenaean Greece and Chapter 3 on Greek culture in general. Question: Once you have read the selections noted above, please write a short, 1-page response, answering the following the question: In these two passages, we see Hector discussing the reasons why he fights against the Greeks and against Achilles. What appears to be his main motivation for fighting? What does this teach us about ancient Greek society and its values? Please be sure to use the evidence provided in the text to support your answer. Format: Please submit your response through Blackboard. Upload your response either as a text file of some sort (using Word or any other word processing program that can be saved into a readable format: .txt .rtf.doc.docx .odt), a PDF (.pdf), or at the very least just paste your text into the Write Submission box. Do not send me a link to the document in a cloud-based system (for example, Google Docs). GDocs has an option to download your work as a PDF or .docx file. The same is true for Microsoft OneDrive. Upload that. If you have trouble uploading, as I mentioned, you can also click the Write Submission button and then copy and paste your response into the text submission area. Text: Homer, Iliad Book 22 excerpt (trans. S. Butler): [Note: in this passage, Hector is about to face Achilles in the final battle before the walls of Troy] "Alas," said he [Hector] to himself in the heaviness of his heart, "if I go within the gates, Polydamas will be the first to heap reproach upon me, for it was he that urged me to lead the Trojans back to the city on that awful night when Achilles again came forth against us. I would not listen, but it would have been indeed better if I had done so. Now that my folly has destroyed the host, I dare not look Trojan men and Trojan women in the face, lest a worse man should say, 'Hector has ruined us by his self- confidence.' Surely it would be better for me to return after having fought Achilles and slain him, or to die gloriously here before the city. What, again, if were to lay down my shield and helmet, lean my spear against the wall and go straight up to noble Achilles? What if I were to promise to give up Helen, who was the fountainhead of all this war, and all the treasure that Alexander [Paris] brought with him in his ships to Troy, aye, and to let the Achaeans divide the half of everything that the city contains among themselves? I might make the Trojans, by the mouths of their princes, take a solemn oath that they would hide nothing, but would divide into two shares all that is within the city- but why argue with myself in this way? Were I to go up to him he would show me no kind of mercy; he would kill me then and there as easily as though I were a woman, when I had off my armor. There is no parleying with him from some rock or oak tree as young men and maidens prattle
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