Hector as the Noblest Hero in Homer's Iliad

Introduction: The Irony of Homer's Noblest Hero

The Iliad is the creation of the ancient Greek poet Homer. Yet the Trojan hero Hector ironically emerges as the noblest warrior of all the Homeric combatants — far more so than the greatest Greek warrior, Achilles. Both men are able fighters, but only Hector possesses an epic moral consciousness, in sharp contrast to the frequently petty and small-minded Achilles. Hector, unlike Achilles, is a family man free of inflated ideals about personal glory. He fights because he must — to save his city — not because he believes in the ideals of warfare. And unlike Achilles, Hector consistently places the needs of others, including the Trojan people, before his own.

Achilles and the Problem of Self-Interest

Achilles' self-interested view of warfare becomes apparent almost immediately in the opening books of the epic. Because the Greek leader Agamemnon claims Achilles' slave-girl Briseis as his own concubine, Achilles refuses to fight, leaving his fellow Greeks exposed to certain peril at the hands of the better-equipped Trojans. Achilles places his own sense of honor above the safety of those he has sworn to protect and defend.

Achilles, the son of the goddess Thetis and a mortal man, is said to have been given a choice: a life of glory in battle or a quiet life of obscurity. He chose the former — but not to serve a great cause. His aim was to make his name immortal. When that immortal honor and reputation is tarnished, he refuses to fight. This early incident also illuminates a broader truth: none of the Greeks truly believe in the cause for which they are fighting — to win Helen back for her husband Menelaus. Instead, they fight because they have sworn an oath to do so and do not wish to dishonor their names.

Hector's Duty, Doubt, and Acceptance of Fate

Hector finds himself in a far more uncomfortable situation. He is the brother of Paris, who absconded with Helen, yet he believes Paris acted wrongfully. Hector holds to the principle that one's own needs must come second to the needs of one's country — a principle Paris clearly violated. Still, knowing his nation is besieged, Hector must fight. His efforts at brokering peace prove futile. He knows that Paris has brought shame and dishonor upon Troy, but he does not use this as an excuse for cowardice. Although he would prefer a long life caring for his wife and child, he accepts his fate and his obligation as a warrior, even while believing his city is ultimately doomed.

The Greek Ideal of Fate and the Nature of War

This acceptance of fate is the most profoundly "Greek" character trait shared by both Achilles and Hector — more so, even, than their bravery or prowess in battle. Just as Hector knows that the side for which he fights cannot win, Achilles knows he will die shortly after Hector falls on the battlefield. Their foreboding would not be read as defeatism by a Greek audience: as the myth of Oedipus demonstrates, the Greeks believed that accepting one's fate was wise, whereas attempting to resist the will of the gods was futile and foolish.

Additionally, although the Trojan War is portrayed as foolish and without just cause — and shrewder heroes such as Odysseus initially resisted the call to arms — actively anti-war characters like the deformed Thersites are depicted as ugly and cowardly. War is a terrible fact of life, but when the gods will it, it cannot be ignored.

Conclusion: Hector as the True Homeric Ideal

Hector's valor, combined with his philosophical astuteness and capacity for self-sacrifice, is what makes this Trojan hero the ideal "Greek" Homeric warrior — and the most morally admirable figure in Homer's epic.