The Iliad: What Makes Hector An Epic Hero

The Iliad talks of Hector as "collecting all his might, the way an eagle narrows himself to dive through shady cloud." In this quote, Hector is portrayed as a noble eagle with cleverness and strength. Hector was known in his time as a hero. There are several characteristics of epic heroes that can be applied to Hector's personal life and adventures. These three are that he had outside help from the divine, he was brave therefore he held a high position in society, and he had a miraculous death. These characteristics make Hector an epic hero and an extremely important figure in history.

The first characteristic of epic heroes that Hector falls into is that he had outside help from the divine. Hector was protected by the god Apollo. Apollo was a god with many attributes. He is identified with the arts. He is also known as the god of healing, the god of light, or the sun god, and the god of truth. He was a patron of Troy and was also known as the god of prophecy and divination. Hector was a true person. There is no doubt that he received help and guidance from Apollo. …show more content…
In this society, the greatest fighter was the greatest hero. Hector held up to this standard by maintaining his calmness and confidence in the face of fear or evil. As it is said in The Iliad, Hector "stood firm" and "refused to yield" while confronting Achilles. Hector's love for his family is shown when he is shown playing with his infant son before he goes out to meet his death at the hands of Achilles. This human side shows him wishing his family the best of luck when he is gone and telling them not to grieve for him. Hector's reputation as a brave warrior earned him respect in society. These are reasons why Hector held a high position in the Trojan