The Iliad (Audiobook) by Homer - Book 6

Book 6: Hector and Andromache
Hector returns to Troy and meets his wife, Andromache, who pleads with him to stay. But Hector insists on duty, knowing Troy’s fall is inevitable. Summary by Dream Audiobooks

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dream Audio Books presents the Iliad by Homer. Section six
of the Iliad by Homer, translated by Samuel Butler. Book
six Glaucus and Diomed, the story of Bellerophon, Hector, and Andromache.
The fights between Trojans and Achaeans was now left to

(00:22):
rage as it would, and the tide of wars urged
hither and thither over the plain as they aimed their
bronshod spears at one another between the streams of Semois
and Xanthus. First, Ajax son of Telamon, tower of strength
to the Achaeans, broke a phalanx of the Trojans and
came to the assistance of his comrades by killing Achemus,
son of Eusaurus, the best man among the Thracians, being

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both brave and of great stature. The spear struck the
projecting peak of his helmet its bronze point, then went
through his forehead into the brain, and darkness failed his eyes.
Then Diomed killed Axilus, son of to Thranus, a rich
man who lived in the strong city of Orisbe and
was beloved by all men, for he had a house

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by the roadside and entertained everyone who passed, albeit not
one of his guests stood before him to save his life,
and diomed killed both him and his squire, Celesius, who
was then his charioteer. So the pair passed beneath the earth.
Euryalus killed Draysus and Offeltius, and then went in pursuit

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of Asepus and Pedasus, whom the Naiad nymph Alabaria had
borne to noble Bucoleon. Bucoleon was eldest son to Laomedon,
but he was a bastard. While tending his sheep, he
had conversed with the nymph when she conceived two sons. These,
the son of Mesistius, now slew, and he stripped the
armor from their shoulders. Polypoetes then killed Astyalus, Ulysses, Pedites

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of Pericote, Mantusa Aretaeon Ableras fell by the spear of
Nestus son Antilachus, an Agamemnon king of men, killed Elatus,
who dwelled in Pedasus by the banks of the river Satniosis.
Laetus killed Phylachus as he was flying, and Eurypulus slew Melanthus.
Then Menelaus of the loud war cry took Adrestus alive

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for his horses ran into a tamarisk bush as they
were flying wildly over the plain, and broke the pole
from the car. They went on towards the city along
with the others in full flight, but addressed Us rolled
out and fell in the dust, flat on his face
by the wheel of his chariot. Menelaeus came up to him,
spear in hand, but Addressed has caught him by the knees,
begging for his life. Take me alive, he cried, son

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of Atreus, and you shall have a full ransom for me.
My father is rich, and as much treasure of gold,
bronze and wrought iron laid by in his house from
this store, he will give you a large ransom should
he hear of my being alive and at the ships
of the Achaeans. Thus did he plead, and Menelaus was
for yielding and giving him to a squire to take
to the ships of the Achaeans. But Agamemnon came running

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up to him and rebuked him. My good Menalaya, said he,
this is no time for giving quarter, as then your
house fared so well at the hands of the Trojans.
Let us not spare a single one of them, not
even the child unborn and in its mother's womb. Let
not a man of them be left alive, but let
all in Ilius perish, unheeded and forgotten. Thus did he speak,

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and his brother was persuaded by him, for his words
were just. Menelaeus therefore thrust address us from him. Whereon
King Agamemnon struck him in the flank, and he fell.
Then the son of Entreus planted his foot upon his
breast to draw his spear from the body. Meanwhile, Nestor
shouted to the argive, saying, my friends, Danay and warriors

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servants of Mars, let no man lag that he may
spoil the dead and bring back much booty to the ships.
Let us kill as many as we can. The bodies
will lie upon the plain, and you can desp boil
them later at your leisure. With these words, he put
heart and soul into them all. And now the Trojans
would have been routed and driven back into Ilius, had

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not Priam's sun. Helenus, wisest of Augus, said to Hector
and Aeneas, Hector and Anaeus, you two are the main
stays of the Trojans and Lycians, for you are foremost
at all times alike in fight and counsel. Hold your
ground here and go about among the hosts to rally
them in front of the gates, or they will fling
themselves into the arms of their wives, to the great

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joy of our foes. Then, when you have put heart
into all our companies, we will stand firm here and
fight the Duanaans, however hard they press us, for there
is nothing else to be done. Meanwhile, do you, Hector,
go to the city and tell our mother what is happening.
Tell her to bid the matrons gather at the temple
of Minerva in the acropolis. Let her then take her

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key and open the doors of the sacred building. There
upon the knees of Minerva. Let her lay the largest
fairest robe she has in her house, the one she
sets most store by letter. Moreover, promised to sacrifice twelve
yielding haffers that have never yet felt the goad in
the temple of the Goddess, if she would take pity
on the town with the wives and little ones of

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the Trojans, and keep the son of Tideous from falling
on the goodly city of Ilius, For he fights with
fury and fills men's souls with panic. I hold him
mightiest of them all. We did not fear even their
great champion, Achilles, son of a goddess, though he be
as we do this man, his rage is beyond all bounds,
and there is none can vie with him. And prowess

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Acta did as his brother bade him. He sprang from
his chariot and went about everywhere among the host, brandishing
his spears, urging the men on to fight, and raising
the dread cry of battle. Thereon they rallied and again
faced the Achaeans, who gave ground and ceased their murderous onset,
for they deemed that some one of the immortals had
come down from starry heaven to help the Trojans. So

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strangely had they rallied, And Hector shouted to the Trojans,
Trojans and allies, be men, my friends, and fight with
might and main, while I go to Ilias and tell
the old men of our council and our wives to
pray to the gods and vow hecatomes in their honor.
With this he went his way, and the black rim
of hide that went round his shield beat against his

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neck and his ankles then Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, and
the son of Tydeus, went into the open space between
the hosts to fight in single combat. When they were
close up to one another, Diomed of the loud war cry,
was the first to speak, Oh, my good sir, said he,
who are you among men? I have never seen you

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in battle until now, but you are daring beyond all
others if you abide my onset were to those fathers
whose sons face my might. If however, you are one
of the immortals and have come down from heaven, I
will not fight you. For even valiant Lysergis, son of Dryas,
did not live long when he took to fighting with
the gods. He it was that drove the nursing women

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who were in charge of frenzied Bacchus through the lands
of Nysa, and they flung their thisee on the ground,
as murderous Lycurges beat them with his ox coad. Bacchus
himself plunged, terror stricken into the sea, and thetas took
him to a bosom to comfort him, for he was
scared by the fury with which the man reviled him.
Thereon the gods who live at ease were angry with Lycurgus,

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and the son of Satin struck him blind. Nor did
he live much longer after he had become hateful to
the immortals. Therefore, I will not fight with the blessed gods.
But if you are of them that eat the fruit
of the ground, draw near and meet your doom. And
the son of Hippolochus answered, son of Tydeus, why ask
me my lineage? Men come and go as leaves year

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by year upon the trees those of autumn the wind
sheds upon the ground, But when spring returns, the forest
buds forth with fresh vines. Even so it is with
the generations of mankind the news spring up as the
older passing away. If then you would learn my descent,
it is one that is well known to many. There

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is a city in the heart of Argos, pasture land
of horses, called Ephara, where Sisyphus lived, who was the
craftiest of all mankind. He was the son of Aeolus,
and had a son named Glaucus, who was father to Bellerophon,
whom heaven endowed with the most surpassing comeliness and beauty.
But Protus devised his ruin, and being stronger than he,

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drove him from the land of the Argives, over which
Jove had made him ruler. For antea wife of Protus,
lusted after him and would have had him lie with
her in secret. But Bellerophon was an honorable man and
would not, so she told lies about him to Protus.
Protus said she kill Bellerophon or die, for he would
have had converse with me against my will. The king

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was angered, but shrank from killing Bellerophon. So he sent
him to Lysia with lying letters of introduction written on
a folded tablet and containing my ill against the bearer.
He bade Bellerophon show these letters to his father in law,
to the end that he might thus perish. Bellerophon therefore
went to Lysia, and the gods convoyed him safely. When

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he reached the river's Anthus, which is in Lysia, the
king received him with all good will, feasted him nine days,
and killed nine haifers in his honor. But when rosy
fingered mourning appeared upon the tenth day, he questioned him
and desired to see the letter from his son in
law Protus. When he had received the wicked letter, He
first commanded Bellerophon to kill that savage monster, the Chimera,

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who was not a human being but a goddess, for
she had the head of a lion and the tail
of a serpent, while her body was that of a goat,
and she breathed forth flames of fire. But Bellerophon slew him,
for he was guided by signs from heaven. He next
fought the far famed Salimi, and this he said was
the hardest of all his battles. Thirdly, he killed the Amazons, women,

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who were the peers of men, and as as he
was returning, thence the king devised yet another plan for
his destruction. He picked the bravest warriors and all Lysia
and placed them in ambuscade. But not a man ever
came back, for Bellerophon killed every one of them. Then
the king knew that he must be the valiant offspring
of a god. So he kept him in Lysia, gave

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him his daughter in marriage, and made him of equal
honor in the kingdom with himself, and the Lycians gave
him a piece of land, the best in all the country,
fair with vineyards and tilled fields, to have and to hold.
The King's daughter bore Bellerophon three children, Isander, Hippalachus, and
Laya Demir. Jove, the lord of Council, lay with Laya Demir,

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and she bore him noble Sarpadon. But when Bellerophon came
to be hated by all the gods, he wandered all
desolate and dismayed upon the Alayan plain, gnawing at his
own heart and shunning the path of man. Mars in
Satiat of battle killed his son Isander while he was
fighting the Salimi. His daughter was killed by Diana of

(11:03):
the Golden Reins, for she was angered with her. But
Hippolochus was father to myself, and when he sent me
to Troy, he urged me again and again to fight
ever among the foremost and out by my peers, so
as not to shame the blood of my fathers, who
were the noblest in Ephira and an all Lysia. This
then is the descent I claim. Thus did he speak,

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and the heart of Diomed was glad. He planted his
spear in the ground and spoke to him with friendly words.
Then he said, you are an old friend of my
father's house. Great aneas once entertained Bellerophon, for twenty days,
and the two exchanged presents. Aneas gave a rich belt
with purple and bellerophon a double cup, which I left

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at home, and I set out for Troy. I do
not remember Tedious, for he was taken from us while
I was yet a child, when the army of the
Achaeans was cut to pieces before Thebes. Henceforth, however, I
must be your host in Middle Argos, and you mine
in Lysia, if I should ever go there. Let us
avoid one another's spears, even during a general engagement. There

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are many noble Trojans and allies whom I can kill
if I overtake them, and Heaven delivers them into my hand.
So again, with yourself, there are many Achaeans whose lives
you may take if you can. We, too, then will
exchange armor, that all present may know of the old
ties that subsist between us. With these words, they sprang
from their chariots, grasped one another's hands, and plighted friendship.

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But the son of Saturn made Glaucus take leave of
his wits, where he exchanged golden armor for bronze, the
worth of a hundred head of cattle for the worth
of nine. Now when Hector reached the ski and gates
and the oak tree. The wives and daughters of the
Trojans came running towards him to ask after their sons, brothers,
kinsmen and husbands. He told them to set about praying

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to the gods, and many were made sorrowful as they
heard him. Presently he reached them splendid palace of King Priam,
adorned with colonnades of hewn stone. In it, there were
fifty bed chambers, all of hewn stone, built near one another,
where the sons of Priam slept, each with his wedded wife.

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Opposite these, on the other side of the courtyard, there
were twelve upper rooms, also of hewn's stone, for Priam's daughters,
built near one another, where his sons in law were
slept with their wives. When Hector got there, his fond
mother came up to him with laoud to say, the
fairest of her daughters. She took his hand within her
own and said, my son, why have you left the

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battle to come? Hither are the Achaeans woe but tied them,
pressing you hard about the city that you have thought
fit to come, and uplift your hands to jove from
the citadel. Wait till I can bring you wine, that
you may make offering to Jove and to the other immortals,
and may then drink and be refreshed. Wine gives a
man fresh strength when he is wearied, as you now are,

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with fighting on behalf of your Kinsman and Hector, answered,
honored Mother, bring no wine, lest you unman me, and
I forget my strength. I dare not make a drink
offering to Jove with unwashed hands. One who is bespatted
with blood and filth may not pray to the son
of Saturn. Get the matrons together and go with offerings

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to the temple of Minerva, driver of the spoil. There
Upon the knees of Minerva lay the largest and fairest
robe you have in your house, the one you set
most store by. Promise moreover to sacrifice twelve yielding heifers
that have never yet felt the goad in the temple
of the Goddess, if she will take pity on the
town with the wives and little ones of the Trojans,

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and keep the son of Tedious from off the goodly
city of Ilius, for he fights with fury and fills
men's souls with panic. Go then to the temple of Minerva,
while I seek Paris and exhort him of heally, and
my words would that the earth might open her jaws
and swallow him, for Jove bred him to be the
bane of the Trojans and of prim and pri i AM's sons.

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Could I but see him go down into the house
of Ades, my heart would forget its heaviness. His mother
went into the house and caught her waiting women who
gathered the matrons throughout the city. She then went down
into a fragrant storeroom, where her embroidered robes were kept,
the work of Sedonian women whom Alexandraus had brought over

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from Sidon when he sailed the seas. Upon that voyage,
during which he carried off Hellen Hekiba took out the
largest robe and the one that was most beautifully enriched
with embroidery, as an offering to Minerva. It glittered like
a star and lay at the very bottom of the chest.
With this she went on her way, and many matrons
with her. When they reached the temple of Minerva, lovely Thiano,

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daughter of Cesius and wife of Antonor, opened the doors
for the Trojans had made her priestess of Minerva. The
women lifted up their hands to the goddess with a
loud cry, and theano took the robe to lay it
upon the knees of Minerva, Raying the while to the
daughter of Great Jove, Holy Minerva, she cried, Protectress of

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our city, mighty Goddess, break the spear of Diomed and
lay him low before the ski in gates. Do this,
and we will sacrifice twelve heifers that have never yet
known the goad in your temple, if you will have
pity upon the town, with the wives and little ones
of the Trojans. Thus she prayed, but Pallas Minerva granted

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not her prayer. While they were thus praying to the
daughter of Great Jove, Hector went to the fair house
of Alexandras, which he had built for him by the
foremost builders in the land. They had built him his house, storehouse,
and courtyard near those of Priam and Hector on the acropolis.
Here Hector ended with a spear eleven cubits long in

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his hand. The bronze point gleamed in front of him
and was fastened to the shaft of the spear by
a ring of gold. He found Alexandras within the house,
busied about his armor, he shield and cirass, and handling
his curved bow. There too sat argive Helen with her women,
setting them their several tasks. And as Hector saw him,

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he rebuked him with words of scorn. Sir said, he
you do ill to nurse this rancor the people perish
fighting round this our town. You would yourself child one
whom you saw shirking his part in the combat. Up then,
or ere long the city will be in a blaze.
And Alexandrus answered, Hector, your rebuke is just listen therefore,

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and believe me when I tell you that I am
not here so much through rancor or ill will towards
the Trojans as from a desire to indulge my grief.
My wife was even now gently urging me to battle,
and I hold it better that I should go, for
victory is ever fickle. Wait then, while I put on
my armor, or go first, and I will follow. I
shall be sure to overtake you. Hector made no answer,

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but Helen tried to soothe him. Brother said, she, to
my abhorred and sinful self, would that a whirlwind had
caught me up on the day my mother brought me forth,
and had borne me to some mountain, or to the
waves of the roaring sea, that should have swept me away.
Ere this mischief had come about. But since the gods
have devised these evils, would at any rate that I

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had been wife to a better man, to one who
could smart under dishonor and men's evil speeches. This fellow
was never yet to be depended upon, nor never will be,
and he was surely reap what he is sown. Still, Brother,
come in and rest upon this seat, for it is
you who bear the brunt of that toil which has
been caused by my hateful self and by the sin

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of Alexandraus, both of whom Jove has doomed to be
a theme of song among those that should be born hereafter.
And Hector answered, bid me not be seated, Helen, for
all the good will you bear me, I cannot stay.
I am in haste to help the Trojans, who miss
me greatly when I am not among them. But urge
your husband, and of his own self, also, let him

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make haste to overtake me before I am out of
the city. I must go home to see my household,
my wife, and my little son, for I know not
whether I shall ever again return to them, or whether
the gods will cause me to fall by the hands
of the Achaeans. Then Hector left her, and forthwith was
at his own house. He did not find Andromachy, for

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she was on the wall with her child and one
of her maids, weeping bitterly. Seeing then that she was
not within, he stood on the threshold of the women's
rooms and said, women, tell me, and tell me true,
where did Andromache go when she left the house? Was
it to my sisters, or to my brother's wives, or
is she at the temple of Minerva, where the other

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women are propitiating the awful goddess? His good housekeeper answered Hector,
since you bid me, tell you truly. She did not
go to your sisters, nor to your brother's wives, nor
yet to the temple of Minerva, where the other women
are propitiating the awful goddess. But she is on the
high wall of Ilius. For she has heard the Trojans

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were being hard pressed, and that the Achaeans were in
great force. She went to the wall in frenzied haste,
and the nurse went with her, carrying the child. Hector
hurried from the house when she had done speaking, and
went down the streets by the same way that he
had come when he had gone through the city and
had reached the ski and gates through which he would

(20:26):
go out onto the plain. His wife came running towards him, Andromache,
daughter of great Eetion, who ruled in thebe under the
wooded slopes of Mount Placus, and was king of the Cilicians.
His daughter had married Hector, and now came to meet
him with a nurse who carried his little child in
her bosom, a mere babe Hector's darling son, and lovely

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as a star. Hector had named him Scamandrius, but the
people called him Astianax, for his father stood alone as
chief guardian of Ilius. Hector smiled as he looked upon
the boy. He did not speak, and Andromachy stood by him,
weeping and taking his hand in her own. Dear husband,
said she, your valor will bring you to destruction. Think

(21:10):
on your infant son, and on my hapless self. Whoe'er
long shall be your widow, for the Achaeans will set
upon you in a body and kill you. It would
be better for me should I lose you till lie
dead and buried, for I shall have nothing left to
comfort me when you are gone, save only sorrow. I
have neither father nor mother. Now Achilles slew my father

(21:30):
when he sacked theb the goodly city of the Silicians.
He slew him, but did not, for very shame to
spoil him. When he had burned him in his wondrous armor,
he raised a barrow over his ashes, and the mountain Nymphs,
daughter of Egis bearing Jove, planted a grove of elms
about his tomb. I had seven brothers in my father's house,
but on the same day they all went within their

(21:52):
house of Hades. Achilles killed them as they were with
their sheep and cattle. My mother, her, who had been
queen of all the land under Mount Placus, He brought
hither with a spoil and freed her for a great sum.
But the archer Queen Diana, took her in the house
of your father. Nay, hector, you, who to me are father, mother, brother,

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and dear husband, have mercy upon me. Stay here upon
this wall. Make not your child fatherless and your wife
a widow. As for the host, place them near the
fig tree, where the city can be best scaled and
the wall is weakest. Thrice have the bravest of them
come hither and assailed it under the two ajaxes Idamanaeus,
the sons of Atreus, and the brave son of Tydeus,

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either of their own bidding, or because some soothsayer has
told them, and Hector answered wife, I too have thought
upon all this. But with what face should I look
upon the Trojans men and women? If I shirked battle
like a coward? I cannot do so. I know nothing
save to fight bravely in the forefront of the Trojan host,

(22:58):
and when renown alike for my father and myself, well
do I know that the day will surely come when
Mighty Ilius shall be destroyed with Priam and Priam's people.
But I grieve for none of these, not even for Heki,
but nor King Priam, nor for my brothers many and brave,
who may fall in the dust before their foes. For

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none of these do I grieve as for yourself, when
the day shall come on which some one of the
Achaean shall rob you for ever of your freedom and
bear you weeping away it may be that you will
have to ply the lumin argos at the bidding of
a mistress, or to fetch water from the springs. Messaeus
or Hyperia treated brutally by some cruel taskmaster. Then will

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one say, who sees you weeping? She was wife to Hecta,
the bravest warrior among the Trojans during the war before Ilius.
On this your tears will break forth anew for him
who would have put away the day of captivity from you?
May I lie dead under the barrow that is heaped
over my body. Ere I hear you cry as they

(24:02):
carry you into bondage. He stretched his arms towards his child,
but the boy cried and nestled in his nurse's bosom,
scared at the sight of his father's armor and at
the horse air plume that nodded fiercely from his helmet.
His father and mother laughed to see him, But Hector
took the helmet from his head and laid it all
gleaming upon the ground. Then he took his darling child,

(24:25):
kissed him and dandled him in his arms, praying over
him the while to Jove and to all the gods Jove.
He cried, grant that this my child may be, even
as myself chief among the Trojans. Let him be not
less excellent in strength, and let him rule Lilias with
his might. Then may one say of him, as he
comes from battle, the son is far better than the father.

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May he bring back the blood stained spoils of him
whom he has laid low, and let his mother's heart
be glad with this. He laid the child again in
the arms of his w who took him to her
own soft bosom, smiling through her tears. As her husband
watched her, his heart yearned towards her, and he caressed
her fondly, saying, my own wife, do not take these

(25:12):
things too bitterly to heart. No one can hurry me
down to Hades before my time. But if a man's
hour is come, be he brave or be he coward,
There is no escape for him when he has once
been born. Go then within the house, and busy yourself
with your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and the
ordering of your servants. For war is man's matter, and

(25:33):
mine above all others of them that have been born
in Ilius. He took his plumed helmet from the ground,
and his wife went back again to her house, weeping
bitterly and often looking back towards him. When she reached
her home, she found her maidens within, and bade them
all join in her lament. So they mourned Hector in
his own house, though he was yet alive, for they

(25:55):
deemed that they should never see him return safe from
battle and from the furious hands of the Achaeans. Paris
did not remain long in his house. He donned his
goodly armor, overlaid with bronze, and hasted through the city
as fast as his feet could take him. As a
horse stabled and fed, breaks loose, and gallops gloriously over

(26:15):
the plains to the places where he is wont to
bathe in the fair flowing river. He holds his head high,
and his mane streams upon his shoulders as he exults
in his strength, and flies like the wind to the
haunts and feeding ground of the mares. Even so went
forth Paris from Hypergamus, gleaming like sunlight in his armor,

(26:35):
and he laughed aloud as he sped swiftly on his
way forthwith he came upon his brother Hector, who was
then turning away from the place where he had held
converse with his wife, and he was himself the first
to speak. Sir said, he I fear that I have
kept you waiting when you are in haste, and have
not come as quickly as you bade me. My good

(26:57):
brother answered hector. You fight bravely, and no man with
any justice can make light of your doings in battle,
but you are careless and wilfully remiss. It grieves me
to the heart to hear the ill that the Trojans
speak about you, for they have suffered much on your account.
Let us be going, and we will make things right hereafter.
Should Jove vouchsafest to set the cup of our deliverance

(27:20):
before ever living gods of Heaven in our own homes,
when we have chased the Achaeans from Troy. End of
Section six. Dream Audio Books. Hopes you have enjoyed this program.