October 6, 2024 • 26 mins
An exploration of the relationship between Queen Hecuba of Troy and her son, Prince Hektor.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome back, Murradan's to another episode of the Greek Mythology
Retold Podcasts with a focus on the wonder women of
Greek mythology. I hope life has been treating you wonderfully
and that you and yours are safe and happy. If
you love Greek myth and the Trojan War characters, then
(00:37):
this is the podcast for you.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
As I'm writing the White Island, Book four of the
Homeric Chronicles, I'm revisiting a few powerful mother son relationships.
Social media seems to be all of us, with posts
arguing about defining women, articles and posts about mother's being ignored,
controversial posts about mothers versus mothers in law, or women
(01:06):
being told that they aren't real mothers.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Into this lovely.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Mix, I thought I would create a few special episodes
dedicated to Greek mythological mothers and their children. Of course,
the mothers in our favorite Greek myths and Trojan War
stories intrigue us. Likely the most were murmad Ons.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
After all.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Before I begin the deep dive here, I'd like to
dedicate this episode to the late doctor Diane Harris Klein.
She was one of the most influential mentors in my
life and career, introducing me to the ancient world of
Greece and Rome. It was because of her that I
(01:53):
studied Alexander the Great and.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Came to love the Iliad.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So it is in her honor that I record this
episode of the Trojan Queen Hecuba and her beloved son, Hector,
the Breaker of Horses. It is because of doctor Harris
that I fell in love with the story of Alexander
and Bucephalus, which has become the inspiration for Hector's relationship
(02:21):
with his warhorse Ares in the Homeric Chronicles.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
If you're enjoying this podcast.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Then please download and subscribe to Greek Mythology Be Told
on your favorite podcast platform. It does help others find
me and us as we enjoy exploring our favorite characters
in our favorite myths of ancient Greece.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
And the Trojan War Era.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
If this is your first time joining us, Welcome.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
To our world.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I am Janelle Rhannon, the writer and host of this
podcast and author of The Homeric Chronicles, an adult Trojan
War Era retelling series, and this podcast is where I
share my research and thoughts for the book series. As
a mother of adult children and grandmother to five, I
(03:16):
can say that even though the maternal responsibilities change as
our children grow, the love and worry that you have
for them remains a constant. I've come to understand that
our relationship with our mother moves through the seasons of
our life. We are dependent on her and our youth,
(03:37):
and seek independence from her and our teens and young adulthood,
and once we become parents ourselves, we turn back to
her for the advice that she has been waiting to
give us. Sometimes mothers become the cautionary tale in our lives.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
They become the.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Measure of what we decide not to be.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think it's safe to.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Say that the maternal ties can be complicated, sometimes tenuous,
as often as they are straightforward and navigable. The mothers
in Greek myth present a myriad of mothering types, some
caring and adoring, while others are aloof and cold. No
(04:21):
matter where they fall in this discussion, there is something
to learn about life, love, and loss from their stories.
This is what I love most about Greek mythology. It
mirrors our humanity, placing it front and center for our examination,
whether it's the glorious light or the dreaded darkness.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Of our souls?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
What do you say that we get started with some
famous or infamous mother figures in Greek mythology and the
Trojan war era. As I said, I'd like to start
with Hecuba, the Queen of Troy. She is mentioned in
the Iliad more than any other female character, even more
than Thetus.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Hecuba is seen through.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
The Homeric lens as a mother and wife and queen,
and a religious leader for the Trojan Palace women. We
see her as a policymaker through her strong connection and influence,
albeit unsuccessful in the end on the most famous of
her sons, Hector. Myths record her as having nineteen children
(05:30):
with King Priam with Pseudo Apollodorus, naming Apollo as the
father of her son Troylus. What makes her story unique
is that she is mentioned several times in the Iliad
in her capacity as Hector's mother, not as the Queen
of Troy. The depth of her connection and concern for
(05:52):
Hector make her easy to connect with on a human level.
She seems less mythological and more real because of her
In Book six of the Iliad, lines three hundred forty
through three hundred sixty, Hector returns to the city after
a long battle with the Greek invaders. He is immediately
(06:12):
greeted by his mother, Hecuba. She sees his weariness and
that he is.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Covered in the filth of war.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
She knows as well as her son that the battle is.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Far from over.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
What can a mother do in such times? She offers
him a cup of sweet wine and urges him to
take a break. Hector refuses the drink, saying not to
tempt him to rest or he might be tempted to
falter later on the field. He instead urged her to
make an extravagant offering of an exquisite robe and twelve
(06:49):
young heifers to Athena, asking for the goddess's help. Hector
sees his mother as a religious leader of the women
in the palace. He knows his mother and senses that
she needs to do something for him for the Trojan
cause to ease her concerns, and he entrusts her with
(07:10):
a powerful right of hope or even may be magic.
We know Athena isn't going to help the Trojans, but
Hector and Hecuba don't know that, which is what adds
to the tragedy of the scene. It also reveals the
close relationship between Hector and Hecuba. It's his mother who
(07:32):
greets him, not his father, and her concern is for Hector,
who she first sees as her child, her son, and
not the Trojan battle commander. Hecuba sees that Hector is tired,
covered in blood and gore, and just wants to help
him in some way any way.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
That she can.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
As a mother coming from a military family myself, I
think any mother or parent of a soldier would understand
this scene. On an even deeper level, there is an
agony that simmers behind everything you do as you wait
and hope and pray for your child's safe return. Hecuba
(08:17):
has endured several deployments of.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Hector to the war.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Each time I think she would be rejoicing and worrying
because she knew that there would be a next time
as long as the Greeks remained undefeated, and coupled with
the fact that she had already lost several children at
this point. And when your soldier child comes home, if
(08:41):
they are fortunate enough to come home, the first thing
that you want to do is hug them and feed them.
And so Hecuba offered Hector libation. The following is an
excerpt from Rage of Queen's Book three of the Homeric Chronicles,
where I retell this scene. When Hector crossed the threshold
(09:03):
of the inner gates, a throng of anxious women rushed him,
eager to hear news of their men. He addressed the
women he knew, the ones he did not. He offered
sincere apologies. Pray to the gods, he said to one
and all. The palace was oddly quiet. No one came
to greet him. He grabbed a female slave carrying a
(09:26):
basket of bread across the courtyard. Where is the Queen?
The woman startled at Hector's grip weaving. She mumbled hurriedly
and rushed off without another word. Hector made quick time
to Hecuba's private chambers. He wanted to make his request,
and returned to the field before his men noticed that
(09:47):
he'd gone. He knocked softly. You may enter, mother, Hecuba's
back stiffened before she turned to face him. Are you
some trick of the gods sent to haunt my waking eyes? No, Mother,
I am here with tears streaming in her eyes, she said,
(10:10):
I had not dared to hope that I would see.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
You before the end, if at all. She had no.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Need to speak more of her thoughts aloud, for both
of them knew what she implied. Hector would return victorious,
or he would be dead and Troy captured. Hector crossed
the space between them. Neither did I mother, but I
am glad I have come. He wrapped his arms tightly
(10:40):
around her, while she clung briefly to him. His armor
was filthy and smudged with war. Why have you left
the battlefield? Has has something happened? I come at the
request of Helenus. She pushed him away, wiping her hands
on her gown.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
The news can't be good.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Then, neither he nor your sister Cassandra have pleasant words
to share with anyone ever.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Tell me.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Does Achilles fight No? No one has seen him or
his army of black shields. The rumors prove true. He
battles Agamemnon in some feud or other. Unfortunately, a new
threat has emerged to take his place. Who they call
him Diamedes. He rages like a wild bull. Helenus calls him.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
The new Achilles. Hecuba clicked her tongue. Well, that is
sour news.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Indeed wine, she signaled for a servant to pour the
honeyed mixture. You must be thirsty, tired, rest a moment.
Since you're here. No amount of wine will help me.
Now I must keep my wits sharp, but Hector sighed
deeply as he sat on a soft I am weary,
(12:04):
Hecuba sipped her libation.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
How is the fight going?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
She circled the rim of her cup with a trembling
finger and then set it down. If you're here at
Helena's request, then it must be unwelcome.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
He says.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
You must make an offering to Athena, that you are
to take the gray haired woman of our household to
Athena's temple with you. She says that you must lay
your most exquisite robe at the goddess's feet and sacrifice
a dozen heifers. If Athena is pleased, perhaps she will
slow Diamedes. Hecuba pressed her lips into a thin line
(12:42):
of concern. Shaking her head, she said, I will do
as you ask, but the gods tend to do as
they please. Hector hastily added, I must bring Paris back
to the field as well. Hecuba scoughed a there is
a surprise. He fights, and then he's whisked away on
(13:05):
a goddess's whim. I am confused by everything. I am
beginning to worry about the prophecy. Don't speak it into truth.
I'd rather the earth had swallowed him whole. For all
the misfortune he's brought to Troy. If I could send
him on his way to the underworld, I would rejoice.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Be careful what you say, for your.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Words may be taken as a prayer and used against
us in a way that.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
We had not intended. Hector rose from a seat.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Gather the offerings as quickly as you can, and I
will find Paris, no doubt, a bed with Helen and
get him back to war. He kissed his mother on
the cheek. Until I see you again, my heart will
rejoice on that day. She reached up, taking his face
(13:58):
in her hands. Her eyes scanned every line of Hector's face,
searching for the precious boy that he used to be,
and when she finally caught a glimpse of him hidden
in the corner of his eye, she fixed her gaze
to his so blue, my son. He smiled through his exhaustion. Farewell, mother,
(14:24):
Hecuba stared after the empty space where a moment ago,
her son's powerful frame had stood. His presence had filled
the loneliness in her heart, even if only for a
few bitter moments. She drained her cup, Farewell, my son.
(14:44):
Her only hope was that Apollo would follow through on
his promise to her and bring Achilles to his knees.
Whatever kept the Greek's hero from battle, kept him safe
from her vengeance. The bastard must turned to war. A
flash of gold and dust blinded her from behind her eyes.
(15:05):
She shivered, You have work to do, she reminded herself,
and set back to her weaving. Hecuba must have been
devastated to watch Hector leave, knowing in her soul that
there was a high likelihood that she would never see
him alive again, and that his days were numbered.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
She knew her vision.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Of a burning log decades ago was a warning that
Paris would bring the ruin of Troy. Despite Cassandra's further warnings,
she and Priam had invited the forgotten prince to take
his rightful place. How she must have regretted that and
felt tremendous guilt that saving one son was sending another
(15:54):
to his doom. Later in book twenty two, lines eighty three,
Hecuba pleads with Hector not to go fight Achilles. She
reaches into her gown and pulls out abreast, begging her
grown son to remember the care that she gave him,
the life that she gave him. She says, and I'm
(16:17):
reading from the Emily Wilson translation.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Quote, if Achilles kills you.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I cannot weep for you on your byer, my baby boy,
the child I birth myself end quote. I really like
the choices that Wilson makes with these lines because it
emphasizes the idea that even when our children are grown,
we as mothers, as parents, are still capable of seeing
(16:45):
the small child that they used to be. Hecuba agonizes
that Achilles will drag Hector away to be brutalized and
eaten by the war dogs. The imagery she conjures is
a mother's worst nightmare, any parent's worst nightmare. Again, Hecuba
is approaching Hector as a son first. This is how
(17:08):
I retold the scene and rage of queens. Hecuba was
desperate to reach him, to reach his heart. Was it
just a moment ago, that he was a babe nursing
at her breast, a boy learning to walk and ride
a horse. When did he become this man, hard and distant?
(17:29):
Come behind the wall, she screamed frantically. Hector shook his head,
the wind catching his long horse tail crest. She remembered
the boy who loved his horse, Ayres, and the man
who had wept when the horse died in his arms.
Hector had the hair of Arie's tails set into the
crest of his helmet that he wore. Now. Throughout his life,
(17:54):
He'd never battled without Aries or some part of his
beloved war horse. Now, after all this time of war,
she could not watch him die at the hands of
Achilles alone. Where was Apollo? She despaired for everything. Out
of sheer terror and desperation, Hecuba ripped open the front
(18:16):
of her gown, exposing her naked breast.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Please, I beg you, Hector, my son.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Her voice was broken, her sobbing was uncontrollable, her voice
hitched with impending grief. I nursed you, my son, gave
you life. A mother's sacred bond is forever. Do not
break it now like this.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Please, please come to safety.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Hector shouted up at his parents.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I must face Achilles. We all know I must.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
He put his helmet back on and snapped the chin strap.
I can only imagine the terror that Hecuba but must
have felt in that pivotal moment. She didn't care who
witnessed her bearing her breast. She didn't care if her
regal composure slipped away. The proverbial train wreck was in
front of her and there was no turning back. It
(19:15):
would be an entirely human response for all of her
decisions to come flooding back to haunt her under these
dire circumstances. It's so human to play the what if
game when we are faced with consequences that we don't want.
Hecuba witnessed Hector's death at achilles hands, and to witness
(19:37):
your son's death and to be helpless to intervene would.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Be sheer torture.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
In Book twenty four, lines one ninety through two hundred
and seventy five, Hecuba is worried about primsanity and safety
when he decides to face Achilles and beg for Hector's
body to be returned to his family. Again, she mentions
the maternal bond that she had with Hector and laments
(20:05):
that she birthed him with the doom thread spun by destiny.
She then agonizes that his body is being defiled far
from her or Priam's reach, and speaks of the revenge
that she wants for her son. Wilson's translation reads quote,
I wish I could latch my teeth into the center
(20:28):
of achilles liver and eat it. Only then would I
have vengeance for what he did to my son. End quote,
fitting sentiments of a mother for the murderer and.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Defiler of her child.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
In Book twenty four, lines nine thirty four to nine
hundred forty nine of Emily Wilson's translation, we read the
scene of Hecuba's lament of her son. She is side
by side with Andromaica when Priam enters the city.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Both women begin.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Their mourning by tearing their hair out and weeping. Priam
asks them to step aside so that he can wheel
the cart all the way into the city and get
Hector's body appropriately prepared for the formal grieving time. After
Andromaca's lamentus finished, Hecuba speaks next. She addresses her dead
(21:24):
son through her sobs. Quote Hector by far the dearest
to my heart, of all my children. When you were alive,
the gods loved you, and even in your death they
cared for you. She was referring here to how Apollo
had kept his body from being shredded when Achilles dragged
(21:45):
it behind the chariot, and also that his flesh was
not rotted and decayed. I retold this scene in rage
of queens. Hecuba put an arm around her son's widow, watching,
Andromaka's egg pulled at her own ancient wounds. He gave
strength to all of us, Andromaica sobbed quietly and leaned
(22:09):
her head into Hecuba's shoulder. He was my favorite son.
She looked each remaining son circled around Hector in the eye.
Her voice trembled with the sharp truth. You all knew
it was, so none of you could complain, because you
loved him more than any of your other brothers. Hecuba
(22:31):
turned her gaze back to Hector's face. Look at you,
my poor son, favored among us and the gods. Achilles
sent so many trojan princes to slavery, but you he
plucked from us with his murderous spear, stealing your life
to ease his guilt about his second in command. Your
(22:54):
death did not bring back that other man. She kissed
his cheek as her tears flowed. You have the look
of peaceful slumber, despite the ravages Achilles put you through.
Hecuba kissed Andromaka's head so close to her own. You
will never be alone, my dear daughter. Ever Andromaica clung
(23:18):
to Hecuba and sobbed anew. Hecuba's lamentous heartbreaking and reveals
again the bond that she shares with her eldest child.
She says, he is the dearest as a mother. I
understand what this implies. It doesn't mean you don't love
your other children. Firstborn children have a unique bond with
(23:40):
their mothers and parents because it's through this child that
they became parents in the first place. Every step they
took as a family was their first as a family.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Parents, no matter the.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Time period, have one thing in common. We have know
how two manuals learn by doing, including our first mistakes
and our first regrets. The children that follow benefit from
this trial and error parenting of the first born. What
I love about Hecuba is that, even though she is
(24:16):
the most powerful woman in Troy, we observe her human.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Side as a mother.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
The Iliad gives us several glimpses into the ancient world
of mothering through Hecuba's eyes. Unlike Thetus who we also
read about, Hecuba is mortal, so her grief and concerns
mirror ours. As humans, we have no magic connection to
the gods and no magic salve to ease our children's wounds.
(24:46):
The Iliad isn't known for its wide inclusion of female voices.
So why do these maternal scenes figure so prominently in
a book about the most famous war there was and
about the most famous warrior. It's because the Iliad is
more than a book about Achilles rage and Bronze Age warfare.
(25:09):
The Iliad gives us a front row view to the
horrors of war, the atrocities that humankind are capable of
inflicting on one another. Hecuba's scenes with Hector balance Hector's
capacity for violence and murder with Hecuba's maternal love.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
The audience knows that both.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Of these characters are doomed because the war cannot end
without great suffering and loss. Because that is what war means,
war without death and pain of innocence does not exist. Well,
that's it for me in this episode. Let me know
if you enjoyed it by liking and subscribing to my podcast.
(25:55):
If you want to read my books, remember they are
an adult retelling of the Trophy Your More Era. You
can find them linked at my web page at Janalrhannon
dot com and also on Amazon. Have a lovely day
or evening, and until next time, drink your wine and
be marrying hermadons
Welcome back, Murradan's to another episode of the Greek Mythology
Retold Podcasts with a focus on the wonder women of
Greek mythology. I hope life has been treating you wonderfully
and that you and yours are safe and happy. If
you love Greek myth and the Trojan War characters, then
(00:37):
this is the podcast for you.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
As I'm writing the White Island, Book four of the
Homeric Chronicles, I'm revisiting a few powerful mother son relationships.
Social media seems to be all of us, with posts
arguing about defining women, articles and posts about mother's being ignored,
controversial posts about mothers versus mothers in law, or women
(01:06):
being told that they aren't real mothers.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Into this lovely.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Mix, I thought I would create a few special episodes
dedicated to Greek mythological mothers and their children. Of course,
the mothers in our favorite Greek myths and Trojan War
stories intrigue us. Likely the most were murmad Ons.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
After all.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Before I begin the deep dive here, I'd like to
dedicate this episode to the late doctor Diane Harris Klein.
She was one of the most influential mentors in my
life and career, introducing me to the ancient world of
Greece and Rome. It was because of her that I
(01:53):
studied Alexander the Great and.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Came to love the Iliad.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So it is in her honor that I record this
episode of the Trojan Queen Hecuba and her beloved son, Hector,
the Breaker of Horses. It is because of doctor Harris
that I fell in love with the story of Alexander
and Bucephalus, which has become the inspiration for Hector's relationship
(02:21):
with his warhorse Ares in the Homeric Chronicles.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
If you're enjoying this podcast.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Then please download and subscribe to Greek Mythology Be Told
on your favorite podcast platform. It does help others find
me and us as we enjoy exploring our favorite characters
in our favorite myths of ancient Greece.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
And the Trojan War Era.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
If this is your first time joining us, Welcome.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
To our world.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I am Janelle Rhannon, the writer and host of this
podcast and author of The Homeric Chronicles, an adult Trojan
War Era retelling series, and this podcast is where I
share my research and thoughts for the book series. As
a mother of adult children and grandmother to five, I
(03:16):
can say that even though the maternal responsibilities change as
our children grow, the love and worry that you have
for them remains a constant. I've come to understand that
our relationship with our mother moves through the seasons of
our life. We are dependent on her and our youth,
(03:37):
and seek independence from her and our teens and young adulthood,
and once we become parents ourselves, we turn back to
her for the advice that she has been waiting to
give us. Sometimes mothers become the cautionary tale in our lives.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
They become the.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Measure of what we decide not to be.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think it's safe to.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Say that the maternal ties can be complicated, sometimes tenuous,
as often as they are straightforward and navigable. The mothers
in Greek myth present a myriad of mothering types, some
caring and adoring, while others are aloof and cold. No
(04:21):
matter where they fall in this discussion, there is something
to learn about life, love, and loss from their stories.
This is what I love most about Greek mythology. It
mirrors our humanity, placing it front and center for our examination,
whether it's the glorious light or the dreaded darkness.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Of our souls?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
What do you say that we get started with some
famous or infamous mother figures in Greek mythology and the
Trojan war era. As I said, I'd like to start
with Hecuba, the Queen of Troy. She is mentioned in
the Iliad more than any other female character, even more
than Thetus.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Hecuba is seen through.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
The Homeric lens as a mother and wife and queen,
and a religious leader for the Trojan Palace women. We
see her as a policymaker through her strong connection and influence,
albeit unsuccessful in the end on the most famous of
her sons, Hector. Myths record her as having nineteen children
(05:30):
with King Priam with Pseudo Apollodorus, naming Apollo as the
father of her son Troylus. What makes her story unique
is that she is mentioned several times in the Iliad
in her capacity as Hector's mother, not as the Queen
of Troy. The depth of her connection and concern for
(05:52):
Hector make her easy to connect with on a human level.
She seems less mythological and more real because of her
In Book six of the Iliad, lines three hundred forty
through three hundred sixty, Hector returns to the city after
a long battle with the Greek invaders. He is immediately
(06:12):
greeted by his mother, Hecuba. She sees his weariness and
that he is.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Covered in the filth of war.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
She knows as well as her son that the battle is.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Far from over.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
What can a mother do in such times? She offers
him a cup of sweet wine and urges him to
take a break. Hector refuses the drink, saying not to
tempt him to rest or he might be tempted to
falter later on the field. He instead urged her to
make an extravagant offering of an exquisite robe and twelve
(06:49):
young heifers to Athena, asking for the goddess's help. Hector
sees his mother as a religious leader of the women
in the palace. He knows his mother and senses that
she needs to do something for him for the Trojan
cause to ease her concerns, and he entrusts her with
(07:10):
a powerful right of hope or even may be magic.
We know Athena isn't going to help the Trojans, but
Hector and Hecuba don't know that, which is what adds
to the tragedy of the scene. It also reveals the
close relationship between Hector and Hecuba. It's his mother who
(07:32):
greets him, not his father, and her concern is for Hector,
who she first sees as her child, her son, and
not the Trojan battle commander. Hecuba sees that Hector is tired,
covered in blood and gore, and just wants to help
him in some way any way.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
That she can.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
As a mother coming from a military family myself, I
think any mother or parent of a soldier would understand
this scene. On an even deeper level, there is an
agony that simmers behind everything you do as you wait
and hope and pray for your child's safe return. Hecuba
(08:17):
has endured several deployments of.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Hector to the war.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Each time I think she would be rejoicing and worrying
because she knew that there would be a next time
as long as the Greeks remained undefeated, and coupled with
the fact that she had already lost several children at
this point. And when your soldier child comes home, if
(08:41):
they are fortunate enough to come home, the first thing
that you want to do is hug them and feed them.
And so Hecuba offered Hector libation. The following is an
excerpt from Rage of Queen's Book three of the Homeric Chronicles,
where I retell this scene. When Hector crossed the threshold
(09:03):
of the inner gates, a throng of anxious women rushed him,
eager to hear news of their men. He addressed the
women he knew, the ones he did not. He offered
sincere apologies. Pray to the gods, he said to one
and all. The palace was oddly quiet. No one came
to greet him. He grabbed a female slave carrying a
(09:26):
basket of bread across the courtyard. Where is the Queen?
The woman startled at Hector's grip weaving. She mumbled hurriedly
and rushed off without another word. Hector made quick time
to Hecuba's private chambers. He wanted to make his request,
and returned to the field before his men noticed that
(09:47):
he'd gone. He knocked softly. You may enter, mother, Hecuba's
back stiffened before she turned to face him. Are you
some trick of the gods sent to haunt my waking eyes? No, Mother,
I am here with tears streaming in her eyes, she said,
(10:10):
I had not dared to hope that I would see.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
You before the end, if at all. She had no.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Need to speak more of her thoughts aloud, for both
of them knew what she implied. Hector would return victorious,
or he would be dead and Troy captured. Hector crossed
the space between them. Neither did I mother, but I
am glad I have come. He wrapped his arms tightly
(10:40):
around her, while she clung briefly to him. His armor
was filthy and smudged with war. Why have you left
the battlefield? Has has something happened? I come at the
request of Helenus. She pushed him away, wiping her hands
on her gown.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
The news can't be good.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Then, neither he nor your sister Cassandra have pleasant words
to share with anyone ever.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Tell me.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Does Achilles fight No? No one has seen him or
his army of black shields. The rumors prove true. He
battles Agamemnon in some feud or other. Unfortunately, a new
threat has emerged to take his place. Who they call
him Diamedes. He rages like a wild bull. Helenus calls him.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
The new Achilles. Hecuba clicked her tongue. Well, that is
sour news.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Indeed wine, she signaled for a servant to pour the
honeyed mixture. You must be thirsty, tired, rest a moment.
Since you're here. No amount of wine will help me.
Now I must keep my wits sharp, but Hector sighed
deeply as he sat on a soft I am weary,
(12:04):
Hecuba sipped her libation.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
How is the fight going?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
She circled the rim of her cup with a trembling
finger and then set it down. If you're here at
Helena's request, then it must be unwelcome.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
He says.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
You must make an offering to Athena, that you are
to take the gray haired woman of our household to
Athena's temple with you. She says that you must lay
your most exquisite robe at the goddess's feet and sacrifice
a dozen heifers. If Athena is pleased, perhaps she will
slow Diamedes. Hecuba pressed her lips into a thin line
(12:42):
of concern. Shaking her head, she said, I will do
as you ask, but the gods tend to do as
they please. Hector hastily added, I must bring Paris back
to the field as well. Hecuba scoughed a there is
a surprise. He fights, and then he's whisked away on
(13:05):
a goddess's whim. I am confused by everything. I am
beginning to worry about the prophecy. Don't speak it into truth.
I'd rather the earth had swallowed him whole. For all
the misfortune he's brought to Troy. If I could send
him on his way to the underworld, I would rejoice.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Be careful what you say, for your.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Words may be taken as a prayer and used against
us in a way that.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
We had not intended. Hector rose from a seat.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Gather the offerings as quickly as you can, and I
will find Paris, no doubt, a bed with Helen and
get him back to war. He kissed his mother on
the cheek. Until I see you again, my heart will
rejoice on that day. She reached up, taking his face
(13:58):
in her hands. Her eyes scanned every line of Hector's face,
searching for the precious boy that he used to be,
and when she finally caught a glimpse of him hidden
in the corner of his eye, she fixed her gaze
to his so blue, my son. He smiled through his exhaustion. Farewell, mother,
(14:24):
Hecuba stared after the empty space where a moment ago,
her son's powerful frame had stood. His presence had filled
the loneliness in her heart, even if only for a
few bitter moments. She drained her cup, Farewell, my son.
(14:44):
Her only hope was that Apollo would follow through on
his promise to her and bring Achilles to his knees.
Whatever kept the Greek's hero from battle, kept him safe
from her vengeance. The bastard must turned to war. A
flash of gold and dust blinded her from behind her eyes.
(15:05):
She shivered, You have work to do, she reminded herself,
and set back to her weaving. Hecuba must have been
devastated to watch Hector leave, knowing in her soul that
there was a high likelihood that she would never see
him alive again, and that his days were numbered.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
She knew her vision.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Of a burning log decades ago was a warning that
Paris would bring the ruin of Troy. Despite Cassandra's further warnings,
she and Priam had invited the forgotten prince to take
his rightful place. How she must have regretted that and
felt tremendous guilt that saving one son was sending another
(15:54):
to his doom. Later in book twenty two, lines eighty three,
Hecuba pleads with Hector not to go fight Achilles. She
reaches into her gown and pulls out abreast, begging her
grown son to remember the care that she gave him,
the life that she gave him. She says, and I'm
(16:17):
reading from the Emily Wilson translation.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Quote, if Achilles kills you.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I cannot weep for you on your byer, my baby boy,
the child I birth myself end quote. I really like
the choices that Wilson makes with these lines because it
emphasizes the idea that even when our children are grown,
we as mothers, as parents, are still capable of seeing
(16:45):
the small child that they used to be. Hecuba agonizes
that Achilles will drag Hector away to be brutalized and
eaten by the war dogs. The imagery she conjures is
a mother's worst nightmare, any parent's worst nightmare. Again, Hecuba
is approaching Hector as a son first. This is how
(17:08):
I retold the scene and rage of queens. Hecuba was
desperate to reach him, to reach his heart. Was it
just a moment ago, that he was a babe nursing
at her breast, a boy learning to walk and ride
a horse. When did he become this man, hard and distant?
(17:29):
Come behind the wall, she screamed frantically. Hector shook his head,
the wind catching his long horse tail crest. She remembered
the boy who loved his horse, Ayres, and the man
who had wept when the horse died in his arms.
Hector had the hair of Arie's tails set into the
crest of his helmet that he wore. Now. Throughout his life,
(17:54):
He'd never battled without Aries or some part of his
beloved war horse. Now, after all this time of war,
she could not watch him die at the hands of
Achilles alone. Where was Apollo? She despaired for everything. Out
of sheer terror and desperation, Hecuba ripped open the front
(18:16):
of her gown, exposing her naked breast.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Please, I beg you, Hector, my son.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Her voice was broken, her sobbing was uncontrollable, her voice
hitched with impending grief. I nursed you, my son, gave
you life. A mother's sacred bond is forever. Do not
break it now like this.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Please, please come to safety.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Hector shouted up at his parents.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I must face Achilles. We all know I must.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
He put his helmet back on and snapped the chin strap.
I can only imagine the terror that Hecuba but must
have felt in that pivotal moment. She didn't care who
witnessed her bearing her breast. She didn't care if her
regal composure slipped away. The proverbial train wreck was in
front of her and there was no turning back. It
(19:15):
would be an entirely human response for all of her
decisions to come flooding back to haunt her under these
dire circumstances. It's so human to play the what if
game when we are faced with consequences that we don't want.
Hecuba witnessed Hector's death at achilles hands, and to witness
(19:37):
your son's death and to be helpless to intervene would.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Be sheer torture.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
In Book twenty four, lines one ninety through two hundred
and seventy five, Hecuba is worried about primsanity and safety
when he decides to face Achilles and beg for Hector's
body to be returned to his family. Again, she mentions
the maternal bond that she had with Hector and laments
(20:05):
that she birthed him with the doom thread spun by destiny.
She then agonizes that his body is being defiled far
from her or Priam's reach, and speaks of the revenge
that she wants for her son. Wilson's translation reads quote,
I wish I could latch my teeth into the center
(20:28):
of achilles liver and eat it. Only then would I
have vengeance for what he did to my son. End quote,
fitting sentiments of a mother for the murderer and.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Defiler of her child.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
In Book twenty four, lines nine thirty four to nine
hundred forty nine of Emily Wilson's translation, we read the
scene of Hecuba's lament of her son. She is side
by side with Andromaica when Priam enters the city.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Both women begin.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Their mourning by tearing their hair out and weeping. Priam
asks them to step aside so that he can wheel
the cart all the way into the city and get
Hector's body appropriately prepared for the formal grieving time. After
Andromaca's lamentus finished, Hecuba speaks next. She addresses her dead
(21:24):
son through her sobs. Quote Hector by far the dearest
to my heart, of all my children. When you were alive,
the gods loved you, and even in your death they
cared for you. She was referring here to how Apollo
had kept his body from being shredded when Achilles dragged
(21:45):
it behind the chariot, and also that his flesh was
not rotted and decayed. I retold this scene in rage
of queens. Hecuba put an arm around her son's widow, watching,
Andromaka's egg pulled at her own ancient wounds. He gave
strength to all of us, Andromaica sobbed quietly and leaned
(22:09):
her head into Hecuba's shoulder. He was my favorite son.
She looked each remaining son circled around Hector in the eye.
Her voice trembled with the sharp truth. You all knew
it was, so none of you could complain, because you
loved him more than any of your other brothers. Hecuba
(22:31):
turned her gaze back to Hector's face. Look at you,
my poor son, favored among us and the gods. Achilles
sent so many trojan princes to slavery, but you he
plucked from us with his murderous spear, stealing your life
to ease his guilt about his second in command. Your
(22:54):
death did not bring back that other man. She kissed
his cheek as her tears flowed. You have the look
of peaceful slumber, despite the ravages Achilles put you through.
Hecuba kissed Andromaka's head so close to her own. You
will never be alone, my dear daughter. Ever Andromaica clung
(23:18):
to Hecuba and sobbed anew. Hecuba's lamentous heartbreaking and reveals
again the bond that she shares with her eldest child.
She says, he is the dearest as a mother. I
understand what this implies. It doesn't mean you don't love
your other children. Firstborn children have a unique bond with
(23:40):
their mothers and parents because it's through this child that
they became parents in the first place. Every step they
took as a family was their first as a family.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Parents, no matter the.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Time period, have one thing in common. We have know
how two manuals learn by doing, including our first mistakes
and our first regrets. The children that follow benefit from
this trial and error parenting of the first born. What
I love about Hecuba is that, even though she is
(24:16):
the most powerful woman in Troy, we observe her human.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Side as a mother.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
The Iliad gives us several glimpses into the ancient world
of mothering through Hecuba's eyes. Unlike Thetus who we also
read about, Hecuba is mortal, so her grief and concerns
mirror ours. As humans, we have no magic connection to
the gods and no magic salve to ease our children's wounds.
(24:46):
The Iliad isn't known for its wide inclusion of female voices.
So why do these maternal scenes figure so prominently in
a book about the most famous war there was and
about the most famous warrior. It's because the Iliad is
more than a book about Achilles rage and Bronze Age warfare.
(25:09):
The Iliad gives us a front row view to the
horrors of war, the atrocities that humankind are capable of
inflicting on one another. Hecuba's scenes with Hector balance Hector's
capacity for violence and murder with Hecuba's maternal love.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
The audience knows that both.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Of these characters are doomed because the war cannot end
without great suffering and loss. Because that is what war means,
war without death and pain of innocence does not exist. Well,
that's it for me in this episode. Let me know
if you enjoyed it by liking and subscribing to my podcast.
(25:55):
If you want to read my books, remember they are
an adult retelling of the Trophy Your More Era. You
can find them linked at my web page at Janalrhannon
dot com and also on Amazon. Have a lovely day
or evening, and until next time, drink your wine and
be marrying hermadons
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