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Hector

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Noble Trojan prince and greatest warrior of Troy in Homer’s "Iliad," famed for his honor, courage, and tragic fate.

Detailed Definition
Hector was the valiant eldest son of King Priam, Troy’s greatest defender, who embodied duty, honor, and familial love. Slain by Achilles, his death marked Troy’s inevitable fall. In poetry, Hector represents stoic courage, civic responsibility, and the tragic nobility of doomed causes.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Homer’s "Iliad," Hector defends Troy with honor, contrasting Achilles’ rage; In Virgil’s "Aeneid," Hector’s ghost urges Aeneas to flee, symbolizing fallen nobility; In Alexander Pope’s translation, Hector embodies familial and civic duty; In W.H. Auden’s “The Shield of Achilles,” Hector’s world contrasts with modern warfare’s bleakness; In Derek Walcott’s “Omeros,” Hector appears as a Caribbean fisherman-hero; In modern elegiac poetry, Hector often signifies the defender doomed by fate.
Additional Notes
Hector, Trojan prince and hero of the Iliad, represents honor, familial duty, and tragic nobility in defeat; poets contrast him with Achilles to highlight communal responsibility versus individual glory—his farewell to Andromache and death at Achilles’ hands evoke pathos, making him a symbol of the human cost of war and the dignity of the doomed defender.
Other Meanings of “Hector”
Also Known As
Trojan Bulwark Shield of Troy Noble Foe of Achilles
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