Hector Vs. Ajax

In the seventh book of the Iliad, the Gods of Olympus planned a battle between Hector and any champion of the Greek army therefore that there may be a ceasefire between the Greeks and the Trojans. Helenus, one of Hector’s brothers knew about this and he immediately told Hector the will of the Gods. Hector went on to challenge the Achaeans to bring out their greatest warrior to go against him in a single battle.



The Greeks chose Ajax the Great to battle Hector by means of drawing lots. Hector announced that the battle is a duel until one of them dies and the victor will keep the armor of his slain adversary for himself. The battle was one of the most exciting moments so far in the book. But several versions have been made over the years that depicted the battle and failed in portraying what really happened in the battle of Hector and Ajax. One example is that of the movie, Troy, which starred several international celebrities and it really was a hit. But it failed on a lot of different aspects, particularly in the battle between Ajax and Hector.



The movie’s version of the fight scene was very different from what really happened. First of all, it was the Gods who planned the battle unlike in the movie where they just stumbled upon one another then they started fighting each other. In the book, there was a formal settlement between the two parties about the said duel while there was none in the movie. Ajax and Hector did not just bump against one another in the heat of battle, there was a process in picking who will be up against Hector which was casting lots and whoever wins will be fighting Hector to the death. The battle was evenly matched; they were on the same level in terms of fighting skills. Even though Ajax has the advantage in size, Hector made up for this with his agility and presence of mind in the fight. Because of this, no one emerged victorious from the duel. The biggest flaw in the movie representation of the fight is seen with the result of the fight. In the movie, Ajax died because he was hit by Hector but Ajax never really died because of fight. This mistake caused a lot of controversy concerning the accuracy of the story being presented in the movie.

If I were Homer, I would not accept this version of my story. They clearly changed everything that happened in the fight between Hector and Ajax. Without Ajax, the Iliad would be a different story because he plays an important role in the latter stages of the story. This representation is clearly different from that of the original. It would be an insult to me if they tried to change what really happened in the story then they would make money out of it. It would be better if they followed the story exactly and not change the content.

Glory in battle, nobility, and pride.

Glory in battle, nobility, and pride, such profound words that has stirred so much trouble since the dawn of time. Over a thousand wars had been fought just to prove who is better than whom. Such is the case in Iliad, where two nations brought war to one another’s people just because of a single reason, a woman.

King Menalaus of Sparta, known to be a great commander, has fought a lot of battles for his own glory and for Greece as well. He was engaged with a woman named Helen. He was deeply in love with her for she was such a graceful and lovely woman. Helen is like a goddess who came down to Earth. She is terrific in each and every way.
The insanely beautiful woman is the main root of the problem. One night, Paris of troy, son of King Priam, met Helen and he fell in love with her and the woman fell for Paris too. They both agreed to escape Menelaus secretly and live in Troy where they could be happy even though they know that war will be brought upon them because of this certain decision they made. Helen is about to be labeled as “The Face that launched a Thousand Ships.”

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When Menalaus found out about the incident, he rose into fury and hell broke loose. He immediately asked his brother who was the commander of all the Greek Armies for help to get back what was originally his. Every battalion of the Greek army sailed for Troy and wage war with them.

When they reached Troy and everyone was in their battle positions, Paris and Menelaus agreed to fight it out in a duel between the two of them and whoever wins will have Helen for himself.
I believe the both men showed an extreme display of nobility and honor. No one is above another. Just by willingly sacrificing their own life for the sake of their own comrades in battle and also to show their immense love for Helen. Both men fought each other ferociously, with each trust and each slash; they fought relentlessly for a noble cause, which is love.

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Although everyone knows that Menelaus is far superior to Paris in battle, Paris never gave in to pressure but showed a kind of bravery that every person should possess. When he was courageously fighting his adversary, he fought for what he believes is right, for his pride, for his love. Menelaus gave his best to get back his Helen. Paris knew his fate that his life is nearing its end and he surely ready to meet it. But suddenly, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty saved him and took him to a place, his own room, far from chaos, far from battle.

If only Aphrodite didn’t save Paris from a violent death, the war might have ended in a peaceful manner. Just because Paris was saved doesn’t mean that Paris is a lesser man than Menelaus. It wasn’t his decision to flee from battle. In fact he was ready to die for his every principle. Menelaus, in spite the fact that he lost his chance to reclaim his love, kept his composure. This brilliant expression of nobility and the constant struggle for live is both shared by Paris and Menelaus in such an extraordinary way.