Hector

Commander-in-chief of the Trojan forces and their allies. Hector (Ἕκτωρ) was the eldest son of Priam and Hecuba. He was Troy's greatest warrior. Hector was the brother of Paris, Helenus and Cassandra. He married Andromache, the daughter of Eëtion (Eetion), king of Thebes. Hector was the father of Astyanax (Scamandrius).

In the last year of the war, with the withdrawal of Achilles from battle because of his quarrel with Agamemnon, Hector's prowess in battle rose to great heights, inspired by the gods Zeus and Apollo. He challenged the Greeks to fight him in single combat. Many heroes volunteered, including Diomedes and Odysseus, but drawing lots, Ajax won the right to fight Hector. In single combat against Ajax, he fought to a draw. Although he was the best warrior on the Trojan side, Ajax and Diomedes had bested him in their few meetings. The height of his heroism happened when he smashed the gates of the Greek field fortifications around the camp. The second climax of his career was when he set one of the Greek ships on fire.

His rash bravery and over-confidence often clouded his judgement. Twice, he didn't listen to the wise counsel from his brave friend Polydamas with disastrous results. Polydamas advised him to leave the horses behind when they breached the Greek gate; he did not listen. After Hector set fire to one of the ships, Patroclus in Achilles' armour brought reinforcements which routed the Trojans and drove them back outside the Greek camp. Many of the Trojans trying to escape drove their chariots through the gate. In their hasty retreat, they crashed into one another. Twenty-two Trojans died at the gates.

After the death of Achilles' companion Patroclus, Polydamas advised Hector that the Trojans should not face the Greek forces in battle with Achilles returning to the battlefield. He also advised the commander not to face Achilles in combat. Over-confident of his mixed successes from the previous day, he ignored Polydamas' counsels. Many Trojan leaders fell to the vengeful Achilles that day and the Trojans were driven back to the city. Achilles later killed Hector in single combat.

Zeus preserved his body with ambrosia to prevent decay and damage to his body, despite Achilles' attempt to drag his body behind his chariot. His aged father Priam ransomed his body for the funeral. The Iliad ended with with a tribute to the bravery of Hector at the funeral.

After the fall of Troy, the Greeks murdered his son Astyanax while his wife (Andromache) became a concubine of his killer's son, Neoptolemus. Neoptolemus killed his father, King Priam, during the fall of Troy.

When Neoptolemus married Hermione, daughter of Helen and Menelaüs, he set Andromache and Helenus free, and allowed the two to marry.