roy and its leader, Hector, Priam’s son. Hector’s dilemma in The Iliad is one involving a choice between personal glory and community survival. The community was all important to Greek society and Hector will only retain personal honor if he is able to accept his community responsibilities. Hector is torn between his love of family and his love of state, both ideals to the Greeks as they would later be to the Romans. However, Hector is impulsive and has a moment of action based on personal not communal glory. He rashly kills Patroklos which signifies the fall of Troy in this historical narrative. Hector realizes his lapse in judgment and knows the only way to regain honor is to give himself up for the good of the community. He knows this is in vain, but he knows he is damned for certain if he does not. Thus, he says to Priam and Hekabe “Now, since by my own recklessness I have ruined my people, / I feel shame before the Trojans and the Trojan women with trailing / robes, that someone who is less of a man than I will say of me: / ‘Hector believed in his own strength and ruined his people.’ / Thus they wil
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