{"id":4215,"date":"2026-04-04T12:12:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T09:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4215"},"modified":"2026-04-04T12:12:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T09:12:58","slug":"duel-of-hector-and-achilles-commentary-part-2konstantinos-konstantinidis-amphiktyon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4215","title":{"rendered":"DUEL OF HECTOR AND ACHILLES \u2013 COMMENTARY (Part 2)Konstantinos Konstantinidis \u2013 Amphiktyon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1\/<\/strong><br>How much humaneness both sides possessed in those times\u2014Greeks and Trojans alike (of the same stock)\u2014in contrast to the brutality and cunning of today\u2019s supposedly advanced and civilized humanity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Old Priam had the courage to go to Achilles\u2019 camp to ask for the body of his son. Instead of being killed, as might often occur in modern times where opponents frequently behave inhumanly, Achilles not only respected him but also offered him a meal and consoled him for the loss of Hector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This scene ranks among the most profoundly humane in ancient literature: the enemy is not regarded merely as an adversary, but as a father, as a human being. This spirit of humanism permeates the Iliad, even amidst the savagery of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2\/<\/strong><br>Thersites was the son of Agrius, king of Calydon. Agrius was driven out of Pleuron (in the region of modern Messolonghi) by Diomedes and, according to tradition, later founded Agrinion. This belongs to a period during which the early city-states were taking shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3\/<\/strong><br>Thersites, a cousin of Meleager, is described as exceedingly repulsive: cross-eyed, lame, hunchbacked, long-headed, and thin-haired. Beyond his appearance, he was characterized by cowardice, loquacity, and a demagogic temperament.&nbsp;Tradition attributes to him a host of negative traits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4\/<\/strong><br>At an assembly of the army, Odysseus struck him with his scepter because he spoke incessantly and irreverently while the leaders held the floor. He even had the audacity to insult Agamemnon. Yet, owing to his well-known disposition, his behavior was often tolerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5\/<\/strong><br>The end of Thersites was foretold. After a battle, as the Greeks were returning to camp, they beheld Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons, half-dead, struck by Achilles\u2019 spear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Achilles, upon seeing her, was overcome with admiration and emotion for her divine beauty. According to tradition, in that final moment, a strange and idealized love was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thersites, mocking Achilles for his pity and admiration, even attempted to desecrate her body.&nbsp;Achilles then slew him instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6\/<\/strong><br>The view that the Olympic Games began in 774 BC is, according to certain traditions, incomplete.&nbsp;Their origins reach back into the heroic age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7\/<\/strong><br>Hyginus mentions fifteen games. The first four are not preserved; the enumeration begins with the fifth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fifth: of Danaus (c. 35,000 BC), on the occasion of his daughters\u2019 weddings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sixth: of Lynceus at Argos, in honor of Argive Hera<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seventh: of Perseus (c. 34,000\u201328,000 BC), funeral games for Polydeuces<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eighth: of Heracles, in honor of Pelops<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ninth: the Nemean Games, funeral for Archemorus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tenth: the Isthmian Games, attributed to Eratocles or Theseus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eleventh: of the Argonauts, funeral for Cyzicus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Twelfth: of Acastus, funeral for Pelias<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thirteenth: of Priam, in honor of Paris<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fourteenth: of Achilles, funeral for Patroclus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fifteenth: of Aeneas, in honor of his father Anchises<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(From the book&nbsp;<em>\u201cFor an Olive Branch\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;by Konstantinos Konstantinidis)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pythian Games are not mentioned, possibly because they are considered either earlier or later than Hyginus. Therefore, according to the historic sources , those who claim that the Olympic Games began in 774 BC are mistaken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The founder of Olympia and the Olympic Games is considered to be the younger Heracles.&nbsp;(3\/4\/26)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Amphiktyon A \u2013 Retired Major General Konstantinos Konstantinidis<\/em><br>Writer, Member of the Society of Greek Writers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com\/\">http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.org\/\">http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1\/How much humaneness both sides possessed in those times\u2014Greeks and Trojans alike (of the same stock)\u2014in contrast to the brutality and cunning of today\u2019s supposedly advanced and civilized humanity! Old Priam had the courage to go to Achilles\u2019 camp to ask for the body of his son. Instead of being killed, as might often occur &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4215\" class=\"more-link\">\u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c7\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b1\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03bd\u03c9\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;DUEL OF HECTOR AND ACHILLES \u2013 COMMENTARY (Part 2)Konstantinos Konstantinidis \u2013 Amphiktyon&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4215"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4216,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4215\/revisions\/4216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}