What History Doesn't Know

Hector Versus Achilles

"Hector!!"

The sound of a man screaming my friend's name woke me up with a start.

"Hector!!"

I saw a lot of Trojans looking over the walls. "What's going on?" I asked one of the Trojans.

"Achilles is calling out Hector. Probably wants to duel or something. He's by himself. The other Greeks are watching him from their camp. If Hector goes out, all Hades will break loose." the Trojan explained.

I thought to myself, not IF Hector goes out, WHEN Hector goes out. That big oaf can't resist a swordfight no matter how heavy the odds are stacked against him. And this is Achilles we are talking about. The man who gets tickled by my arrows. I have the finest bow and arrows in Troy. My bow can accurately shoot an arrow between a man's nostrils.

If far range attacks can't bring him down, who knows what he'll do to Hector in a one-to-one swordfight. I had to persuade him to stay. Maybe we could think of another plan.

I ran to find Hector. All around me, wounded Trojans lay down on the ground. Some were being prepared for cremation. It was a traumatizing sight. Eventually, I found Hector but he was already exiting the gates.

"Hector, stop!" I shouted over the other Trojans that were blocking the way. I pushed through the crowd. I had to get to Hector. But it was too late. The guards had closed the gates.

I found several of Hector's siblings near the gates including Paris and Cassandra. Paris was trying to console Cassandra who was weeping.

"He's not going to make. I know it. I just know it." Cassandra sobbed.

I kneeled down and held her close. We held each other as the sound of metal hitting metal sounded from outside. Suddenly, a man shouted and the sounds stopped.

There was deathlike silence. My worst fear came true when some of the other Trojans began crying.

The Trojan army leader was dead. Hector was dead. My friend was dead.

A stray tear moved down my cheek. Cassandra wept even louder.

"I will avenge you, my brother." Paris said angrily as he clenched his fists and tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Don't be a fool, Paris. You'll be killed too." I said to him.

"I refuse to listen to you, Menessus, my old friend. Mark my words, Achilles will die here."

Suddenly, there was a commotion. People began shouting something.

I left Cassandra and Paris and went to top of the walls. "What's all this noise about?" I asked a soldier.

He didn't say a word. Instead, he pointed to chariot in front of the walls. It was driven by Achilles. What shocked me was what he was doing.

He was dragging Hector's corpse by his chariot. Hector's corpse became more mutilated due to the friction and the rough surface of the ground.

It was an insult to the Trojan leader and the Trojans too.

Achilles' actions sickened me. What drives a man to be a monster to take actions that include disgracing his enemy even after the enemy's death. It was pathetic.

"My son! No! My son!" King Priam sobbed.

His subjects tried their best to comfort him but to no avail.