Hector is in Troy. Hector's farewell to Andromache.
Meanwhile Hector entered through the Scaean Gate into Troy. Women and children immediately surrounded him and began asking about their husbands and fathers. But Hector didn't tell them anything, he only told them to pray to the Olympian gods. Hector hurried to the palace Priam. His mother met Hector at the palace Hecaba, she wanted to bring wine to Hector so that he would strengthen his strength, but Hector refused. He asked his mother to summon the Trojans, so that they would rather take a rich veil to Athena-Pallas, brought great sacrifices to the goddess and prayed her to tame the ferocious Diomed. Hecaba immediately fulfilled her son's request. He quickly went to the halls Paris.
Hector found Paris at the time when he was calmly inspecting his weapons; there was also the one he had stolen Elena, she distributed the work among the maids. Hector began to reproach Paris for sitting idly at home at a time when death threatens all Trojans. Paris replied to Hector that he was preparing for battle, that the beautiful Elena was also forcing him to enter the battlefield. Elena turned with friendly words to Hector and asked him to sit down and take a break from his abusive exploits, while she reproached her husband Paris for his carelessness, for not feeling ashamed. Elena also complained that so many troubles were sent to Troy because of her, but not through her fault, but through the fault of Paris. But Hector refused to rest in Paris' house; he was in a hurry to see his wife and son before he returned to battle again. Hector did not know whether he would be able to see his wife and son again later, whether he would return alive from the battle, or whether the gods promised him to die at the hands of the Greeks.
Hector went to his palace, but did not find there Andromache with his son. The maids told Hector that his wife, having learned that the Greeks were pushing the Trojans, had gone with her son to the city walls and was standing there shedding tears.
Hector hurried out of his palace and hurried to the Scaean Gate. At the very gate he met Andromache, behind her a maidservant was carrying Hector's little son, Astyanax; like the first morning star was a beautiful baby. She took Hector Andromache by the hand and, shedding tears, said:
- Oh, my husband! Your courage will ruin you. You don't feel sorry for me or your son. Soon I'll be a widow, the Greeks will kill you. I'd rather not live without you, Hector. After all, I have no one but you. After all, you are everything to me - father, mother, and husband. Oh, have mercy on me and my son! Do not go into battle, tell the Trojan soldiers to stand at the fig tree, because only there can the walls of Troy be destroyed.
But the helmet-flashing Hector answered his wife like this:
- I'm worried about all this myself. But it would be a great shame for me to stay outside the walls of Troy and not participate in the battle. No, I must fight ahead of everyone for the glory of my father. I know firmly that the day will come when the holy Troy will perish. But it is not this that saddens me, I am saddened by your fate, that some Greek will take you captive, and there in a foreign land you will be a slave to weave for a foreigner and carry her water. They 'll see you crying there and say: "This is the wife of Hector, who surpassed all the Trojan heroes in strength and bravery," and then your sadness will become even stronger. No, it's better to let them kill me before I see you being taken prisoner than to hear you cry.
Having said this, Hector came up to his son and wanted to hug him, but with a cry, little Astyanax clung to the nurse's chest, he was afraid of the horse's mane fluttering on Hector's helmet. Andromache and Hector smiled tenderly at the baby. Hector took off his helmet, put it on the ground, took Astyanax in his arms and kissed him. Hector raised his son high to the sky and so prayed to the thunderer Zeus and all the immortal gods:
- Oh, Zeus, and you, immortal gods! I pray you, send my son to be as famous among the citizens as I am. May he be mighty and may he reign in Troy. Let it be said of him some day, when he returns from battle, that he surpasses his father in courage. Let him crush his enemies and please his mother's heart.
So Hector prayed to the gods. Then he gave Astyanax to his wife. Andromache hugged her son to her chest and smiled at him through tears. Hector was touched, he gently embraced Andromache and said to her:
- Don't be so sad, Andromache. None of the heroes will send me to the kingdom of gloomy Hades against the dictates of fate. No one escapes his fate: neither the brave nor the coward. Go home, beloved, take care of the weaving, yarn, look after the maids. And we, the men, will take care of military affairs, and I will take care of them most of all.
Hector put on his helmet and quickly went to the Skate Gate. Andromache also went home, but she often turned around and watched through tears as Hector was leaving. When she returned home, crying, all the maids cried with her: they did not hope that Hector would return home from the battle unharmed. Paris caught up with Hector at the Skate Gate. He hurried into battle, shining with copper armor.
- My brother, - Hector told him, - I know that no just person can fail to appreciate your exploits, but often you are reluctant to go into battle. I am often tormented when I hear Trojans scolding you. But let's hurry to the troops as soon as possible.