Priam is in the tent of Achilles. The burial of Hector.
The gods saw from the bright Olympus how Achilles disgraced the body of Hector. God was indignant at him for this Apollo. The gods wanted Hermes to steal Hector's corpse, but the goddess Hera resisted this and Athena is Pallas, as well as god Poseidon. For eleven days Hector's corpse had been lying, uncovered, by Achilles' tent. Apollo reproached the gods for allowing Achilles. to forget compassion and conscience, to disgrace Hector's body. A quarrel broke out between Apollo and the Hero. Zeus-the thunderer stopped this quarrel. He sent for the goddess Thetis messenger of the gods Iridus. Decided to send the goddess Thetis son Krona to Achilles, so that she would convey to him the command of Zeus to give Hector's body to his father for a rich ransom Priam. Among the Trojans, Zeus loved the great Hector the most.
Quick as a thought, Iris rushed to Thetis and in the blink of an eye appeared before her. Thetis, surrounded by sea goddesses, sat shedding tears for her son. Hearing the will of Zeus from the lips of Iris, Thetis put on the black robes of sorrow and ascended to the high Olympus. The gods greeted Thetis with honor. Athena arranged a place for her next to Zeus, and Hera herself brought her a golden bowl with fragrant nectar. Zeus told her his will. The goddess Thetis immediately descended to earth in the tent of her son. She sat down beside the sad Achilles and, gently caressing him with her hand, told him that Zeus and all the gods were angry with him for Hector and ordered him to give his corpse to Priam. The mighty Achilles submitted to the will of the gods. Meanwhile, Zeus the Thunderer sent the messenger of the gods, Iris, to Priam. When Iris was brought on her rainbow wings to the palace of Priam, the unfortunate elder lay prostrate on the ground, shedding tears for his lost son. All his sons were sitting around the elder, sobbing loudly. Iris approached the elder and, in the name of Zeus, commanded him to go to the camp of the Greeks to Achilles with a rich ransom. Iris promised that she would take Priam to the camp of the god Hermes. Hearing the words of the goddess, Priam immediately got up and went to the palace, ordering his sons to prepare a carriage for gifts and a chariot. Entering the palace, Priam called his elderly wife Hekabu and told her that he wanted to go to the camp of the Greeks. Hekaba was frightened, she begged her husband not to go to certain death, but Priam calmed her down, telling her that he was going to Achilles, obeying the will of the Olympian gods. Priam chose rich gifts and began to prepare for the journey. He also reproached his sons for their procrastination. Priam's sons were afraid of their father's anger and quickly harnessed mules to the cart, put a large gift box on it and harnessed horses to the chariot. Priam mounted the chariot and drove the horses. In front of the chariot, mules drove a cart with gifts, and the messenger drove the mules Ideas. All those who saw Priam off wept bitterly, as if he was going to certain death. When Priam rode out into the field, Zeus the Thunderer sent his son, the god Hermes, to meet him. Hermes tied up his winged sandals, took in his hands the rod with which he closes the eyes of mortals, and rushed to Troy. He appeared under the guise of a beautiful young man to Priam when he was watering horses and mules in the river. Priam was afraid - he thought that the young man would kill him and steal the gifts. But Hermes, calling himself Achilles' servant, offered to escort him to the camp. The elder was delighted, he offered the young man a precious cup as a gift, but Hermes refused the gift. He entered Priam's chariot and quickly drove the horses. There were guards at the gates of the Greek camp, but Hermes plunged her into a deep sleep. God pulled back the bolts of the gate, opened them and secretly led Priam through the camp. Hermes also opened the gates to the camp of the Myrmidonians. When Priam rode up to Achilles' tent, Hermes revealed to Priam who he was and told him to go boldly into the tent. Priam left the idea to guard the gifts, and he went to the tent. Achilles had just finished his meal. Unnoticed by anyone, Priam entered and, falling on his knees before Achilles, began to pray to him with these words:- O great Achilles! Remember your father, an old man like me! Maybe his city was besieged by neighbors, and there was no one to save him from trouble. I, the unfortunate one, have lost almost all my sons. You also killed the greatest of my sons, Hector. For his sake I have come to your ships. Have pity on my grief! Accept a rich ransom. You see how unhappy I am. I am experiencing something that no mortal has ever experienced. I am forced to kiss the hands of the murderer of my children.
With his own words, Priam evoked Achilles' memories of his father, Achilles wept bitterly, remembering his father. Priam, prostrated on the ground, wept for his son. Finally, Achilles stood up; he lifted Priam up and said to him:
- Oh, unfortunate! You've seen a lot of grief in your life! But how did you dare to come here alone to the one who killed many of your sons? Oh, there's a heart as hard as iron in your chest. But calm down, stop your crying and sit here. The gods judged people to endure grief in life, only they themselves, the immortals, do not know sorrows. Don't shed any more tears, because crying won't resurrect the deceased Hector. Get up, sit here!
"No, I will not sit down, Achilles," Priam replied, "before you return Hector to me. Accept the gifts and let me look at my son's body.Achilles looked angrily at Priam and said:
- Be afraid to anger me, elder! I know myself. That I have to return Hector's body to you. This is the will of Zeus, it was announced to me by my mother, the goddess Thetis. I know that God has brought you here too, otherwise you would not have dared to come to the camp of the Greeks. Shut up! I am afraid that in anger I will break the covenant of Zeus - to spare the beggar.
Having said this, Achilles came out. He called his friends, ordered Priam's horses and mules to be unharnessed and brought into the tent of the Idea. Then Achilles' slaves washed Hector's body and dressed him in precious clothes. Achilles himself lifted the body and laid it on an ornate bed, and his friends put the bed on the cart. The great son prayed Pelea soul Patroclus not to be angry because he returned Hector's body to his father. He promised to dedicate to Patroclus a part of the gifts brought by Priam. Having done all this, Achilles returned to the tent and told the elder that Hector's body had already been given to him. Achilles prepared a rich dinner and invited Priam to refresh himself with food and drink. During dinner, Priam looked with surprise at the beautiful, majestic, like a god, Achilles, and Achilles marveled at the venerable appearance of the gray-haired elder and listened to his wise speeches.
When dinner was over, Priam asked Achilles to let him refresh himself with sleep, since he had not slept since Hector died. Achilles ordered Priam and the Idea to prepare two luxurious couches in front of the tent. When Priam was preparing to go to bed, Achilles asked him how many days he needed for the burial of his son, and promised not to start a battle during these days. Priam asked for ten days for burial. Achilles promised him that he himself would not join the battle these days and would keep the Greeks from fighting. Achilles shook Priam's hand affectionately, wishing to calm the elder with this squeeze, and parted with him.All the warriors fell asleep, the gods also slept on the bright Olympus, only the god Hermes did not sleep. He came to Priam's bed and, waking him up, ordered him to leave the Greek camp as soon as possible, because he was afraid that someone would see Priam and be tempted by the opportunity to get a rich ransom for him. Priam was frightened, got up from his bed and woke up the Idea. Hermes harnessed the horses and mules and led them secretly out of the camp. Only at the shores of Scamander did the god Priam leave.
painting by Jacques-Louis David
At dawn Priam drove up to Troy. I was the first to see him Cassandra and raised a loud cry for Hector, summoning Trojans and Trojans. A huge crowd gathered at the gates of Troy. Hecaba and Andromache stood in front of everyone; they sobbed loudly and tore their hair. All the Trojans were sobbing and trying to get closer to the cart on which the murdered Hector lay. But at Priam's word, the crowd parted and let him pass to Troy.
Sobbed loudly Andromache - she mourned her husband, her only protector. Now she knew that Troy would fall and the Greeks would take all the Trojans into heavy captivity. The Greeks will also kill her son, Astyanax, taking revenge on Hector for the death of many heroes. Andromache complained that Hector died far away from her, without telling her the cherished word that she would always remember. Hekaba also sobbed, shedding torrents of tears for her beloved son.
Elena cried for Hector. She had never heard reproach from him, had never seen resentment. Hector, a gentle soul, always stood up for her, and thanks to his intercession, others did not offend her either. Now her only friend and comforter was dead in Troy, where everyone hated her equally.
Priam ordered to prepare a funeral pyre. The Trojans carried firewood from Ida for nine days. On the tenth day they laid Hector's body on the pyre and burned it. Grave graves were collected in a golden urn, placed in the grave, the grave was covered with stone slabs, and a burial mound was poured on top. While the Trojans were filling up the mound, the guards were watching so that the Greeks would not attack unexpectedly. After the funeral, Priam arranged a luxurious funeral feast in his palace. So the Trojans buried the great Hector.