'And Hekabe, Hector's mother, went to the bed and cried "Of all my
children thou, Hector, wert the dearest. Thou wert slain because it was
not thy way to play the coward; ever wert thou championing the men and
women of Troy without thought of taking shelter or flight. And for that
thou wert slain, my son."'

'And I, Helen, went to the bed too, to lament for noble Hector. "Of all
the friends I had in Troy, thou wert the dearest, Hector," I cried.
"Never did I hear one harsh word from thee to me who brought wars and
troubles to thy City. In every way thou wert as a brother to me.
Therefore I bewail thee with pain at my heart, for in all Troy there is
no one now who is friendly to me."'

'Then did the King and the folk of the City prepare for Hector's
funeral. On the tenth day, weeping most bitter tears they bore brave
Hector away. And they made a grave for him, and over the grave they put
close-set stones, and over it all they raised a great barrow. On the
eleventh day they feasted at King Priam's house, and on the twelfth day
the battle began anew.'




XXII


For many days Telemachus and his comrade Peisistratus stayed in the
house of King Menelaus. On the evening before he departed Menelaus spoke
to him of the famous deeds of his father, Odysseus. 'Now Achilles was