HECTOR, hee'-ter, eldest son of King Priam and.Hecuba, was the bravest of the Trojans against the besieging Greeks, and was made generalissimo, and slew thirty-one chiefs, among whom was Patroclus. He waited the approach of Achilles near the Scman gate, though his parents and friends entreated him to retire ; but, terrified at the hero's aspect, he fled before him in the plain, was pursued and killed by the Greek hero, who was enraged at Patroclus's death, and his body was dragged, attached to his conqueror's chariot, thrice round Troy's walls, and round the tomb of Patroclus (q. v.); but it was ransomed by Priam, who visited Achilles' tent by night, and a nine days' truce was granted for the funeral. Hector had married Andromfiche (q. v.), by whom he had Astyanax. Hector-7ns is applied by the poets to the Trojans, as expressive of valour.
' HEcu BA, ldc'-gb-a, daughter of a Phrygian prince Dymas, or of King Cisseus of Thrace, was second wife of King Priam of Troy, and noted for her chastity. Before the birth of Paris (q. v.) she had a warning dream. She saw
most of her children, including Hector, the eldest, killed in the Trojan war. On the cap ture of Troy, Hecuba fell to the lot of Ulysses, and on the voyage to Greece her daughter Polyxena (q. v.) was offered in sacrifice, and she saw the body of her son Polydsrus (q. v.) washed on the shores of the Thracian Cherso nesus, whereon she tore out the eyes of his murderer ; but was prevented from killing him by sonic Thracian. She fled with her female companions in captivity, was pursued, and, when running after the stones thrown at her, was changed mto a bitch, and she then flung herself into the sea at the place thence named Clvaum, or the promontory Hierace Situf erupt. Among her numerous children were Hector, Paris, Deiphobus, Pammon, Helenus, Polytes, Antiphon, Hipponous, Polydorus, Troilus, Creusa, Mane, Laodice, Polyxena, Cassandra, &c. Of them Helenus alone survived the fall of Troy.