By Ukrainian journalist Vitaly Portnikov, translated from NewsMe:
"Hector's Funeral, or Faith in Ukraine Leaves Trump and Putin Powerless
If you ask a reader who has not been very interested in classical literature, but has known ancient myths since childhood, how Homer's Iliad ends, in most cases he will answer that this famous poem ends with the destruction of Troy. Odysseus' trick, "Fear the Danaans who bring gifts," the Trojan horse, the final battle for the city, which is already taking place within its walls...
However, Homer has nothing like that. The reader of the Iliad does not learn from its content what happened to Troy – but can easily guess. Because the Iliad ends with the death and funeral of Hector – the son of the Trojan king Priam and the main defender of the city.
Why did the death of Hector mean for the author of the Iliad that the city was no more? After all, Troy was still holding out, the enemies were able to get inside its walls only thanks to cunning, and not due to their own strength. Theoretically, even after the death of the prince, Troy could have remained intact. But no!
Hector in Homer symbolizes, first of all, love for the Motherland, readiness to defend it and give his life for it. And this love is higher than the will of the gods, who consider themselves the main participants in the Trojan War.
If we carefully read the Iliad, we will not see in its heroes almost any hint of their own will. Paris, whose act became the main reason for the Trojan War, kidnapped the beautiful Helen not because he himself wanted to, but because Aphrodite promised her to him. Achilles, who became the main hero of this war on the side of the Achaeans, did not want to fight at all, but was forced to submit to the will of the gods. Each battle is discussed on Olympus, Zeus consults with other gods about military assistance to Troy or its destruction - as world leaders do today in their offices.
Nobody pays attention to the Trojans, their task is to come to the temples and make sacrifices to the greedy inhabitants of the supreme mountain. And it is good that in those days the gods did not know about minerals and there were no nuclear power plants - you could buy off with livestock. But even in this case there was no certainty that the gods would accept such a sacrifice and would not start to put forward new conditions. The Trojan War is not about people, it is about the gods, their intricate relationships and millennial intrigues.
The only person who does not want to put up with this is Hector. The son of Priam believes in his mission, strives to protect his hometown, is ready to sacrifice himself for it, even against the will of the gods. The gods can deceive him, but they cannot break him, because Hector has a system of values that is beyond their control.
It is almost impossible to explain the value system of his enemies. Some are fighting because Paris violated the law of hospitality by kidnapping another man's wife. Some simply want to be famous on the battlefield. Some are trying to survive in the circumstances. But everyone understands that their fate depends on the whim of Zeus, and not on their own intentions. Everyone - both in Troy and outside its walls. Everyone, except Hector.
That is why his death is the finale. Only those who want to destroy the hated city and return home, and those who simply want to survive, remain. From now on, everything depends only on the will of the gods, who have long since doomed Troy to destruction. Therefore, it does not matter to Homer what kind of destruction this will be. He understands: after the death of Hector, it is inevitable.
This is the main lesson of the Iliad, which we all must learn. After all, since antiquity, humanity has not invented any new plots. All stories are repeated in one variation or another. And now we are in exactly the same plot, only with new technologies, new weapons and a new economy.
But the essence remains the same: a country can survive only if it is defended by people who have an interest in its existence. People who believe in their homeland, not in the will of the strong. People who do not cower before those who consider themselves gods and are able to thwart their plans, even when dealing with much stronger states.
Of course, the vast majority of people always want to survive, and one cannot blame Ukrainians for their instinct for self-preservation. Of course, it is not surprising that the vast majority of Russians want victory for their country and the destruction of the hated "Troy" only because this Troy did not submit to the invaders from day one. And, of course, if the new US president has decided that he is a thunderbolt, one should not be surprised by his confidence that it is he who decides who will win and who will obey.
But Hector's life teaches us that all this is a complete delusion. If there is love for the Motherland, the gods are powerless in their intrigues and intentions. In order for fate or force to win, it is necessary to destroy this feeling, to make people indifferent to their own country, to convince them that the only way to survive is to submit. And then to destroy those who have submitted.
This plot has been repeated thousands of times in history. But those who surrendered could not leave behind a memory of their defeat - there was no one to tell the truth. Because history is written by the one who destroys, not the one who was destroyed.
So there is no need to be afraid. As long as there are those among us who believe in Ukraine, Trump and Putin will remain powerless in their political and business calculations. They will lose shamefully, whatever their intentions.
People without feelings and ideals always lose to those who have them, even if they lead great countries. In small Troy, Hector was the only one who challenged the gods - and that is why he was so feared on Olympus. But for Homer, Hector became a true symbol of invincibility."
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