Then, with his last breath, the noble Hector of the bright helm addressed his pitiless foe:  “Achilles!  I pray thee, by thy soul, and by thy parents’ heads, let not Achaian dogs devour me by the ships! but accept great store of gold and bronze from my father and my queenly mother, and restore my body to them, that the Trojans may deck my funeral pyre with all due honor!”

And Achilles, with a grim scowl, replied, “Clasp not my knees, vile dog! nor speak to me of parents!  Such evil hast thou done me, that I could devour thee raw!  Not for thy weight in gold would I give thee to thy queenly mother, to mourn over thee; but dogs and birds shall batten on thy flesh!”

Then the dying Hector uttered his last words:  “Thou iron-hearted man! now I know thee; nor did I think to prevail upon thee.  But beware of the wrath of the Gods, when Paris and the Far-Darter slay thee, at the Scaean Gate, brave though thou art!”

He spake; and Death overshadowed him; and his soul went down to Hades, wailing to leave beauty, youth, and vigor.

And Achilles spake again to the dead Hector:  “Lie thou there!  And as for me, I will die when it seemeth good to the deathless Gods!”

And the Achaians ran up, and looked with wonder at the noble stature and beauty of the Trojan hero.  And they all inflicted wounds upon him, as he lay, saying, “He is easier to deal with now than when he was burning our ships with flames of fire.”

And when the son of Peleus had stripped him of his armor, he stood up, and spake to the Achaians:—­

“Great chiefs and counselors of the Argives! at last the Gods have granted us to slay this man, whose single arm hath wrought more evil to us than all the rest together.  Let us now approach the city, and learn the purpose of the Trojans; whether they will now surrender the citadel or go on fighting, though great Hector is no more.  But why do I thus ponder in my mind?  Patroclus is lying unburied and unwept by the ships.  Never can I forget him, while I live; and even in the House of Hades, I will remember my dearest friend.  Come, then! let us raise the chant of victory, and bear our deadliest foe to the black ships!”

Then he foully outraged the dead body of glorious Hector; slitting the sinews of both feet, from heel to ankle, he passed ox-hide straps through them, and fastened them to his chariot, leaving the goodly head to trail upon the ground.  Then he laid the armor on the chariot; and mounting it, lashed his willing horses to full speed.  And in the dust lay the once beautiful head, with its flowing hair; for Zeus had now given Hector up to his enemies, to be foully used in his own native land.