Book 3 Summary

The Trojan plain is the battlefield where the two armies meet, and Paris, the originator of the war, throws out a challenge for any Greek warrior to fight him in man-to-man combat. Menelaos eagerly answers the challenge, happy to have a chance to fight the very man who stole his wife from him. However, Paris suddenly loses his nerve and shrinks back to lose himself among the troops. His brother, Hector is leader of the Trojan army, and is mortified by this cowardice. Hector declares to Paris that he is ashamed of him and wishes he had never been born. He chastises Paris for bringing the Trojans to the point of war over his selfishness in stealing another man's wife - a man he is now afraid to stand up against.

Paris is finally ashamed enough to meet Menelaos in the promised duel...