Book VI

After the gods withdraw, the Greeks gain the upper hand, led by Ajax and Diomed.

As the Greek slaughter continues, Adrastus is captured by Menelaus and begs for his life.

Agamemnon rejects Menelaus's pity, kills Adrastus, and Nestor urges the Greeks to focus on killing, not plunder.

Seeing the Trojans near defeat, the seer Helenus advises Hector to return to Troy and arrange a sacrifice to Minerva.

Hector obeys Helenus, inspires his troops to turn the tide of battle, and then departs for the city walls.

With Hector gone, the battle pauses, and Diomed confronts the Trojan warrior Glaucus, demanding to know his lineage.

Glaucus compares human generations to leaves on a tree and begins to tell the story of his ancestor, Bellerophon.

Glaucus continues his tale, describing Bellerophon's victories, his eventual fall from favor, and his own lineage from this great hero.

Discovering their grandfathers were friends, Diomed and Glaucus vow not to fight and exchange armor as a sign of respect.

Hector enters the city, where he is swarmed by anxious women and then greeted by his mother, Queen Hecuba.

Hector refuses wine and instructs his mother to lead the matrons in a sacrifice to Minerva to stop Diomed's rampage.

Queen Hecuba leads the Trojan women to Minerva's temple, where Theano the priestess offers a rich veil and a prayer.

Hector finds Paris polishing his armor instead of fighting and rebukes him for his idleness while Troy suffers for his sake.

Helen laments her fate and wishes she had died at birth, expressing shame for causing such suffering for a worthless husband.

Hector declines to rest, urging Paris to follow him to battle, but first he must say goodbye to his wife and child.

Learning his wife is at the tower, Hector goes to the Scæan gate and meets Andromache and their son, Astyanax.

Andromache begs Hector not to fight, recounting how Achilles killed her father and seven brothers, leaving Hector as her only family.

Andromache begs Hector to stay and defend the weakest part of the wall, acting as a husband and father to protect his family.

Hector acknowledges that Troy will fall but says his greatest grief is the vision of Andromache being led away as a slave.

After their son is frightened by his helmet, Hector removes it and prays to the gods to make Astyanax a great warrior.

Hector returns the child to Andromache, comforts her, and explains that he must go where glory summons him.

Paris, finally armed, joins Hector, who expresses his frustration but hopes Paris's deeds will wipe away his shame.