Character · Individual

Hecuba

Published entity metadata

Read-only identity and editorial metadata.

Canonical name: Hecuba
Disambiguator: None
Kind: Character
Scope: Individual
Editorial note: No editorial note published.

Aliases

No aliases recorded.

Location presence

Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.

palace of Priam4 observations

·Direct

Hecuba comes up to Hector at Priam’s palace.

See evidence text

“When Hector got there, his fond mother came up to him with Laodice the fairest of her daughters”

·Direct

Hecuba goes into Priam’s house.

See evidence text

“His mother went into the house and called her waitingwomen”

·Direct

Hecuba spoke of remaining here in their own house.

See evidence text

“His wife cried aloud as she heard him, and said, ‘Alas, what has become of that judgement for which you have been ever famous both among strangers and your own people? How can you venture alone to the ships of the Achaeans, and look into the face of him who has slain so many of your brave sons? You must have iron courage, for if the cruel savage sees you and lays hold on you, he will know neither respect nor pity. Let us then weep Hector from afar here in our own house”

·Direct

Hecuba came to the travelers at the palace and stood before the horses.

See evidence text

“Then Hecuba came to them all sorrowful, with a golden goblet of wine in her right hand, that they might make a drink-offering before they set out. She stood in front of the horses”

temple of Minerva1 observation

·Direct

Hecuba, the explicitly established leader of the arriving matrons, reaches the temple of Minerva with them.

See evidence text

“When they reached the temple of Minerva, lovely Theano, daughter of Cisseus and wife of Antenor, opened the doors”

Troy2 observations

·Direct

Hecuba was inside Troy when she begged Hector to come within the wall and protect them.

See evidence text

“His mother hard by wept and moaned aloud as she bared her bosom and pointed to the breast which had suckled him. ‘Hector,’ she cried, weeping bitterly the while, ‘Hector, my son, spurn not this breast, but have pity upon me too: if I have ever given you comfort from my own bosom, think on it now, dear son, and come within the wall to protect us from this man; stand not without to meet him”

·Direct

Hecuba raised her lament among the Trojans in Troy.

See evidence text

“Thus did he speak with many tears, and all the people of the city joined in his lament. Hecuba then raised the cry of wailing among the Trojans”

Claims

·Direct

Hecuba fondly takes Hector’s hand, questions his return, and offers wine for libation and refreshment.

See evidence text

“his fond mother came up to him with Laodice the fairest of her daughters. She took his hand within her own and said, ‘My son, why have you left the battle to come hither? Are the Achaeans, woe betide them, pressing you hard about the city that you have thought fit to come and uplift your hands to Jove from the citadel? Wait till I can bring you wine that you may make offering to Jove and to the other immortals, and may then drink and be refreshed”

·Direct

Hecuba selects the largest, richest embroidered robe from the chest and carries it with the matrons.

See evidence text

“Hecuba took out the largest robe, and the one that was most beautifully enriched with embroidery, as an offering to Minerva: it glittered like a star, and lay at the very bottom of the chest. With this she went on her way and many matrons with her”

·Direct

Hecuba weeps, bares her bosom, points to the breast that nursed Hector, and invokes her maternal care in pleading with him.

See evidence text

“His mother hard by wept and moaned aloud as she bared her bosom and pointed to the breast which had suckled him. ‘Hector,’ she cried, weeping bitterly the while, ‘Hector, my son, spurn not this breast, but have pity upon me too: if I have ever given you comfort from my own bosom, think on it now, dear son”

·Direct

Hecuba tears her hair, throws off her veil, and cries aloud at the sight of Hector.

See evidence text

“His mother tore her hair, and flung her veil from her with a loud cry as she looked upon her son”

·Direct

Hecuba leads the Trojan wailing and laments Hector as Troy’s former tower of strength, pride, and godlike champion.

See evidence text

“Hecuba then raised the cry of wailing among the Trojans. ‘Alas, my son,’ she cried, ‘what have I left to live for now that you are no more? Night and day did I glory in you throughout the city, for you were a tower of strength to all in Troy, and both men and women alike hailed you as a god. So long as you lived you were their pride, but now death and destruction have fallen upon you”

·Direct

Hecuba calls Achilles a cruel savage and voices a violent desire to avenge Hector.

See evidence text

“You must have iron courage, for if the cruel savage sees you and lays hold on you, he will know neither respect nor pity. Let us then weep Hector from afar here in our own house, for when I gave him birth the threads of overruling fate were spun for him that dogs should eat his flesh far from his parents, in the house of that terrible man on whose liver I would fain fasten and devour it.”

·Direct

Hecuba approaches sorrowfully carrying a golden wine goblet for a departure offering.

See evidence text

“Hecuba came to them all sorrowful, with a golden goblet of wine in her right hand, that they might make a drink-offering before they set out.”

·Direct

Hecuba rushes to the waggon and lays hands on Hector’s head.

See evidence text

“Hector’s wife and his mother were the first to mourn him: they flew towards the waggon and laid their hands upon his head”

·Direct

Hecuba takes up the lament for Hector.

See evidence text

“Hecuba in her turn took up the strains of woe.”

Additional evidence

Evidence records not already represented by a claim.

·Direct

“Hecuba took out the largest robe”

·Direct

“His mother hard by wept and moaned aloud as she bared her bosom”

·Remembered

“my father and mother went down on their knees and implored me”

·Direct

“he called Hecuba his wife”