In Book 22 of the Iliad, Achilles has returned to the battle after the death of Patroclus. He is the greatest warrior of the Greeks and enraged by the death of his lover. He first challenges Aeneas to battle.
Achilles has two advantages in battle. The first is his shield, forged by the god Hephaestus, which is unbreakable. The second is that as a baby he was dipped in the river Styx by his mother Thetis, making him invulnerable, except to injury in the heel where his mother held him. After a long exchange of boasts, Achilles and Aeneas fight, and Achilles nearly kills Aeneas. Poseidon intervenes at the last minute, conjuring up a dense fog, and saving Aeneas.
Hector is a brave and noble warrior who knows that if he fights Achilles he will die. However, as the leader of the Trojan army, his sense of honor makes him step forward to engage in combat with Achilles. Apollo tries to dissuade him from rashly engaging in single combat in which he is guaranteed to lose, saying:
"Don't for a moment duel Achilles, Hector,
out in front of your ranks!
Withdraw to your main lines and wait him there,
out of the crash of battle. Else he'll spear you down
or close for the kill and hack you with his sword."
Hector initially takes Apollo's advice, but when Apollo kills Hector's brother Polydorus, Hector charges forward to attack Achilles.
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