In Homer’s Iliad, Hector kills the Greek warrior Patroclus in battle. Patroclus enters the fighting wearing Achilles’ armor, hoping to drive the Trojans away from the Greek ships. He succeeds temporarily, but Apollo strikes him and disorients him, allowing Euphorbus to wound him before Hector delivers the fatal blow.
Patroclus’ death is the turning point of the Iliad. Achilles, who had withdrawn from the fighting after quarrelling with Agamemnon, returns to battle after learning what happened. He kills Hector outside Troy and later drags Hector’s body behind his chariot.
Hector is Troy’s chief defender and the eldest son of King Priam. The poem presents him as both a formidable warrior and a family man, especially in the famous farewell scenes with Andromache and their son Astyanax. A common mix-up is saying Hector killed Achilles; in the Iliad, Achilles kills Hector, while later traditions say Paris causes Achilles’ death.