Andromache’s child is with her on the wall of Ilius.
See evidence text
“for she was on the wall with her child and one of her maids, weeping bitterly”
Character · Individual
son of Hector
Read-only identity and editorial metadata.
Astyanax
Alternative name · Direct
Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.
Andromache’s child is with her on the wall of Ilius.
“for she was on the wall with her child and one of her maids, weeping bitterly”
The housekeeper reports that the child was carried by the nurse to the wall.
“she went to the wall in frenzied haste, and the nurse went with her carrying the child”
The nurse carries Hector’s infant son to the meeting at the Scaean gates.
“When he had gone through the city and had reached the Scaean gates through which he would go out on to the plain, his wife came running towards him, Andromache, daughter of great Eetion who ruled in Thebe under the wooded slopes of Mt. Placus, and was king of the Cilicians. His daughter had married Hector, and now came to meet him with a nurse who carried his little child in her bosom—a mere babe. Hector’s darling son, and lovely as a star. Hector had named him Scamandrius, but the people called him Astyanax, for his father stood alone as chief guardian of Ilius. Hector smiled as he looked upon the boy, but he did not speak, and Andromache stood by him weeping and taking his hand in her own”
Hector’s infant is carried at the nurse’s bosom, is lovely as a star, and is called Scamandrius by Hector and Astyanax by the people.
“his little child in her bosom—a mere babe. Hector’s darling son, and lovely as a star. Hector had named him Scamandrius, but the people called him Astyanax, for his father stood alone as chief guardian of Ilius”
The infant cries and nestles in his nurse’s bosom, frightened by Hector’s armour and fiercely nodding horse-hair plume.
“the boy cried and nestled in his nurse’s bosom, scared at the sight of his father’s armour, and at the horse-hair plume that nodded fiercely from his helmet”
Hector returns the child to Andromache’s arms and soft bosom.
“laid the child again in the arms of his wife, who took him to her own soft bosom”
Andromache calls Astyanax their infant and foresees that, even if he escapes the war, his life will be one of labour and sorrow and others will seize his lands.
“The child, of whom you and I are the unhappy parents, is as yet a mere infant. Now that you are gone, O Hector, you can do nothing for him nor he for you. Even though he escape the horrors of this woeful war with the Achaeans, yet shall his life henceforth be one of labour and sorrow, for others will seize his lands”
Andromache fears her young child may not reach manhood and may be forced into unseemly labor for a cruel master or hurled from the walls.
“he of whom we are the ill-starred parents is still a mere child, and I fear he may not reach manhood. Ere he can do so our city will be razed and overthrown, for you who watched over it are no more—you who were its saviour, the guardian of our wives and children. Our women will be carried away captives to the ships, and I among them; while you, my child, who will be with me will be put to some unseemly tasks, working for a cruel master. Or, may be, some Achaean will hurl you”
Evidence records not already represented by a claim.
“Hector had named him Scamandrius, but the people called him Astyanax”
“he, Astyanax, who erewhile would sit upon his father’s knees”