The fatal wound of Hector, according to a drawing by Peter Paul Rubens designed for tapestry weaving

ACCORDING TO THE Iliad (Chapter XXII, Verses 322-329), Hector, while fighti ng his last duel, was almost entirely protected by bronze armor, with only a small area "where the clavicle marks the boundary between neck and thorax " exposed. It was precisely into this area, "the shorter way to death," tha t Achilles thrust his lance. This fatal wound, although covering Hector wit h brood, allowed the victim to pronounce a few words. In designing the Stor y of Achilles, his fourth and last series of drawings especially designed f or tapestry weaving, Rubens depicted Achilles stabbing Hector near the midl ine of his neck. There is evidence that Rubens was always well acquainted w ith the literary sources of his pictures. it is also likely that he became familiar with contemporary editions of the Iliad that were enhanced with co mmentaries. Realizing that the wound depicted in his original drawing shoul d have prevented Hector from speaking, Rubens altered the scene, then showi ng the lance piercing the cervical vascular bundle. The careful scrutiny fo r literary accuracy that was typical of Rubens' artistic behavior did not p revent an additional minor imprecision in the final tapestry. Nevertheless, his outstanding expressive power enabled him to give form to a gigantic ba roque representation of the death of Hector in masterly fashion.