The sixth book of the Iliad is the song of Glaucus and Diomedes, two enemies ready to take up arms but also lay them down for the sake of the ancient bond of hospitality. It is the song of Hector and Andromache, entwined in earnest conjugal sentiment. And it is also the song of first times. In fact, for the first time in Western tradition, the fragility of human life is compared to falling leaves. For the first time, melancholy engulfs the soul of a man: Hector, the greatest of Trojan warriors. For the first time, romantic love breaks through and overcomes the strict code of heroes. For the first time the hero – Hector – embraces his son Astyanax, knowing that he is perhaps going to die. And it is again in this song that Andromache utters the first and most beautiful declaration of love: “You to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband”. This book explores a host of values, feats, words and passions that can still arouse contemporary readers’ admiration and awe.

Silvia Romani teaches Mythology and Religions of the Classic World at the University of Milan.