Hector's Helmet

Paternal duties appear to be an invention of civilization, an entity so fragile that it must continually reassert itself. Society currently offers a “horizontal” vision of the sons which has replaced the “vertical” concept emphasizing genealogy, where the father raises his son above him. The author analyzes the mythical heroes Hector, Aeneas, and Achilles according to the paternal attributes they display: strength, the authority and aggressiveness to use it to conquer, and weakness.