Does Hector's Death Devalue His Heroism?

Hector's death at the hands of Achilles is a peculiar episode. He is figured throughout the Iliad as an immensely courageous, powerful, and heroic man, yet he "[loses] his nerve, / [Panics], and [runs]" away when he is approached by the son of Peleus outside Troy's walls (23.155-156). It is easy to interpret this loss of nerve as an act of cowardice - a display of weakness and fear that devalues Hector's heretofore characterized heroism. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that Hector decides to stand and fight only when he is tricked by Athena into believing that Deiphobus has arrived to assist him. His final stand, it might be argued, is therefore not internally motivated and as a result does not reflect the steadfast courage we expect of a truly heroic character. 

I would like to argue, however, that this way of understanding Hector's death fails for two reasons. First, I believe that Hector's loss of nerve is meant to reflect how terrifying Achilles has become at this point in the poem, rather than a weakness in Hector's character. Keep in mind that by Book 23 Achilles has become a personification of war: he has slaughtered half of the Trojan army single-handedly, forced a large scale retreat, and is said to look like "the helmeted God of War himself" (23.151). He is also compared to a celestial entities (such as the star Sirius) several times, and is described as "fury incarnate" (23.342-343). Thus, Hector is, in a very strong sense, not facing down a man when he decides to flee, but rather a veritable cosmic force of death and destruction - a reflection of the totality of horrors in war. It would be highly unfair, therefore, to hold that his loss of nerve somehow calls into question his heroic bravery and tenacity. Nobody could be expected to remain composed in the face of such a terrifying opponent. 

Secondly, it is not entirely accurate to claim that Hector's last stand is not internally motivated. While it is true that his decision to stop running is a result of Athena's intervention, he realizes before his death that Deiphobus isn't present and that he has been tricked by the goddess. Rather than losing his nerve again at this realization, however, Hector exclaims that "I will not perish without doing some great deed / That future generations will remember" before drawing his sword and charging full-force at Achilles (23.332-333). This final charge reinforces Hector's courage and tenacious fighting spirit, and thus invalidates the notion that the episode of his death serves to devalue his heroic character.