| Gavin Hamilton's Death of Patroclus |
The Trojans have come directly up to the Greek's ships, threatening them with fire, ensuring that the Greeks will never return home. Achilles still refuses to help fight against the Trojans, heightening the chance of the Greeks demise. Patroclus, Achilles's best friend, decides to step in. He approaches Achilles's tent, offering him two options. Either Achilles returns to battle himself, or Patroclus takes Achilles's armour and fights. Achilles decides to let Patroclus take the armour under the single condition that he return once the Trojans retreated away from the ships. Patroclus agrees and heads off to battle, Achilles sending his personal warriors (Myrmidons) to accompany Patroclus. Achilles then prays to Zeus asking for both the protection of the Greek ships and his dear friend, Patroclus. Homer reveals to the audience that only one of these things Zeus could protect.
Patroclus initiates several things on the battlefield upon arrival. The Trojans are struck with fear, believing that swift-runner Achilles had returned to fight. The Greeks are also deceived into thinking this, only further boosting their dangerously low morale. Patroclus slaughters every Trojan he encounters, fighting more viciously than any other present warrior. He encounters a son of Zeus, Sarpedon, and kills him on the spot. Zeus is enraged by this act, and is ironically affected by mortal's fate; Patroclus has betrayed Zeus.
He continues through the battlefield slaughtering Trojan after Trojan, pushing them back toward the walls of Troy. Despite Achilles request for Patroclus to return to camp at this point, he continues to push. He finally reaches mighty Hector, a match for even Achilles. Hector is favoured by the gods, specifically Apollo and Zeus. Apollo strikes Patroclus from behind, causing him to fumble, and Hector throws the final spear into his abdomen. Among Patroclus's final words, he foretells the soon death of Hector. Patroclus dies, and the rage of Achilles is soon to follow.
Beautiful painting, Luke! Yet another example of how this foundational text of the western experience has inspired and shaped artistic expression.
ReplyDeleteA well-written summary, Luke, which nicely details the events leading up to the highly significant moment of Patroclus's death. Why do you think the death of Patroclus is such a blow to Achilles? What does it say about Achilles that it is the loss of his comrade that draws him back into the action rather than the promise of restored time (honor) offered by the envoy sent to persuade him in book 9?
How might you compare the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, with that of Gilgamesh and Enkidu?