He weeps and beats the ground with his fists and covers his face with dirt. What happens in the sixteenth book of homers iliad. Patroclus begs achilles to send him back to the war to help the achaeans. The death of patroclus is one of the most powerful scenes in homers iliad. When telemachus reaches eumaeuss hut, he finds the swineherd talking with a stranger odysseus in disguise. Patroclus is fought by apollo and a soldierhe is finally killed by hector. This is a crucial book and a turning point because in it zeus sits idly by knowing his son sarpedon will be killed, and achilles friend patroclus is also killed. Patroclus has just killed cebriones, the driver of hectors chariot.
The fate of patroclus in the iliad of homer schoolworkhelper. Zeus knows that the death of patroclus will force achilles to fight for. Priam wept freely for man killing hector, throbbing, crouching before achilles feet as achilles wept himself, now for his father, now for patroclus once again and their sobbing rose and fell throughout the house. Read powerpoints on achilles in books 118 and the homeric gods. Great alexander loved hephaestion, the conquering hercules for hylas wept. Hector is bold, telling patroclus as he kills him that here the vultures shall eat you. Patroclus explains to achilles the carnage that surrounds him and begs his comrade to rejoin the fight. Although he knows his death is imminent, achilles is determined to kill as many trojans as possible, including hector whom he blames for patroclus death.
Both tales involve the loss of someone near and dear to the hero patroclus and odysseus companions. Hector throws his spear, futilely, and asks deiphobus for another. Zeus considers saving sarpedon from patroclus, but hera scolds him, telling zeus not to interfere in sarpedons mortal destiny. Read book 16 death of patroclus of the iliad by homer. Patroclus in pursuance of the request of nestor in the eleventh book entreats achilles to suffer him to go to the assistance of the greeks with achilles troops and armour. He and euphorbus trade insults, and menelaus reminds him that he killed euphorbus brother hyperenor.
Seeing patroclus about to kill sarpedon, his mortal son, zeus says. Zeus knows that the death of patroclus will force achilles to fight for the greeks achaeansdanaansargives. Themes in the book 15 of homers the iliad 725 words. Achilles and patroclus met again in the lower world, 20 or, according to others, they continued after their death to live together in the island of leuce. The iliad, a major founding work of european literature, is usually dated to around the 8th century bc, and attributed to homer. Furthermore, in odyssey xi 465470, when the ghost of achilles draws near to odysseus, 1112 it is accompanied by the shades both of patroclus and of antilochus. Euphorbus strikes at him and misses only to be killed by menelaus. Patroclus faces sarpedon, a trojan ally and a son of zeus, and eventually kills him. Here is alexander popes 16881744 translation from book xvi. Murray 1 and the son of atreus, menelaus, dear to ares, failed not to mark that patroclus had been slain in battle by the trojans, but fared amid the foremost fighters, harnessed in flaming bronze, and bestrode the dead, as over a calf standeth lowing plaintively its mother, that hath brought forth her firstborn, ere then knowing naught of motherhood.
Character profile for patroclus from the iliad page 1. Meanwhile, back in ithaka, penelopes suitors plot to ambush and kill telemachos when he returns home. At the end of book 16, hector kills patroclus, fulfilling zeus prophecy. So they fought to the death around that benched beaked ship as patroclus reached achilles, his great commander, and wept warm tears like a dark. The odyssey book 6 and the iliad book 16 were it not for.
Even though patroklos is an important character in the iliad, homer gives little attention to him until the ninth book, and even then, the focus is not on patroklos himself, but on his relationship to achilles. Menelaus intends to strip him of his armor but apollo inspires hector in the shape of a trojan to stop. He knows the chosen one and hes a boy just like himselfexcept hes golden and perfect, hes the star quidditch player and hes the most powerful and gifted wizard in history. Menelaus observes the death of patroclus and runs to guard his body like a mother cow lowing over a calf. Homer, iliad book 17 theoi classical texts library. Patrocl us killed many trojans and trojan allies, including a son of zeus, sarpedon. Books 1516 cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. With his last breath, patroclus predicts to hector that achilles will kill him. The first instance of this doubt occurs in book xvi. How can odysseus get away with speaking to agamemnon as he does. Achilles is vengeful when hearing about the death of patroclus and swears revenge on hector.
Book 17, line 5 the trojan euphorbus comes to take the body but king menelaus will not yield. At that moment hector realizes his fate when he no longer sees deiphobus 350. There is no dramatic character development, but one does see patroklos as a character perpetrates dramatic events and provides a. In fact, one rarely sees patroklos as an individual. Achilles and patroclus are so emotionally close that patroclus. Achilles learns of the death of patroclus and receives a new suit of armor book 19.
During book 16 of the iliad the achaeans are pushed dangerously close to the coast by the trojan army. Antilochus, whom you, achilles, honored above all your. Meanwhile, patroclus goes to achilles tent and begs to be allowed to wear achilles armor if achilles still refuses to rejoin the battle himself. The iliad book 16 death of patroclus american literature. This is when patroclus and hector are fighting over the corpse of cebriones. Patroklos glory of the father, was the son of menoetius, grandson of actor, king of opus, and was achilles beloved cousin. Do you think the simile homer uses for nestors state of mind is a good one. And overpowered by memory both men gave way to grief. Hector steals achilles armour from patroclus dead body and fighting develops around the corpse. Or do you weep for the argives, dying by the hollow ships, because of their. He utters a terrible, wrenching cry so profound that thetis hears him and comes with her waternymph sisters from the ocean to learn what troubles. This lesson will summarize the events surrounding the heros end, and explain its significance for the epic as a whole. Sent tumbling, patroclus is speared by the young trojan euphorbus.
Achilles best warrior and most heroic of the greeks, although he is sitting out the war. And the brilliant runner achilles saw him coming, filled with pity and spoke out winging words. Hector taunts the fallen man, but with his dying words patroclus foretells hectors own death. With patroclus in the lead, the achaeans slaughter the trojans in the trench. Patroclus death in book 16 of the iliad vations in pursuit of his. The notorious example of the latter use is the hetairoi of odysseus who in the. The roman tully loved octavius, grave socrates, wild alcibiades. After agamemnon stole his war prize, briseis, achilles sat out the war until his beloved comrade patroclus was killed.
Murray 1 thus then they were warring around the wellbenched ship, but patroclus drew nigh to achilles, shepherd of the host, shedding hot tears, even as a fountain of dark water that down over the face of a beetling cliff poureth its dusky stream. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. The iliad tells us that after trojan warrior hektor killed patroklos, achilleus swore revengekilling hektor, and thereby sealing his own doom. Telemachos arrives to find eumaios chatting with a beggar.
In the iliad, patroclus is a close friend and confidant of achilles, who leads the greeks in war against the trojans. Summary and analysis of book 16 of homers iliad, with a focus on patroclus pride, lust for glory, and death. Patroclus loyal friend and companion of achilles in the trojan war. Well let me dienot without gloryin some great clash of arms that even men to come will hear of down the years. He tells patroclus that achilles cannot save him now. Wyatt 1982, 260 suggests that ate is achilles throughout, because patroclus acts as an agent or surrogate of achilles ate. Menelaus sees the death of patroclus, and he goes to defend the body. But telemachus is afraid of what the suitors might do to them. To learn more about this, check out our guide to the iliad. Hector, his attention focused on the fleeing horses of achilles, is made to look at the scene by apollo.
And odyssey xxiv 7879 explicitly draws attention to antilochus status as closest friend to achilles after patroclus. As they fought on around the benched ship, patroclus, hot tears pouring down his face like a stream of dark water flowing in dusky streaks down the face of a sheer cliff, returned to achilles, leader of men. The armies fight over the body and armor of patroclus book 18. So they fought to the death around that benched beaked ship as patroclus reached achilles, his great commander, and wept warm tears like a dark spring running down some desolate rock face, its shaded currents flowing.
Homer describes the heroic deeds of patroclus in book xviof the iliad, which is named patrokleia. Eumaeus recounts odysseus s story and suggests that the stranger stay with telemachus at the palace. Noble achilles, the fleet of foot, saw and pitied him, and spoke to him with winged words. This passage in book xvi foreshadowed how this grave mistake would lead to patroclus death. Achilles declines to fight but agrees to the exchange of armor, with the understanding that patroclus will fight only long enough to save the ships. Patroclus clung to a foot and other fighters clashed, trojans, argives, all in a grueling, maiming onset. The essential pattern of the iliad is the same as that of the odyssey. When antilochus brings word to achilles of patrocluss death, achilles loses control of himself. Each accepts the outcome of his life, yet, noone knows if the gods can alter fate. Patroclus borrows achilles armor, enters battle, kills sarpedon and then is killed by hector book 17.
It was at this time that patroclus seeks the aid of his dear friend achilles. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Here, patroclus alludes to fated death by hectors hand, and hectors fated death by achilless hand. In the 16th book of homers iliad, zeus seems destined to fulfill his. Samuel butlers translation of the iliad and odyssey. This made achilles so angry, that he refused to rest until he had killed hector, and honored his friends death by solemn burial rites. It is an epic poem, written in ancient greek but assumed to be derived from earlier oral sources, and tells much of the story of the legendary trojan war between mainland greece and the city of troy in asia minor. Because of his overwhelming desire to take revenge for the many achaeans defeated in battle, patroclus failed to realize the accompanying consequences to.
507 913 186 1654 1029 1600 126 527 657 1122 554 311 1442 936 153 1641 440 1132 436 1177 141 482 9 688 32 1444 909 1274 1308 353 1059 95 859 1080 603