Zeus knows that the death of patroclus will force achilles to fight for the greeks achaeansdanaansargives. Patroclus has just killed cebriones, the driver of hectors chariot. Here is alexander popes 16881744 translation from book xvi. Patroklos death thereby leads to the deaths of both hektor and achilles in the sense that both dishonor greek ideals by threats and acts of desecration. Sep 29, 2019 samuel butlers translation of the iliad and odyssey. The iliad book 16 death of patroclus american literature. The deaths of sarpedon and patroklos in this book introduce an elegiac tone into the last part of the iliad, as the characters. This lesson will summarize the events surrounding the heros end, and explain its significance for the epic as a whole.
The notorious example of the latter use is the hetairoi of odysseus who in the. Hector taunts the fallen man, but with his dying words patroclus foretells hectors own death. Telemachos arrives to find eumaios chatting with a beggar. What instructions did achilles give to patroclus before the. 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. Menelaus intends to strip him of his armor but apollo inspires hector in the shape of a trojan to stop. Homer describes the heroic deeds of patroclus in book xviof the iliad, which is named patrokleia. Book 16 meanwhile, patroclus goes to achilles tent and begs to be allowed to wear achilles armor if achilles still refuses to rejoin the battle himself. Because of his overwhelming desire to take revenge for the many achaeans defeated in battle, patroclus failed to realize the accompanying consequences to. Zeus knows that the death of patroclus will force achilles to fight for. With patroclus in the lead, the achaeans slaughter the trojans in the trench. 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.
At once a scholars homage to the iliad and startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist. This is when patroclus and hector are fighting over the corpse of cebriones. In fact, one rarely sees patroklos as an individual. In the book 16 of homers odyssey, the title character has returned to his native land of ithaca after 20 years of warfare and wandering. The deaths of sarpedon and patroklos in this book introduce an elegiac tone into the last part of the iliad, as the characters that the reader sees as sympathetic are. The death of patroclus is one of the most powerful scenes in homers iliad. The reason for this is that the death of the substitute for achilles, patroclus, is stressed in the iliad, whereas it is only vestigial in the odyssey. Patroklos cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. 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.
Zeus considers saving sarpedon from patroclus, but hera scolds him, telling zeus not to interfere in sarpedons mortal destiny. Samuel butlers translation of the iliad and odyssey. Anticleias role in the narrative is unimportant, yet her counterparts in the yugoslav tradition are kept even to this day see appendix iii. Antilochus, whom you, achilles, honored above all your. When antilochus brings word to achilles of patrocluss death, achilles loses control of. Well let me dienot without gloryin some great clash of arms that even men to come will hear of down the years. To learn more about this, check out our guide to the iliad. The odyssey book 6 and the iliad book 16 were it not for. The poet invokes the muse to help him tell the story of odysseus. The sixth battle, the acts and death of patroclus the iliad.
Read book 16 death of patroclus of the iliad by homer. The essential pattern of the iliad is the same as that of the odyssey. Patroclus is fought by apollo and a soldierhe is finally killed by hector. Each accepts the outcome of his life, yet, noone knows if the gods can alter fate. Books 1516 cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. And wise ulysses, at the navy groan, more for their countrys wounds than for their own. Their pain soft arts of pharmacy can ease, thy breast alone no lenitives. Book 16 when telemachus reaches eumaeuss hut, he finds the swineherd talking with a stranger odysseus in disguise. An archive of our own, a project of the organization for transformative works. In the iliad, patroclus is a close friend and confidant of achilles, who leads the greeks in war against the trojans. Here, patroclus alludes to fated death by hectors hand, and hectors fated death by achilless hand.
Destiny, then, guides patroklos from the moment he enters the war. Menelaus observes the death of patroclus and runs to guard his body like a mother cow lowing over a calf. Homer, iliad book 16 theoi classical texts library. Zeus begins moving the battle in the trojans favor but relents long enough for menelaus and meriones to carry away patrocluss body. Hector throws his spear, futilely, and asks deiphobus for another. Patroclus death in book 16 of the iliad vations in pursuit of his. Jul, 2016 summary and analysis of book 16 of homers iliad, with a focus on patroclus pride, lust for glory, and death. These words echo the words spoken about patroclus in book 16. The fate of patroclus in the iliad of homer schoolworkhelper. Euphorbus strikes at him and misses only to be killed by menelaus.
The first instance of this doubt occurs in book xvi. Menelaus sees the death of patroclus, and he goes to defend the body. We learn that poseidon, god of the sea, holds a grudge though we dont know exactly why against odysseus and is making the guys voyage home a pretty difficult one. Patroclus arms for battle in all respects but for achilles weighted, heavy, tough spear 16.
Homer, iliad book 17 theoi classical texts library. 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. Books 1516 cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Patroclus borrows achilles armor, enters battle, kills sarpedon and then is killed by hector book 17. Hector steals achilles armour from patroclus dead body and fighting develops around the corpse.
Oct 16, 2011 patroclus clung to a foot and other fighters clashed, trojans, argives, all in a grueling, maiming onset. Achilles and patroclus are so emotionally close that patroclus. Eumaeus recounts odysseuss story and suggests that the stranger stay with telemachus at the palace. The armies fight over the body and armor of patroclus book 18. 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. Noble achilles, the fleet of foot, saw and pitied him, and spoke to him with winged words. 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. This passage in book xvi foreshadowed how this grave mistake would lead to patroclus death. Menelaus sends antilochus for help from achilles, who still doesnt know of patrocluss death. Achilles reconciles with agamemnon and enters battle. As he spoke death descended over his mouth and eyes, and patroclus set his foot on his chest, and drew the spear from the flesh, the whole midriff yielding with it, releasing the point of the blade and sarpedons spirit, while the myrmidons held the panting horses, the creatures eager to flee now the chariots lacked their masters. 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. There will come a dawn or sunset or high noon when a man will take my life in battle too flinging a spear perhaps or whipping a deadly arrow off his bow.
Book 17, line 5 the trojan euphorbus comes to take the body but king menelaus will not yield. The poetry is in the killing, and excerpt from the mourner. An actionpacked adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed pageturner, millers monumental debut novel has already earned resounding. Or do you weep for the argives, dying by the hollow ships, because of their. The first answer is simply that they were on different sides of the war the greeks and the trojans were trying to kill each other. Achilles learns of the death of patroclus and receives a new suit of armor book 19. 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. Both tales involve the loss of someone near and dear to the hero patroclus and odysseus companions. The iliad tells us that after trojan warrior hektor killed patroklos, achilleus swore revengekilling hektor, and thereby sealing his own doom. And odyssey xxiv 7879 explicitly draws attention to antilochus status as closest friend to achilles after patroclus. Disguised as a beggar, odysseus has stayed in the hut of. Achilles prays to zeus for patroclus protection, futilely. There is no dramatic character development, but one does see patroklos as a character perpetrates dramatic events and provides a.
Patroclus faces sarpedon, a trojan ally and a son of zeus, and eventually kills him. Hector, his attention focused on the fleeing horses of achilles, is made to look at the scene by apollo. In the 16th book of homers iliad, zeus seems destined to fulfill his. Read powerpoints on achilles in books 118 and the homeric gods. Seeing patroclus about to kill sarpedon, his mortal son, zeus says. We linger over the deaths of patroclus and hector because we get to know them so well.
In book 16 of the odyssey, what simile does homer use to. Patroclus killed many trojans and trojan allies, including a son of zeus, sarpedon. 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. After killing patroklos, hektor deviates from the code of honor by threatening to give patroklos body to the dogs. Patroclus begs achilles to send him back to the war to help the achaeans. Achilles is vengeful when hearing about the death of patroclus and swears revenge on hector. He and euphorbus trade insults, and menelaus reminds him that he killed euphorbus brother hyperenor. Athena pallas polyphemus the cyclops and king alcinous.
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. 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. Meanwhile, back in ithaka, penelopes suitors plot to ambush and kill telemachos when he returns home. To the dismay of peaceful readers, homers descriptions of wounding and killing are copious and exquisitely detailed. Because of his overwhelming desire to take revenge for the many achaeans defeated in battle, patroclus failed to realize the accompanying consequences to his suicide mission. A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, the song of achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines homers enduring masterwork, the iliad. Here is alexander popes 16881744 translation from book xvi of hectors slaying of patroclus, achilles greatest friend. Although modern critical descriptions of the iliad never fail to acknowledge the major role battles play in the poem, these scenes are rarely at the center of commentary. 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. At that moment hector realizes his fate when he no longer sees deiphobus 350. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. What instructions did achilles give to patroclus before. Meanwhile, patroclus goes to achilles tent and begs to be allowed to wear achilles armor if achilles still refuses to rejoin the battle himself.
1401 11 1363 250 382 126 736 1122 137 378 658 911 190 1093 854 235 1367 1478 931 1341 1325 998 1648 1225 1570 632 552 1116 1088 448 1344 819 1145 1574 1193 1163 457 1071 1470 949 195 119 306