Thrice then leapt he upon them, the peer of swift ares, crying a terrible cry. Achilles agrees but tells patroclus he should only drive the trojans back from the ships, not follow them to troy. Euphorbus attempts to strip patroclus armor, but menelaus kills him. Now save the ships, the rising fires restrain, and give the greeks to visit greece again. Summary and analysis of book 16 of homers iliad, with a focus on patroclus pride, lust for glory, and death. The sixth battle, the acts and death of patroclus the iliad. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the iliad. In the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. In what sense is patroclus responsible for his own death. Read book 16 death of patroclus of the iliad by homer. 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.
After leading the greeks in battle against the trojans, disguised in the armor of the great greek hero achilles, patroclus is killed by the warrior hector, fulfilling a prophecy made by the god zeus. The fate of patroclus in throughout the iliad of homer, the constant theme of death is inherently apparent. In this book patroclus has watched the suffering of the greeks. Explain the meaning of the sunless ocean and the towering blank rocks 16. In fact, one rarely sees patroklos as an individual. Achilles is revengeful, gladly permits patroclus to fight. With patroclus in the lead, the achaeans slaughter the trojans in the trench. Zeus considers saving sarpedon from patroclus, but hera scolds him, telling zeus not to interfere in sarpedons mortal destiny.
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. What was achilless reaction to patrocluss death in the. Menelaus sends antilochus for help from achilles, who still doesnt know of patrocluss death. Tragically, patroclus is begging for his own death. Achilles best warrior and most heroic of the greeks, although he is sitting out the war. Character profile for patroclus from the iliad page 1. Menelaus attempts to strip euphorbus armor, but apollo rouses hector to defend his body. Achilles agrees but tells patroclus he should only drive the trojans back from the.
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. So they fought to the death around that benched beaked ship as patroclus reached achilles, his great commander. Book 16 is described as the very very sad book as it captures the death of patroclus at the hands of apollo and hector. Remember that hector killed patroclus at the urgings of apollo, and apollo then made it possible for hector to do it. Patroclus killed many trojans and trojan allies, including a son of zeus, sarpedon.
At the end of book 16, hector kills patroclus, fulfilling zeus prophecy. Patroclus greek kills pyraechmes trojan, spear in the shoulder 16. 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. 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. Patroclus loyal friend and companion of achilles in the trojan war. Menelaus, fighting nearby, watches the death of patroclus. The death of patroclus has ensured that his life will end in sorrow and bitterness, and he pursues hector with singleminded purpose. Meanwhile, patroclus goes to achilles tent and begs to be allowed to wear achilles armor if achilles still refuses to rejoin the battle himself. Get an answer for what was achilless reaction to patrocluss death in the iliad. Thoughout the whole book, zeus outlines the rest of the iliad and beyond, predicting even the eventual fall of troy, which occurs after the end of the poem.
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. 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. Patroclus begs achilles to send him back to the war to help the achaeans. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. And to him even in his death spake glorious hector. Usually they are really poetic and beautiful, but they take a turn for the menacing in book 16. Zeuss speech makes it clear to the reader that a predestined. As the fight continues, patroclus come to achilles in tears. The more that patroclus distinguishes himself in battle, the more tragic his death will be. No doubt the large number of apostrophes directed at patroclus, all confined to book 16, contributes to heighten the pathos and overall emotional effect of his excruciatingly slow and horrible death at the hands of apollo at the end of the book. Note that the line numbers in square brackets refer to the. The iliad by homer, part of the internet classics archive. However, it is also the same book where the similes get violent and graphic. Hector taunts the fallen man, but with his dying words patroclus foretells hectors own death.
How well does patrocluss rampage in book 16 of the iliad fit the typical pattern of an aristeia. Throughout the iliad, gods and goddesses intervene in the action, and this scene is no exception. Revisiting the apostrophes to patroclus in iliad 16. Forth from out the range of darts they drew the warrior cebriones from the battledin of the trojans, and stripped the armour from his shoulders. First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. The fate of patroclus in the iliad of homer schoolworkhelper.
Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 16 summary. Battles over fallen comrades become more significant in book 16. Homer, iliad book 16 theoi classical texts library. It might seem that hector has been a hapless victim of the gods. Noble achilles, the fleet of foot, saw and pitied him, and spoke to him with winged words. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
Revisiting the apostrophes to patroclus in iliad 16 chs. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Achilles should at least let patroclus take his armor and troops into battle. The iliad by homer book 16 knowitall to knownothing.
Homer, iliad book 17 theoi classical texts library. The god apollo sides with the trojans, like zeus, and steps in to stop patroclus, who is wounded. He leaps between the decks of the beached ships, using a massive pike to hold back the trojan forces almost singlehandedly. This description of ajaxs incredible defense makes for one of the iliads most memorable images. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search.
For the table of contents of the iliad, please use the following link. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Zeus begins moving the battle in the trojans favor but relents long enough for menelaus and meriones to carry away patrocluss body. Book xvi thus did they fight about the ship of protesilaus. 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. So patroclus made his request, fool that he was, for his own doom and an evil death were the. Read powerpoints on achilles in books 118 and the homeric gods.
Diomed, ulysses, agamemnon, eurypylus are all injured. The iliad book 16 death of patroclus american literature. 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. Because he is fighting for achilles, achilles is the one who invokes zeuss divine inspiration for. There is no dramatic character development, but one does see patroklos as a character perpetrates dramatic events and. The death of patroclus is a pivotal moment in homers iliad. Patroclus faces sarpedon, a trojan ally and a son of zeus, and eventually kills him. The desire to protect sarpedons body motivates hector to return to battle where hector and patroclus face off in a literal tugofwar over the body of hectors driver. What happens in the sixteenth book of homers iliad. This lesson will summarize the events surrounding the heros end, and explain its significance for the epic as a. Like a girl, a baby running after her mother, begging to be picked up, and she tugs her skirts, holding her back as she tries to hurry off all tears, fawning up at.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the iliad and what it means. Zeus knows that the death of patroclus will force achilles to fight for the greeks achaeansdanaansargives. He followed achilles to troy as his brotherinarms, and when achilles refused to fight in order to annoy agamemnon, patroclus appeared in achilles armor at the head of the myrmidons and was slain by hector. Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including achilles, hector, odysseus, athena, ares, paris. Patroclus approaches achilles in tears and achilles asks him why he is. The sixth battle, the acts and death of patroclus, the iliad, lit2go edition, 1899, accessed june 07, 2019.
Even though moments like this may seem repetitive and gross, they. The death of patroclus is one of the most powerful scenes in homers iliad. Each main character, either by a spear or merely a scratch from an arrow, was wounded or killed during the progression of the story. He called on his trusty comrade and said, glaucus, my. This made achilles so angry, that he refused to rest until he had killed hector, and honored his friends death by solemn burial rites. Achilles does not feel moved at the plight of the greeks, rebukes him for the sentimentalism. Homer describes the heroic deeds of patroclus in book xviof the iliad, which is named patrokleia. Patroclus eventually wins these faceoffs and gains the glory of stripping the bodies of armor. The sixth battle, the acts and death of patroclus, the iliad, lit2go edition, 1899, accessed january 10, 2020. This is the first of many, many scenes like it in the iliad. When antilochus brings word to achilles of patrocluss death, achilles loses control of.
The iliad of homer popebook 16 wikisource, the free. Achilles asks him about everything apart from the battle. As a compromise, zeus decides to send his body home intact after patroclus kills him. Not for a moment did he think his friend would be killed, expecting him to return alive from the gate.