PatroklosPatroclus

The son of Menoetius and the lifelong companion of Akhilleus (Achilles).

At the siege of the city of Troy, Akhilleus would not fight because of his dispute with the Greek commander, Agamemnon; Patroklos begged Akhilleus to enter the battle but Akhilleus was beyond sympathy; when the Trojans had breached the Greek defenses and began to burn the ships, Patroklos asked if he could don Akhilleus’ armor and lead the Greek troops in a counter-attack; Akhilleus reluctantly agreed but he warned Patroklos to rout the Trojans and then turn back, he was not to press the attack too deep into the Trojan territory.

Patroklos, wearing Akhilleus’ armor, charged into the Trojan defenses and was emboldened by his success; ignoring the warning of Akhilleus, Patroklos pressed the attack farther and farther into the Trojan lines until he was well ahead of the main body of the Greek army; at this point Apollon entered the battle and knocked the helmet from Patroklos’ head and loosened the corselet which protected his mid-section; the Trojan hero, Hektor (Hector), put on Akhilleus’ helmet and killed Patroklos; the fight for the body of Patroklos and the armor of Akhilleus was one of the most bloody scenes in The Iliad.

When Akhilleus saw the dead body of his life-long companion he went into a rage that resulted in the death of Hektor and the eventual destruction of Troy; Akhilleus would not bury Patroklos’ body until the “shade” of Patroklos appeared to him on the beach and begged to be put to rest; Akhilleus built a large pyre and sanctified it with the sacrifice of large numbers of beasts and the dead bodies of slain Trojan youths; Akhilleus also sponsored athletic games in Patroklos’ honor; the death of Patroklos was the turning point of the Trojan War and the rage of Akhilleus was the bloody force that finally toppled the walls of Troy.

• Iliad, book 16, lines 783+; book 17, lines 1+; book 23, line 65