In Book 16 of The Iliad, Patroklos was an Achaean who ended up fighting in Achilleus’ place and ultimately being killed. Patroklos was Achilleus’ best friend — and because of that, Homer did not give much detail into Patroklos himself. Achilleus was the main hero of the Iliad, while Patroklos stood on the sidelines — that is, until he begged Achilleus for his armor so that he could take his place. Eventually, Patroklos angered the gods by killing Sarpedon, and Zeus, with Apollo’s help, influenced the Trojan Hector to kill Patroklos. It is clear from the text that Hector killed Patroklos, but was it really his fault? Hektor may have physically killed Patroklos, but in reality, Hektor played only a small role in the death of Patroklos. The real
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What could his motives possibly be? It seems unfeasible that, given how close Achilleus and Patroklos were, Achilleus would have any reason to get rid of Patroklos. However, on closer inspection of the text, one can find many ulterior motives as to why the death of Patroklos took place. In Book XVI, for example, Achilleus told Patroklos, “You must not set your mind on fighting the Trojans, whose delight / is in battle, without me. So you will diminish my honor” (XVI. 89-90). His words here show that he is still concerned about his own honor (or kleos in Greek) at this point, an attribute that seems to follow him throughout The Iliad. Kleos was something for which almost all heroes fought during the time of the Trojan War. Achilleus’ kleos was a major influence on many of his decisions, the most important being his decision to return to Troy after leaving the battle for the first time. Achilleus chose kleos over nostos, or homecoming, which shows just how much he values glory and honor. If Patroklos did succeed in battle, the Achaians would give him all the honor, while Achilleus would be left with nothing of merit. Because Achilleus valued kleos so much, it is possible that he felt Patroklos was a threat to his kleos, providing a possible motive for murdering …show more content…
For example, Patroklos addressed Achilleus as “Son of Peleus, far greatest of the Achaians, Achilleus” (XVI. 21), showing that Achilleus is more of an authority to Patroklos than a counterpart. If Achilleus and Patroklos were truly best friends, their friendship would likely be much more equal. However, Achilleus’ anger issues and immaturity displayed throughout The Iliad was probably what caused their friendship to be askew. Because of this imbalance, it is likely that Achilleus felt a sense of control of Patroklos – and in that, Patroklos may have felt powerless in their
What could his motives possibly be? It seems unfeasible that, given how close Achilleus and Patroklos were, Achilleus would have any reason to get rid of Patroklos. However, on closer inspection of the text, one can find many ulterior motives as to why the death of Patroklos took place. In Book XVI, for example, Achilleus told Patroklos, “You must not set your mind on fighting the Trojans, whose delight / is in battle, without me. So you will diminish my honor” (XVI. 89-90). His words here show that he is still concerned about his own honor (or kleos in Greek) at this point, an attribute that seems to follow him throughout The Iliad. Kleos was something for which almost all heroes fought during the time of the Trojan War. Achilleus’ kleos was a major influence on many of his decisions, the most important being his decision to return to Troy after leaving the battle for the first time. Achilleus chose kleos over nostos, or homecoming, which shows just how much he values glory and honor. If Patroklos did succeed in battle, the Achaians would give him all the honor, while Achilleus would be left with nothing of merit. Because Achilleus valued kleos so much, it is possible that he felt Patroklos was a threat to his kleos, providing a possible motive for murdering …show more content…
For example, Patroklos addressed Achilleus as “Son of Peleus, far greatest of the Achaians, Achilleus” (XVI. 21), showing that Achilleus is more of an authority to Patroklos than a counterpart. If Achilleus and Patroklos were truly best friends, their friendship would likely be much more equal. However, Achilleus’ anger issues and immaturity displayed throughout The Iliad was probably what caused their friendship to be askew. Because of this imbalance, it is likely that Achilleus felt a sense of control of Patroklos – and in that, Patroklos may have felt powerless in their