All the same, it definitely sounds like patroklos is trying to knock hektors ego down a few notches, basically telling him he talks the talk, but doesnt walk the. Sarpedon to glaucus, allies of troy, book 12 susan bertolinothe iliadmosaic 2 14 15. Achilles perhaps most notably among all literary characters is allowed the most extensive reflection of all. While achilleus still refuses to return to battle, his friend, patroklos, persuades him to let him fight in his place. May 14, 2012 sarpedon to glaucus, allies of troy, book 12 susan bertolinothe iliadmosaic 2 14 15. Each main character, either by a spear or merely a scratch from an arrow, was wounded or killed during the progression of the story. Ledbetter does so by comparing how thetis comforts the weeping achilles in book 1 of the iliad to how achilles comforts patroclus as he weeps in book 16. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Im rereading the iliad and noticed something that i glanced over the first time i read it. Mueller says, the death of achilles begins with the news of patroclus death 58. Book 16 opens immediately with another grand display of patroclus. In an attempt to capture the tension and emotion between sarpedon. By this he means that dying characters may reflect briefly upon the meaning of their life. Meanwhile, patroclus goes to achilles tent and begs to be allowed to wear achilles armor if achilles still refuses to rejoin the battle himself.
First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. Then patroclus drew near to achilles with tears welling from his eyes, as from some spring whose crystal stream. In the iliad, the overwhelming majority of apostrophes are addressed to patroclus 8 times, all of them in book 16 and menelaus 7 times. 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. In homers epic poem the iliad, achilles is represented as the greatest greek warrior and patroclus as his most admirable companion. Patroclus eventually wins these faceoffs and gains the glory of stripping the bodies of armor. Learn iliad iliad book 16 with free interactive flashcards. Books sixteen to twentytwo all quotations from the iliad are from the translation of richmond lattimore, university of chicago press, 1951like book nine, book sixteen marks a crucial turning point in the iliad. Read book 16 death of patroclus of the iliad by homer. Choose from 500 different sets of iliad iliad book 16 flashcards on quizlet. This lesson will summarize the events surrounding the heros end, and explain its significance for the epic as a whole. Battles over fallen comrades become more significant in book 16. He is the prince of troy and the son of priam and hekub. For zeus son, sarpedon, it was a spear through the heart, and for hector, it was the bronze.
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. 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 begins killing trojans, and the achaeans drive the trojans back from the warships. This paper argues that maternity in the iliad is associated with martial protection, and that achilles identifies his own problematic role as the protector of his comrades with the figure of the homeric mother who is both protector and destroyer of her own offspring.
Book 16 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. Engage your students during remote learning with video readalouds. The iliad is a narrative story of the last year or so of the trojan war, which is written by the wellknown poet homer. He has made a fatal decision, and the deaths of sarpedon, patroklos, hektor, achilles himself, and the fall of troy all inevitably follow. 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. It is a curious fact about the iliad that, for all its focus on the theme of death, it rarely shows characters longing for immortality. Patroclus asks if he can go into battle in achilles place, wearing achilles armor in order to demoralize the trojans. 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. Brave menelaus son of atreus now came to know that patroclus hadfallen and made his way through the front ranks clad in full armourto bestride him. The two are different in subject but the same in their style. Patroclus killed many trojans and trojan allies, including a son of zeus, sarpedon. The trojans see the coming myrmidons and believe that achilles has finally come to battle. Learn the iliad book 16 with free interactive flashcards. Patroclus wanted to wear achilles armor to intimidate the trojans and lead the greeks to victory, but achilles had his mom ask zeus to support the trojans since he was shamed and.
Noble achilles, the fleet of foot, saw and pitied him, and spoke to him with winged words. He lets out a terrible cry and all the sea nymphs gather. Euphorbus attempts to strip patroclus armor, but menelaus kills him. The battle rages on between the trojan and achaean forces, and patroclus devises a scheme to free the achaean ships from the trojans. Zeus contemplates whether to save his son from being killed or not.
Menelaus, fighting nearby, watches the death of patroclus. These epics tell the story of the trojan war and odysseus journey home after the war, respectively. The only way the greeks could win this war is with the help of achilles, but achilles has. If youve read book 16, youll know that what patroklos says is technically true. The first scene of the iliad finds chryses, the priest of apollo god of the sun and a whole lot of other stuff, approaching the achaian camp to ask for his daughter back. Much like a historical present, they take the listener into the hereandnow of the scene, creating a sense of greater proximity with the character being thus addressed. Achilles retrieves a special cup and pours libation to zeus praying for patroclus to come back unharmed having gained glory. This war was fought between the greeks and the trojans over ten years. This creates the tragic irony of the audience knowing hectors fate even as he gains ground in battle and boasts of zeuss support. In fact, one rarely sees patroklos as an individual. Patroclus enters into conflict with the noblest of selfless intentions, as he hoped aloud to achilles, i might bring some light of victory to our argives.
The question is why the strong compassionate bond between achilles and patroclus has a major significance in the greek victory over troy and how it accomplished to do so. With patroclus leading them, the myrmidons swarm into battle, and are described as being like wasps that a boy has angered. Eventually comes across a trojan soldier, sarpedon, who is the mortal son of zeus. The death of patroclus is reported in brief words to achilles. Sep 16, 20 published on sep 16, 20 patroclus begs achilles to allow him to lead the myrmidons into battle. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the iliad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Then patroclus sprang like mars with fierce intent and a terrific shout upon the trojans, and thrice did he kill nine men.
This is reflected in his use of maternal similes to describe his relationship to the achaean army 9. Homer, iliad, book 16, line 1 perseus digital library. The fate of patroclus in the iliad of homer schoolworkhelper. The death of patroclus is one of the most powerful scenes in homers iliad.
So they fought to the death around that benched beaked ship as patroclus reached achilles. The last couple examples i will discuss are both at the end of book 16. 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. The iliad cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. In two and a half lines of simple diction, antilochus tells achilles what has happened. Patroclus quotes 37 quotes meet your next favorite book. Then patroclus drew near to achilles with tears welling from his eyes, as from some spring whose crystal stream falls over the ledges of a high precipice. This creates the tragic irony of the audience knowing hectors fate even as. The iliad book 16 death of patroclus american literature. Its exact nature has been a subject of dispute in both the classical period and modern times. In the iliad, it is clear that the two heroes have a deep and extremely meaningful friendship, but the evidence of a romantic or sexual element is equivocal. The point is, now that you know what the things are, its high time we jumped into the middle of them.
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. Published on sep 16, 20 patroclus begs achilles to allow him to lead the myrmidons into battle. Achilles agrees but tells patroclus he should only drive the trojans back from the ships, not follow them to troy. The trojans, seeing the fresh reinforcements and thinking that achilles has returned, immediately begin to fear for their lives. Hektor was only the third person to strike him though he was the only one to deliver a fatal blow. In homers iliad, the epic poets heroes are often motivated by kleos, a greek word which can carry meanings such good reputation, fame, and glory. In the iliad, it is clear that the two heroes have a deep and extremely meaningful friendship, but the evidence.
And the brilliant runner achilles saw him coming, filled with pity and spoke out winging words. Great alexander loved hephaestion, the conquering hercules for hylas wept. Achilles watches the retreat from afar and worries about the fate of patroclus. When achilles saw him thus weeping he was sorry for him and said, why, patroclus, do you stand there weeping like some silly child that comes running to her mother, and begs to be taken up. Like a girl, a baby running after her mother, begging to be picked up. Homer, iliad book 16 theoi classical texts library. In the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. He comes running to achilles and we are told that he wept warm tears like a dark spring running down 16. The relationship between achilles and patroclus is a key element of the myths associated with the trojan war.
Zeuss speech makes it clear to the reader that a predestined conclusion awaits the achaeans and trojans. Patroclus approaches achilles in tears and achilles asks him why he is. Throughout the iliad of homer, the constant theme of death is inherently apparent. Although he doesnt want agamemnon to secure any further glory, his heart aches for the lives of. Zeus knows that the death of patroclus will force achilles to fight for the greeks achaeansdanaansargives. After achilles kills hector, the achaeans will advance until they have taken troy, an event that occurs after the end of the iliad. Tragically, patroclus is begging for his own death. It is a sweeping epic poem that seeks to find answers to some of mankinds most fascinating questions, questions which still intrigue and perplex us today. There is no dramatic character development, but one does see patroklos as a character perpetrates dramatic events and provides a.
The roman tully loved octavius, grave socrates, wild alcibiades. I books xiiixviii books xixxxiv book xvi final iliad wrapup buy this book at. While the war seems to be the main story line, the story of achilles is the driving force during this poem. Iliad essay achilles and patroclus in homers epic poem. The iliad why would achilles let patroclus wear is armor in battle. Choose from 500 different sets of the iliad book 16 flashcards on quizlet. Jul 17, 2010 the relationship between achilles and patroclus is a key element of the myths associated with the trojan war. Iliad essay achilles and patroclus in homers epic poem the.
The myrmidons swarm like bees as patroclus sounds the charge and fills them with courage. This lesson focuses on book 16 of the iliad by homer. Read powerpoints on achilles in books 118 and the homeric gods. This is one of the few times when this happens, and it is interesting that hektor says it out of excitement wanting the moment to last forever instead of despair at a moment passing. Grief overcomes achilles as he falls to the ground weeping. Character profile for patroclus from the iliad page 1.
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