Key Scholar:
E. T. Owen says:
The poet has piled up point after point in his description of the circumstances of Patroclus' death, so that even the least imaginative reader must burn with indignation at the way it is accomplished. That is what Homer wants, for he is motivating the terrific fury and grief of Achilles. We can sympathise much better with the extravagance of his feelings because we too have resented the manner of his slaying.
When we compare the death scene of Patroclus to that of Hector, similarities abound.
Task: find the quotes in Book 22 that match the following from Book 16:
Similarity | Patroclus’ death | Hector’s death |
A boast over the defeated | ‘…spoke winged words in triumph over him’ | |
Speculation over their enemy’s future hope | ‘Patroklos, you must have thought you would sack our city, and…carry [the women of Troy] off in your ships…’ | |
Claim that there will be a feast for vultures | ‘…but you, the vultures will eat you here.’ | |
The dying man prophesies the death of their killer. | ‘…you too will not live long, but already now death and a strong fate are standing close beside you, to bring you down at the hands of Achilleus…’ | |
Their moment of passing | ‘…the end of death enfolded him: and his spirit flitted from his body and went on the way to Hades, weeping for its fate, and the youth and manhood it must leave.’ | |
Both victors address the corpse | ‘Then glorious Hector spoke to him, dead though he was’ |
N.B. this table can be found in the appendix of your Iliad Book XXII booklet.
Two obvious differences exist between the death scenes in question:
- Hector begs for burial rites as he dies, trying to initiate a supplication, whilst Patroclus makes no such request.
- Whilst Hector talks of his future full of confidence, Achilles is certain that he himself is doomed to die at Troy.
- ‘[Achilles] took up the sooty dust…and poured it down over his head’ [18.22]
- ‘[Priam] rolled there in the dung’ [22.414]
Also note the similarity between Achilles’ reaction to Patroclus’ death and Priam’s reaction to Hector’s death:
Clearly these parallels are deliberate on the part of Homer. Even when exact phrases are duplicated, they are surely more than just a memory aid for an oral poet. But why does Homer want his audience to consider these deaths together?