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Tues. July 8

Patroclus, on the urging of Nestor, wins the approval of Achilles to wear his armor and lead the Myrmidons into battle in order to save the ships from the Trojans. Hector and the rest flee, as if they are facing the wrath of a god. Many fall in grisly death scenes, but a few nobly face their fate. 

For example, it is instructive to contrast the deaths of Theston and Sarpedon. Theston, a charioteer, dies when Patroclus finds him cowering on the floor of his car, too afraid to fight. Patroclus puts a barbed lance through his jaws and drags his body into the dust like a gutted fish. On the other hand, Sarpedon sees Patroclus approaching and faces him as an equal. They circle like two birds of prey, evenly matched. The gods favor Patroclus in this case, but Sarpedon meets his fate with courage, and dies honorably.

Before the gates of Troy, the tides shift against Patroclus. He’s gone too far in pursuit of glory, beyond what what Achilles ordered him to do (save the ships, then return) and beyond what Zeus has decreed for his fate. Apollo strikes him from behind, knocking his helm (the helm of Achilles) to the ground, and “unmasking” him. While he is still dazed, a Trojan wounds him with a lance, and he falls. Only then does Hector finish him off, knowing he is Patroclus. 

This isn’t the honorable “duel” depicted in the movie Troy, where Hector thinks he’s fighting Achilles, and they meet as equals. When he thought it was Achilles he was facing, he ran like everyone else. Here he simply dispatches an already wounded and defenseless warrior, and gloats over him. It’s the low point in the poem for Hector.