The Iliad

by Homer

Patroclus Fights and Dies

no shit yeah

Oh would to god—Father Zeus, Athena and lord Apollo— not one of all these Trojans could flee his death, not one, no Argive either, but we could stride from the slaughter so we could bring Troy’s hallowed crown of towers toppling down around us—you and I alone!”

hannibal moment they were insane for this

Achilles!“

his last word being achilles is insane unhinged diabolical work

But great Achilles knew nothing yet of Patroclus’ death.

revenge of the sith core

Achilles never feared his friend was dead—he must be still alive, pressing on to the very gates, but he’d come back.

cough revenge of the sith cough

his dearest friend-in-arms on earth lay dead.

A black cloud of grief came shrouding over Achilles. Both hands clawing the ground for soot and filth, he poured it over his head, fouled his handsome face

Overpowered in all his power, sprawled in the dust, Achilles lay there, fallen ...

Antilochus kneeling near, weeping uncontrollably, clutched Achilles’ hands as he wept his proud heart out— for fear he would slash his throat with an iron blade. Achilles suddenly loosed a terrible, wrenching cry

INSANE for this.

All those burning desires Olympian Zeus has brought to pass for me— but what joy to me now? My dear comrade’s dead— Patrocius—the man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life-I’ve lost him—Hector’s

"loved as my own life" homer you were absolutely insane for this

My spirit rebels—I’ve lost the will to live,

“Then let me die at once”— Achilles burst out, despairing—“since it was not my fate to save my dearest comrade from his death!

a world away from his fatherland he’s perished, lacking me, my fighting strength, to defend him. But now, since I shall not return to my fatherland ... nor did I bring one ray of hope to my Patroclus,

"my" patroclus... like wtf are we meant to do with this.

that Hector who destroyed the dearest life I know.

And I too, if the same fate waits for me ... I’ll lie in peace, once I’ve gone down to death.

Achilles joined them, grieving, weeping warm tears when he saw his steadfast comrade lying dead on the bier, mauled by tearing bronze, the man he sent to war with team and chariot but never welcomed home again alive.

And now their entire army settled down to supper but all night long the Argives raised Patroclus’ dirge. And Achilles led them now in a throbbing chant of sorrow, laying his man-killing hands on his great friend’s chest, convulsed with bursts of grief.

Look at us. Both doomed to stain red with our blood the same plot of earth, a world away in Troy! For not even I will voyage home again. Never.

But now, Patroclus, since I will follow you underneath the ground, I shall not bury you, no, not till I drag back here the gear and head of Hector, who slaughtered you, my friend, greathearted friend ... Here in front of your flaming pyre I’ll cut the throats of a dozen sons of Troy in all their shining glory, venting my rage on them for your destruction!

She found her beloved son lying facedown, embracing Patroclus’ body, sobbing, wailing, and round him crowded troops of mourning comrades.

“My child, leave your friend to lie there dead— we must, though it breaks our hearts ... The will of the gods has crushed him once for all.

But all the while my blood runs cold with fear— Menoetius’ fighting son ... the carrion blowflies will settle into his wounds, gouged deep by the bronze, worms will breed and seethe, defile the man’s corpse— his life’s ripped out—his flesh may rot to nothing.”

one track mind lmao

I’m sick with longing for you! There is no more shattering blow that I could suffer. Not even if I should learn of my own father’s death,

?!?!

Till now I’d hoped, hoped with all my heart that I alone would die far from the stallion-land of Argos, here in Troy, but you, Patroclus, would journey back to Phthia and then you’d ferry Neoptolemus home from Scyros,

But soon as Achilles grew arm-weary from killing, twelve young Trojans he rounded up from the river, took them all alive as the blood-price for Patroclus’ death, Menoetius’ son.

Even Patroclus died, a far, far better man than you.

die!— even so—writhing in death till all you Trojans pay for Patroclus’ blood

But wait—what am I saying? Why this deep debate? Down by the ships a body lies unwept, unburied— Patroclus ... I will never forget him, not as long as I’m still among the living

Though the dead forget their dead in the House of Death, I will remember, even there, my dear companion.

CRAZY line

for a second grief this harsh will never touch my heart while I am still among the living

“Sleeping, Achilles? You’ve forgotten me, my friend. You never neglected me in life, only now in death.

Oh give me your hand—I beg you with my tears! Never, never again shall I return from Hades once you have given me the soothing rites of fire. Never again will you and I, alive and breathing, huddle side-by-side, apart from loyal comrades, making plans together—never ... Grim death, that death assigned from the day that I was born has spread its hateful jaws to take me down.

Never bury my bones apart from yours, Achilles, let them lie together ...

like come on. COME ONNNNNNN

So now let a single urn, the gold two-handled urn your noble mother gave you, hold our bones—together!”

I’ll do it all. I will obey you, your demands. Oh come closer! Throw our arms around each other, just for a moment— take some joy in the tears that numb the heart!”

In the same breath he stretched his loving arms but could not seize him, no, the ghost slipped underground like a wisp of smoke ...

at the site Achilles chose to build an immense mound for Patroclus and himself.

calling his dear friend by name,

dear "friend" dearest "comrade" etc etc okkk.. yeah.. sureeeee...

But Achilles kept on grieving for his friend, the memory burning on ... and all-subduing sleep could not take him, not now, he turned and twisted, side to side, he longed for Patroclus’ manhood, his gallant heart—

The memories flooded over him, live tears flowing, and now he’d lie on his side, now flat on his back, now facedown again. At last he’d leap to his feet, wander in anguish, aimless along the surf, and dawn on dawn flaming over the sea and shore would find him pacing.

I have endured what no one on earth has ever done before— I put to my lips the hands of the man who killed my son.”

a LINE