How Patroklos died in the Iliad
In the iliad Patroclus died going into battle with the Trojans
impersonating Achilles. Patroclus was wearing Achilles amour (Achilles knew
about him wearing his amour but warned Patroclus before he went into battle) and
lead his men into battle were he then meets Hektor prince of troy. Hektor pursues
Patroclus ignoring the Greeks when Patroclus throws a stone, the stone hits Hectors’
Charioteer Cebriones. Patroclus then fights with him over the corpse. The other
Greeks and Trojans fight till night when the Greeks grow strong enough to pull
out the body of Cebriones. Patroclus kills 27 men when Apollo strikes him so
that Patroclus grows dizzy, knocks the helmet off his head and breaks his spear
and makes his shield fall of. Euphorbus strikes Patroclus with his spear but does
not kill Patroclus. Patroclus then draws back his men. Hektor sees what Patroclus
plan was and he puts a spear through his belly and kills him. Patroclus dying
then says to Hektor that Zeus and Apollo have made Hektor the victor. Patroclus
then adds that Achilles will kill him soon.
Differences in the movie
-In the movie troy by Wolfgang Peterson he shows the death
of Patroclus as an accident by Hektor this can be shown in this clip below.
I think the reason Wolfgang showed Hektor killing Patroclus by accident
basically to show the Greeks and Trojans as equals.
-In the movie Patroclus dies by a slice through the throat
instead of being speared through the belly “Patroclus unnerved, alike by the blow the god had given him and by the spear-wound, drew back under
cover of his men in fear for his life. Hector on this, seeing
him to be wounded and giving ground, forced his way through the
ranks, and when close up with him struck him in the lower part
of the belly with a spear, driving the bronze point right
through it, so that he fell heavily to the ground to the great
of the Achaeans.” I think the reason Wolfgang didn’t want to make Patroclus die
by a spear to the belly was to show more action between the Greeks and the
Trojans.
Patroclus is extremely underestimated in this film. In the book, Patroclus was older than Achilles, in fact he teached him how to fight.
ReplyDeletePatroclus was a great and experienced warrior, perhaps the No 2 or 3 of the greek army. Achilles gave him his armor and the leadership of the Myrmidons in order to save the greek ships. His charge was an immediate relief for the Greeks. Patroclus killed many Trojans and pushed the rest back to the city walls. Even Hector fled back to the city.
Homer says that he would have conquered Troy that day if Apollo were nt there to defend her. The god struck Patroclus down and disarmed him. Then Euforvos a Trojan soldier hit him with his spear and finally Hector finished him.