The Iliad of Homer: The Death of Patroclus (Lecture on Books IX-XVI) (Patreon)

'Achilles, great as you are, don't be vengeful. They are dying out there, all of our best. God forbid I ever feel the spite your nurse in your heart. You and your damned honour!'

Welcome back to the Trojan War, where the two armies continue to suffer devastating loss after loss. Today we're finally going to see what it takes to bring Achilles to the fight.

We're discussing anagnorisis, aristeia, the spirit of friendship, the meaning of love, heroic existential despair, Homer's metaphors for death, the pain of war, pre-cinematic storytelling, the gift of fear, comedy vs tragedy, anxiety of death, and much more.

Please do feel free to enjoy the discussion even if you haven't read these parts of Homer's Iliad yet. You can enjoy our talk before, during, or after your reading in the way that best suits you.

Timestamps:

0:00 the Trojan War rages on

2:00 the regret of Agamemnon

3:00 what does anagnorisis mean?

5:00 the reparations of Agamemnon

7:00 the heroes petition Achilles

8:00 love as feeling vs action

10:00 the spirit of friendship

12:00 in the end, all die the same

13:00 does Achilles have PTSD?

14:00 our hero’s existential despair

15:00 how old is Achilles? 

16:00 how can we forgive betrayal?

18:00 Achilles refuses the apology

20:00 two potential fates for Achilles

22:00 a heart of flint and malice

24:00 the virtue of generosity

25:00 the danger of apologising

26:00 appreciation for translation

28:00 sleepless night for the men

30:00 a scene of Greek espionage

31:00 ancient armour contains lineage

32:00 Odysseus & Diomedes vs Dolon

34:00 merciless nature of the Greeks

36:00 night time attack on the Thracians

37:00 symbolism of war chariots

38:00 the mythology of Tithonus

40:00 the similes in Homer’s Iliad

42:00 Agamemnon vs Iphidamas 

44:00 pain of war vs pain of labour

46:00 warriors like forces of nature

48:00 the wounding of Odysseus

49:00 did the poet experience war?

50:00 Hector returns to the battlefield

51:00 Ajax remembers who he was

52:00 pre-cinematic storytelling

53:00 Achilles watches the battle

55:00 Homer’s art of juxtaposition

57:00 omens, fate & gift of fear

59:00 Sarpedon and Glaucus

1:00:00 motivation to enter battle

1:02:00 Alexander Pope’s translation

1:04:00 conflict of Zeus vs Poseidon

1:06:00 how to inspire great action

1:08:00 hero as personified ideal

1:10:00 gods are helicopter parents

1:11:00 dealing with ancient names

1:12:00 Idomeneus vs Deiphobus 

1:14:00 poetic version of fight/flight

1:15:00 Alcathous cut down in battle

1:16:00 epic convention of aristeia 

1:17:00 the heroic figure of Aeneas 

1:18:00 Emily Wilson on the Iliad

1:19:00 how to make an epic epic

1:20:00 the fury of Menelaus

1:22:00 Homer’s metaphors for death 

1:23:00 Polydamus advises Hector

1:24:00 the downfall of great heroes

1:26:00 do we pity Agamemnon?

1:27:00 the rebuke of Odysseus

1:29:00 on finding Homer funny

1:31:00 Hera’s seduction of Zeus

1:32:00 Homeric pathetic fallacy

1:34:00 conflict of Hector vs Ajax

1:36:00 the wounding of Hector

1:38:00 pastoral description of death

1:40:00 Hector clashes with Ajax

1:42:00 earth flowed black with blood

1:44:00 Christopher Logue’s War Music

1:46:00 Patroclus goes to Achilles

1:48:00 on male-male relationships

1:50:00 Patroclus dons Achilles’ armour

1:52:00 Achilles warns his friend

1:54:00 the Myrmidons enter battle

1:55:00 Patroclus vs Sarpedon

1:56:00 Hector cuts down Patroclus

1:58:00 Achilles has a reason to fight

1:59:00 our next reading assignment 

Resources to Explore:

• Philosophy: Aristotle's Poetics is the earliest surviving work of Greek dramatic theory and still remains the most impactful and influential. Although short, the work is incredibly rich and will complement your reading of almost any great work of literature - but especially Homer, who Aristotle meditates upon consistently throughout. Another complementary work from Aristotle when it comes to the epics of Homer is The Nicomachean Ethics. His exploration of the noble virtues is fascinating to consider in light of the behaviour of the heroes we find in the Trojan War. You might find it interesting to consider the writings of the great Stoics who came long after Homer (Epictetus, Seneca, Aurelius) up against the heroes of the Iliad. What advice would they give to the wrathful Achilles? What would they say to his fear of death? How could their advice have helped one navigate the inter-camp strife?

• Theatre: If you enjoyed our previous recommendation of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, you might like to check out Timon of Athens for another complementary play from the English bard. Another Shakespeare work to stack up against Homer would be Henry IV Part One. For some more Sophocles, you might like to read the play Ajax or Rhesus by Euripides (authorship disputed). If you fancy an antidote to all the tragedy, then a foray into ancient comedy would be rewarding. I would recommend The Frogs by Aristophanes, which satirises the great tragedians.

• Poetry: If you're loving the lore and the poetry of this profound epic, you might be interested to pick up a copy of the Homeric Hymns (and here's a reading of one in Ancient Greek). Attributed to Homer in ancient times, we now see these hymns as the composition of many different poets working in the tradition. We also leveraged Homer's mention of the mythology of Tithonus into a reading of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's great poem. Tennyson is always a great one to read and reread, and we'll be returning to him when we get to the Odyssey. If you're interested in the genealogy of the gods, then Hesiod's Theogony might intrigue you. Here's another idea: use your reading of Homer to refresh your memory of the great titan of epic literature that is Dante. We saw that the Florentine poet consigned the characters of Achilles, Paris, and Helen to the second circle of hell, whilst Odysseus and Diomedes were trapped in a single flame in the eighth circle of the Inferno. If you're interested in what Ancient Greek poetry sounded like, check out this phenomenal video.

• Retelling: Madeline Miller's 2011 novel The Song of Achilles sees the story of the Iliad and the Trojan War from the point of view of Patroclus, with a focus on his relationship with Achilles. Miller's lifelong love of Homer began when her mother read the Iliad to her in childhood and this creative reimagining took her ten years to write. In addition to Homer, she drew inspiration from Ovid, Virgil, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Apollodorus. Miller also has some splendid interviews and talks that you might find thought-provoking here and here. And thank you to readers who have recommended Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls, which gives us the perspective of Briseis, and is part of the Women of Troy series.

• Action Exercise: Last time I challenged you to begin committing one of your favourite passages of the Iliad to memory. I'd love to expand the challenge now and recommend you locate another passage. This time, rather than specifically focusing on learning it by heart, reread your chosen lines, meditate upon them over the course of several days, paraphrase them in your mind, and apply their wisdom to whatever you're dealing with in your life right now. If you do this, and really bring yourself to your chosen lines, you may just find that memorisation happens naturally as a by-product. Homer may also end up guiding you and providing some wise advice that influences how you are going to face the current stage of your own hero's journey.

Reading Assignment:

Our next discussion will cover books seventeen to twenty-four, which will take us through to the sublime climax of this epic masterpiece. And we will be discussing this next leg of the battle this coming weekend.

Now we're going to watch on as Achilles finally enters the fight. So continue bringing yourself to Homer's epic, making notes on any themes or ideas that capture your attention and imagination.

Questions to Consider:

1) How would you sum up Homer's beliefs about warfare?

2) Why doesn't Achilles accept Agamemnon's apology immediately?

3) What do you value most about the epic tradition?

4) Why does Homer still speak to so many readers today?

And please do share with us your impressions, favourite passages, and striking ideas from the middle of Homer's Iliad. If this is your first reading, does the epic meet your expectations? If this is a reread, is the experience any different this time around?

Happy reading, everybody!