Book 18

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  • Created by: lilleybee
  • Created on: 02-06-17 14:54
  • Antilochos (the son of Nestor), approaches Achilleus with a heavy heart.
  • Achilleus has realised that something is wrong, and deliberates to himself as to what it could be, guessing that his best friend has died (as he had been told by his mother long ago).
  • Antilochos reveals that Patroklos is dead, that Hektor has his armour, and that the two armies are fighting over the body.
  • Achilleus is devastated and defiles his face and body with dirt and ashes. 
  • His serving women join him in mourning, as does Antilochos and Thetis and his sister in the ocean.
  • Thetis mourns at the fate of her son, she is aware that this event will bring about Achilleus’ fate, that after this point he will no longer consider living a long and inglorious life because he will be consumed by revenge towards Hektor and this would push him towards a shot but glorious death.
  • Thetis approaches her son and asks what is wrong, Achilleus tells her of Patroklos’ death and says he no longer wants to be alive until Hektor is killed.
  • Achilleus wishes that quarrels between men did not exist and compares herself to Herakles (demi-god), who was also very strong and eventually had to die.
  • Thetis tells her son not to re-enter the fighting until she can bring him new armour from Hephaistos.
  • Meanwhile on the battlefield, Hektor tries three times to take the body of Patroklos and win glory, and three times he is pushed back by the two Aiantes.
  • Iris brings a message to Achilleus from Hera that he must immediately rejoin the war, appealing to Achilleus’ sense of shame at the fate of his friend and the current defilement of his body. 
  • Iris admits that Zeus knows nothing of Hera’s plan.
  • Achilleus reminds the goddess that he has no armour, musing whose he could take.
  • Iris suggests that Achilleus goes to the ditch outside the Greek camp and scare away the Trojans with his presence, hopefully giving the Greeks a break from the fighting. 
  • Athene wraps the aegis around Achilleus’ shoulders, and puts a golden cloud around his head which is

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