Achilles
Miller, Madeline, author. The Song of Achilles. New York :Ecco, 2012
Iris Choe
In Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles, the greek hero’s glorious story is told through the eyes of Patroclus, the supposed lover and best friend of Achilles. Miller provides a reimagining of the Iliad to give a better understanding of the reasons behind their actions and the internal thoughts of a civilian on the sidelines who views great people doing great things. This myth serves as a major lesson in a time when themes of ambition and glory were at the forefront of Greek culture. The Iliad poses the perfect demonstration of the result when pride pushes too far and becomes a catalyst to a moral compass, waiting to be analyzed. With this change in perspective, the reader can view this impact on morality and receive an in-depth understanding of their culture. In this essay, I will first summarize The Song of Achilles, then I will discuss the impact of this specific retelling that demonstrates a crucial perspective of The Iliad.
The story starts when Patroclus is exiled due to his father’s opinion of his inferiority. In Phthia, he befriends Achilles, son of the sea nymph Thetis. As this friendship ensues, a prophecy is told that at the Trojan War, Achilles will become glorified in exchange for his death (Morford et al. 449). Out of fear, Thetis takes Achilles into hiding to prevent fate from running after him, but failing to keep him covered, Achilles and Patroclus join the ranks, committing a dedicated slaughter. A major conflict arises when Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks, offends the god Apollo after rejecting the plea to give the daughter of a priest back home (La Fond 2:49-3:53). Although the girl was a gift to Achilles, he claims her back, inclining Achilles to stop fighting in the battle altogether. In a fit of strength, Patroclus takes his place, yet “ultimately Apollo helps Hector kill him [Patroclus].” (La Fond 7:57-8:34) His death causes Achilles to drive mad, purging on several notable Trojans until he is finally killed by Paris, the man who had started the war.
This story can have a potential connection to similar works from the ancient Greek poet, Hesiod. The word hubris (Hesiod 61), is seen in Hesiod’s Works and Days which is defined as arrogance or excess. This term became the dawn of the distinction between justice and injustice (hubris) which can be seen in the narrative of The Iliad in which Achilles pushes himself too far in his pride leading to the deaths of his men on the same side, thus weakening their morale to fight (Iliad book 9). Because the reader is in the perspective of Patroclus, they can personally witness the damage and gain sympathy towards everyone, but Achilles. The reader poses him as almost an anti-hero due to his extreme arrogance.
Patroclus is important in looking at hubris because he is front and center when looking at arrogance controlling someone. With this perspective of seeing Achilles happily growing up alongside his best friend, we as the reader (through Patroclus) want what is best for him. When we see his emotions getting the best of him, the only way we can see Patroclus make him overcome this hubris is to fight. In taking his place, the reader also sees Patroclus receiving some of that hubris while he is fighting. He says, “My head buzzes with a red savagery, blooming like the blood from Sarpedon’s chest” (Miller 244). He gives into killing for the glory of the Greeks until he was slain. Even after his death, we are still in his perspective, and we can visualize the grief that he must have felt when seeing Achilles consuming his own hubris. Given this non-objective view that is usually seen in the Iliad, the reader is provided with an insight into what it must have been like fighting in the Trojan War and what it felt like to have everything at stake. Although we don’t see much of Patroclus in the Iliad, Miller expands on his story to provide the framework for the reasonings behind the actions of Agamemnon, Achilles, and especially Patroclus. Therefore, I think it is an excellent second step to indulge those who are a lover of Homer.
Works Cited
Hesiod. Theogony ; and, Works and Days. Oxford [Oxfordshire] ; New York :Oxford University Press, 1988.
Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Books, 1998.Dec 7, 2021
La Fond, Marie. “Destination Troy: The Iliad and Beyond.” Greek and Roman Myth. University of Washington, Feburary 2023,
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1619626/pages/lesson-7-video-lectures?module_item_id=17175860 Accessed 17 Feburary 2023.
Miller, Madeline, author. The Song of Achilles. New York :Ecco, 2012.
Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology. 11th ed., Oxford University Press, 2018.