I finished rereading the song of achilles and here are my takes on my absolute favourite greek mythology character ever and how he is portrayed in this book: patroclus
in tsoa I feel like patroclus peaks as a character a few years into the trojan war. up until that point, his whole personality and life is based around achilles and being there for achilles and loving achilles and thinking achilles is the most beautiful and talented and skilled person to have ever walked the earth.
now, I'm not saying there is anything inherently wrong about the way patroclus sees achilles. when you're in love with someone, you admire them. it's fine. and it's pretty obvious that achilles, despite his self-absorbed, egocentric, egotistical and stupidly prideful tendencies (can you tell I resent him a little?), is just as in love and deeply devoted.
the reason I think patroclus is at his best during the war is because he is finally his own person, even if he doesn't see it through his thick layers of self-deprecating complex. once he begins helping out at the doctor's tent, the greeks starts seeing him as someone and not just achilles' shadow. he knows almost every man by name, they wave at him when he passes and point at scars that have healed perfectly thanks to him, and he is known for treating wounds efficiently and painlessly. patroclus is, finally, recognised as the kind-hearted and extremely talented person that he is. because skills with a spear and a shield in the battlefield is not everything, there are other ways for a man to make himself just as useful. they start viewing patroclus and his medicine as what they are: necessary. imagine how many soldiers survived just because it was him who treated them, and not someone else. like that first wound he treated, the arrow stuck inside the man's shoulder, that could have become infected and later killed him if it hadn't been patroclus and his considerate self that put his hands on it.
and the worst part is that, until the end, he still thinks people only see him as achilles' little puppy. they didn't.
if it weren't for him, dozens of women would have had a terrible fate in the hands of other men and briseis wouldn't have the best friend she could ask for, who protected her and chose her over achilles' disgusting plan and pride.
if it weren't for him, achilles would have sunk into his own glory mentality and bloody madness way sooner. because patroclus was the one that grounded him and reminded him that, yes he was half-god and the best fighter of his generation, but his human part was just as, if not more, important and lovable and worthy of being praised.
if it weren't for him, the trojans would have destroyed the greek camp and killed everyone in it. when his lover's blind thirst for a false honour threatened to be the definitive downfall of them all, he got on his knees, crying and begging for achilles to come back to his senses. and when that last resort didn't work, he suggested the plan and went into the battlefield, knowing full well he would be helpless if something went wrong and couldn't fight for shit, just for a chance to save his people. because he cared and couldn't sit by and watch as thousands of men died.
so yeah, the book may be about achilles and patroclus' tragic heartbreaking romance, how they're two halves of the same soul and their love is so strong and deep that one couldn't bear living without the other, and make me sob every time I reread it. but it is just as much about patroclus being kind, compassionate, courageous, devoted, true and completely loyal despite everything.
anyways, stan patroclus, the real hero of the trojan war, and thank you for coming to my ted talk.
vaporwave
blakekathryn
2087
dailybridgerton
stormborns
