In the past week, I was searching for books related to the classical world, at which point I remember that my teacher had graciously put a suggested reading list on google classroom. After deliberating several titles within my head I decided upon reading “The song of Achilles.” To start with I should mention that Achilles and Patroclus were never my favourite characters from the Iliad. My favourites from the epic tale being: Agamemnon (perhaps not that surprising), Diomedes, The Great Ajax ( I intend to read his play also) and Odysseus. The majority of these characters I have chosen simply because of how awesome they are and how they tear the Trojans to bits (The Greater Ajax and Diomedes), however, I like Odysseus for his cunning and my partiality to Agamemnon could perhaps being summarised by a part of the story I am yet to critique. Yet despite this, I can safely say that thanks to this retelling, my favourite characters, without a shadow of a doubt are Achilles and Patroclus, and that this is probably my favourite book that I have read yet.
I think that myths being retold has its pro’s and con’s, for one they introduce today’s younger generation to the exciting world of ancient Greece and all it contains, however they can often stray away from the actual myth and so must be taken with a pinch of salt. That being said, this book was such a pleasure to read, because not only was it entertaining but it stuck to the same storyline.
The first scene that I am going to talk about is in Chapter eighteen. The kings are on an island with their armies, all convening together before they lay siege to Priam’s high walls, constructed by Apollo himself. However, they can’t set off due to no wind to help the ships sail. Calchas, Agamemnon’s chief priest, stated that the goddess Artemis is offended and that they can solve this by hosting a wedding. And so Agamemnon offers Achilles his daughter’s hand in marriage (Iphigenia). Upon the day of the wedding Iphigenia moves towards Achilles and stumbles only “she wasn’t falling, she was being dragged backwards.” Diomedes (one of my favourite heroes) dragged her backwards and “beat her down to a stone surface” at which point Agamemnon yanks a knife from his belt and cuts the girl’s throat. With his daughter’s blood on his hands, he spoke and said: “The goddess is appeased.” For me, I think that this is such a great scene from the story for what happens during this scene and afterwards. I think of this as such a pivotal moment in the plot because it establishes that Achilles and Patroclus were no longer boys studying nature and medicine, with Chiron, and now they were beginning their descent into the dark, gloomy depths of the Trojan war. It’s also the moment, aside from Patroclus’ death, where I think Achilles’ innocence begins to fade. Afterwards, Patroclus approaches Odysseus angrily, and questions him, stating that if it was his wife he would never go through with it, to which he replies by saying “I would not have. But perhaps that is why Agamemnon is king of Mycenae, and I rule only Ithaca.” To which I respond to your perplexed face asking “Armaan, why on Earth do you like Agamemnon, a man who is perhaps one of the most hated characters within the Iliad. To which I respond Agamemnon is the man. He does whatever it takes, if you’re familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe you should see just how similar Agamemnon is to Thanos. Both do what is necessary, even when others know what should be done. Both sacrificed their daughter and both emerged victorious in the end. That is until Avengers Endgame and when Clytemnestra murdered him.
Another thing that is so great with this book is that it changes your opinion on different characters. Like I mentioned, I always thought of Achilles and Patroclus as being two whiny girls too focused on their pride, willing to let Greek soldiers die just to protect their honour. Whereas now I see that, despite him being awesome, Agamemnon was the one who let his vanity take the reins and control him (despite his numerous attempts afterwards to win Achilles’ support over with treasures).
I also never realised how much I hated Thetis. Throughout the entire story, she shows nothing but contempt and disgust for Patroclus wishing he was dead several times. In the story after being hidden away in King Lycomedes’ palace by Thetis so that he wouldn’t have to go and battle with Troy as his death was already mentioned in a prophecy. Odysseus and Diomedes have discovered him and are now talking to him and Patroclus saying that if Achilles was indeed to go to war, then he would indeed gain eternal fame and glory. Thetis angered by this, burst into the room, Achilles asks her if this is true however she states that if he goes to war then he shall not return. Then Achilles asks what should I do, pale with fear, to which Thetis replies “Do not ask me to choose” and she vanishes. After this point, I hated Thetis probably more than Hector for killing Patroclus. However, she does redeem herself in the end with what is perhaps one of the nicest endings to a greek myth that I have seen. At this point Achilles’ ashes are buried in his tomb however Patroclus is separate and unable to go to him. Thetis visits him frequently, upon which, despite hating her, Patroclus recited to her his memories of Achilles and in her eyes, she shows sadness as well as regret for stating to Achilles that his son is better than him, the son who has been killed by orestes, Agamemnon’s son (I also want to read the Oresteia) for “ravishing his wife). A fitting end for Neoptolemus for murdering Briseis and Hector’s baby son. In the end, Thetis and him bond over the memories of his son, and she inscribed something on the tomb so it said “Achilles” and beside it “Patroclus.” She says “go, He waits for you.” And in the end they are reunited like and it is as if “light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.” For me this end was incredibly satisfying and despite many criticisms by people, saying that there isn’t enough fighting and ferocity in the book, seeing both Achilles and Patroclus grow up together, fall in love, fight together and in the end united in the underworld makes up what I think to be a fantastic story.
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