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[screamingcryingnotyetdieing]

Hector could not kill Patroclus by himself

I can’t find the original post that I wanted to add onto so if anyone knows what I’m talking about please tell me so I can credit them.

I saw this post the other day that was talking about how Hector was not the only one who killed Patroclus. To be accurate Apollo pushed him off the wall of Troy 4 times before screaming back Olympian born Patroclus. Then he fully fell off the wall where he was met with Euphorbus who stabbed him through his shoulder blades until finally Hector killed him by stabbing him in the stomach.

Achilles could not go after a god (even though he tries, go read book 21 Achilles fights the river. It’s my favourite book) so he can’t kill Apollo, Menelaus already killed Euphorbus in the fight for Patroclus’ body so all that is left is Hector for him to turn all his anger onto.

Hector knew he was killing Patroclus even though he was in Achilles’ armour, I can’t remember if this is explicitly stated but it is implied when Apollo screams at him. Anyways I’m so sick of people putting the full blame on Hector because Patroclus was so angry that he killed Sarpedon and may have been able to hold his own against Hector because he is a pretty good fighter. Hector could not have killed Patroclus by himself.

It could be argued that Achilles also had a part to play in the death of Patroclus because he refused to fight in his furor. It was his own actions that directly lead to the set up for Patroclus’ death. He gave libations to Zeus in order for the safe return of Patroclus and to save the ships but he could only have one. It was his own decision to withdraw from the war and that action had the consequences of Patroclus’ death. He could not turn his wrath on Apollo, Euphorbus or himself so he channeled it all into the brutal maltreatment of Hectors body in a show of a complete lack of clemency to his enemy.

Tell me what you think because I have never heard this perspective before.