Essay: Patroclus the Hero

Dictionary.com defines a Classic Mythological hero as "a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity" or " an immortal being". I would personally describe a hero as someone who personifies courage and overcomes obstacles to perform acts that can be seen as noble. Patroclus in Homer's Illiad may not conform to the Classical Mythological hero but in my description of a hero Patroclus fits the mold.

Patroclus was faced with a tough situation in the story The Deeds and Death of Patroclus when his best friend, Achilles, chose to not fight in the battle against the Trojans due to his spoils being taken from him. This can be described as the obstacle that Patroclus had to overcome. He knew that by going against what Achilles was trying to achieve by staying out of the battle he could lose his friend. He chose to do what was right anyways and told Achilles as much. By choosing to join the battle he showed courageous traits and a great sense of moral right and wrong. He also knew that the possibility of death was great since a large number of the Greek's best warriors had already been slain. This in itself could be seen as a heroic act but Patroclus also showed more "traditional" traits of a hero once he entered battle. 

Achilles mourning the death of Patroclus (Wikipedia).

In battle Patroclus donned the armour of Achilles and showed many acts of heroism and courage. He started out by taking on the son of Zeus, Sarpedon, and took down the great Trojan hero with his spear. He then took Hector head on in a battle to the death after charging into the Trojan army many times with no regard to caution. Although Patroclus ultimately died at the hands of Hector by doing so he showed tremendous courage and pride by continually taking on warriors that were thought to be largely better men than he. He did not care that he was outnumbered or was not considered the mighty warriors that these two were. Patroclus fought for what he believed in and stood up to the known dangers he would encounter.  

Patroclus may not have been regarded by his people as a great hero such as the likes of Achilles or that of Hector but in my eyes he was a hero equal to them. He did what was right even when he knew he could lose friends and ultimately paid the price of death for fighting for his beliefs. He took on the responsibility of Achilles and did so without being asked to. Patroclus definitely fits the mold of a hero in my book.