Professor Edith Hall

He has absolute loyalty from his men because unlike Agamemnon, he will always lead from the front. He'll take every risk they do. He'll do anything for them. And the Myrmidons, he withdraws from the war as well. So they spend their time. Achilles plays the lyre. He becomes a poet who sings songs. Patroclus, his boyfriend, has got pet dogs.

He has absolute loyalty from his men because unlike Agamemnon, he will always lead from the front. He'll take every risk they do. He'll do anything for them. And the Myrmidons, he withdraws from the war as well. So they spend their time. Achilles plays the lyre. He becomes a poet who sings songs. Patroclus, his boyfriend, has got pet dogs.

He has absolute loyalty from his men because unlike Agamemnon, he will always lead from the front. He'll take every risk they do. He'll do anything for them. And the Myrmidons, he withdraws from the war as well. So they spend their time. Achilles plays the lyre. He becomes a poet who sings songs. Patroclus, his boyfriend, has got pet dogs.

And they retire to their tent and actually have this rather idyllic thing. It's ambiguous about homoeroticism. They are madly in love with each other, Achilles and Patroclus, but actually they both sleep with women in this tent.

And they retire to their tent and actually have this rather idyllic thing. It's ambiguous about homoeroticism. They are madly in love with each other, Achilles and Patroclus, but actually they both sleep with women in this tent.

And they retire to their tent and actually have this rather idyllic thing. It's ambiguous about homoeroticism. They are madly in love with each other, Achilles and Patroclus, but actually they both sleep with women in this tent.

So they're having this idyllic time, sort of sex and music and all the rest of it, while all the other Achilles are not doing very well on the battlefield because they haven't got Achilles.

So they're having this idyllic time, sort of sex and music and all the rest of it, while all the other Achilles are not doing very well on the battlefield because they haven't got Achilles.

So they're having this idyllic time, sort of sex and music and all the rest of it, while all the other Achilles are not doing very well on the battlefield because they haven't got Achilles.

Well, he's crucial. And again, the artistry of Homer, Patroclus most unusually has the attribute of gentleness. And we're told everybody loved him because he was so gentle. This is paradoxical in an Iliadic warrior. But for example, Briseis... Loves him. She's Asiatic. She loves this friend, which she's given back to Achilles.

Well, he's crucial. And again, the artistry of Homer, Patroclus most unusually has the attribute of gentleness. And we're told everybody loved him because he was so gentle. This is paradoxical in an Iliadic warrior. But for example, Briseis... Loves him. She's Asiatic. She loves this friend, which she's given back to Achilles.

Well, he's crucial. And again, the artistry of Homer, Patroclus most unusually has the attribute of gentleness. And we're told everybody loved him because he was so gentle. This is paradoxical in an Iliadic warrior. But for example, Briseis... Loves him. She's Asiatic. She loves this friend, which she's given back to Achilles.

And we learn that she says she really loved him because he was kind to her. He was actually kind to a captive slave girl. And because he said he would help her to get Achilles to marry her, which would move her up from being bride of the spear, as they used to call it in 19th century translations, basically a rape victim, war rape victim. If she actually got married, she should secure her future.

And we learn that she says she really loved him because he was kind to her. He was actually kind to a captive slave girl. And because he said he would help her to get Achilles to marry her, which would move her up from being bride of the spear, as they used to call it in 19th century translations, basically a rape victim, war rape victim. If she actually got married, she should secure her future.

And we learn that she says she really loved him because he was kind to her. He was actually kind to a captive slave girl. And because he said he would help her to get Achilles to marry her, which would move her up from being bride of the spear, as they used to call it in 19th century translations, basically a rape victim, war rape victim. If she actually got married, she should secure her future.

So you've got this person who's given real moral attributes, which are most rare in this poem, that he's even kind to slave women. And he is a little older than Achilles. He's a sort of an adoptive brother. He was brought up. He'd fled to Achilles' household because he'd accidentally killed someone. Well, not quite accidentally, actually, but he'd made a big mistake as a young man.

So you've got this person who's given real moral attributes, which are most rare in this poem, that he's even kind to slave women. And he is a little older than Achilles. He's a sort of an adoptive brother. He was brought up. He'd fled to Achilles' household because he'd accidentally killed someone. Well, not quite accidentally, actually, but he'd made a big mistake as a young man.

So you've got this person who's given real moral attributes, which are most rare in this poem, that he's even kind to slave women. And he is a little older than Achilles. He's a sort of an adoptive brother. He was brought up. He'd fled to Achilles' household because he'd accidentally killed someone. Well, not quite accidentally, actually, but he'd made a big mistake as a young man.

He'd fled, was brought up alongside Achilles. So they're brought up as brothers, but because they're not actually brothers by blood, a very, very intense relationship. forms between them. In other ancient Greek sources, it's unashamedly homoerotic. Homer doesn't have homoerotic relationships in the Iliad.

He'd fled, was brought up alongside Achilles. So they're brought up as brothers, but because they're not actually brothers by blood, a very, very intense relationship. forms between them. In other ancient Greek sources, it's unashamedly homoerotic. Homer doesn't have homoerotic relationships in the Iliad.