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- Patroclus was the man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life.
- —Achilles, Book XVII of the Iliad by Homer
Patrochilles is the slash ship between Achilles and Patroclus that is present in multiple fandoms, including, The Iliad, Hades, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, DC Comics and Fate.
Canon[]
When they met, Patroclus was a scrawny, awkward boy, neglected and scorned by his father, a king, while Achilles, also the son of a king, was considered a skilled and beautiful kid, born from his father’s union with a goddess and headed for a future of glory. When Patroclus is banished to Achilles’ kingdom after a horrible accident that leads to his disinheritance, he is alone and has already learned his own inconsequence. He becomes a loner. Achilles changes that. He finds the boy hiding from the other foster children at his father’s house and offers him a chance to attend his own lessons and be his companion, so he won’t be punished for avoiding the other boys.
Achilles tending Patroclus wounded by an arrow, identified by inscriptions on the upper part of the vase. Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix, ca. 500 BC. From Vulci
They go out to the practice field and Patroclus convinces a reluctant Achilles to showcase his fighting skills. Achilles obliges, but it is the only time he has ever practiced with another boy. Usually he is forbidden to do so because his skills so surpass the others. Later, in their teenage years, they keep spending a lot of time together, and become separately close to each other. Achilles becomes one of, if not the, best fighters amongst the Greek, viciously killing people with no remorse. However, he maintains his inseparable and strong relationship with Patroclus up until Patroclus’ death.
Although Achilles absolutely refused to return to battle even when Patroclus begged him, he gave his friend his special divine armor so that he could lead the people. This was the armor that his mother had given to him and that meant the world to him. This act was so totally unselfish and showed the trust that Achilles had in Patroclus.
When Achilles finds out about Patroclus' death, he bursts into tears, tearing his hair and throwing himself on the ground. His sorrowful lament is heard by his mother, Thetis, and she comes to comfort him. She points out that if Achilles avenges Patroclus, he himself will be killed. Despite his mother's warning, however, Achilles chooses to undertake this risk, so great is his love for Patroclus. Thetis therefore promises to procure new armor for her son from the god Hephaistos to replace the armor that was captured by Hektor.
After Patroclus' death, Achilles was completely and utterly devastated and heartbroken. He mourned him so much that he replaced his usual beautiful clothing with clothes of mourning. “A mist of black grief enveloped Achilles. He scooped up fistfuls of sunburn dust and poured it on his head fouling his beautiful face. Black ash grimed his fine-spun cloak…, and lay there, tearing out his hair with his hands.” (Iliad, Book XVIII) He was miserable because he felt responsible for Patroclus’ death, thinking that if only he had stopped him from going out to battle and not given him his armor. He couldn’t rest until he retrieved Patroclus’ body because he couldn’t bear the thought of Patroclus' body being mutilated by his enemies.
Meanwhile, the Achaians, who are bearing away the body of Patroclus, are given close pursuit by the Trojans, so Achilles (at the suggestion of Hera) appears at the Achaian trench and shouts his ferocious and furious war cry. The sound of this mighty war cry strikes terror into the hearts of the Trojans, and they retreat in panic. Achilles' sorrow is intensified by the sight of Patroclus' dead body. Achilles vows to kill Hektor and to slaughter twelve Trojan warriors on the funeral pyre of Patroclus. Meanwhile, Patroclus' dead body is washed clean and laid out in state in Achilles' tent.
Achilles, known for brutally killing thousands of people, tenderly prepared Patroclus’ body for burial. He washed it, anointed it with olive oil, put ointment on his wounds, laid him on his bed on soft cloth, and mourned for him throughout the night. He became consumed with thoughts of the life they shared and felt so very lonely. “He tossed and turned, yearning for Patroclus. For his manhood and his noble heart, and all they had done together" (Iliad, Book XVIII).
Achilles takes it upon himself to avenge Patroclus' death. Achilles also requests that when he dies, his ashes be mixed with Patroclus'. The two both end up dying by the end of the Iliad and Achilles' wish is respected, as he and Patroclus' ashes get mixed together for eternity on a golden urn. However, they do reappear in the Odyssey. Odysseus sees that they are still together in the Underworld, their love transcending their mortal bodies.
DC Comics[]
Achilles and Patroclus were famous Greek heroes of ancient times, having fought together in the Trojan War, but Patroclus perished first, provoking Achilles' legendary rage against the Trojans to avenge the death of his boon companion.[1] Achilles' exploits in Troy have cemented his legacy for nearly three thousand years. He died with an arrow shot in his heel, which led to the creation of the term "Achilles' Heel".[2]
New Earth[]
In the modern era, when Alkyone and her Amazon followers attempt to take over Paradise Island, a resurrected Achilles, king of the all-male warrior tribe of the Gargareans, supports Wonder Woman and the rest of the Amazons, and they decide to work together. After this, Achilles and Diana not only become allies, but close friends.
Their friendship is further solidified when Achilles decides that he needs to learn about the current world, not just ancient Greece and the Olympians society. He starts looking for a house, and Diana sets him up with the real estate agent, Patrick Cleese. Achilles instantly recognizes Patrick as his reincarnated lover from ancient times, Patroclus. This is really significant because Achilles had been feeling lonely in this new world, missing his lover. And Diana realized this and arranged this meeting between the two lovers. After realizing this, Achilles smiles to himself, thinking about the fact that Diana has thought of everything to make him feel at home, and now he doesn't feel alone anymore.
Prime Earth[]
Achilles and Patroclus went down in history as great heroes. However, the neo-Nazi vampire Count Berlin tried to cast a spell with the bones of Patroclus to alter history and make the world remember them only as cousins. Count Berlin's plans were thwarted by the combined action of the magician Extraño and the vigilante Midnighter, preserving the history of the two warrior lovers.[3]
Known for his bravery, the essence of Achilles, as part of the Shazam Pantheon, bestows great courage upon the super-heroes known as Shazam and the Shazam Family.[4] However, as his shadow spends the afterlife in the cold Hades, he regrets that he chose to die early for undying heroic glory, rather than live a long life as a humble farmer.[5]
Hades (Video Game)[]
In Hades, after Achilles made a deal with Hades to save the soul of his beloved, Patroclus can be found in his chamber Elysium, the domain closest to the surface, and it's the only shade friendly to Zagreus in the domain. In his quest to escape the underworld, Zagreus helps reunite the lost lovers.
The first step to reuniting the lovers is finding them within the Underworld. As Zagreus' mentor, Achilles is one of the characters who players can interact with in the House of Hades from the start of the game. He's on the left side of the house, where he offers Zagreus advice and support. Then later on in the game, Patroclus can be found inside a chamber at Elysium. Along with Eurydice and Sisyphus, he's one of the few shades who won't attack players, instead offering items.
To unlock conversations with Achilles and Patroclus, players need to give them enough Nectar. This will max out Zagreus' relationships with them, allowing players to find out just how much the pair miss each other. Eventually, Patroclus will ask Zagreus to pass on the message, "Risk it all," to Achilles. Upon doing so, Achilles is emboldened to alter his deal with Hades so that can visit Elysium and see Patroclus.
After the chamber has been purchased, Achilles' contract has to be found. Once found, Achilles' contract can be sent to the House Contractor for the necessary revisions. Players will have access to it after Zagreus' next run, but Hades charges five diamonds for the work. Following the purchase, the pact will be altered despite Hades' grumblings about it tarnishing the Underworld's reputation.
As soon as Achilles receives the good news and is told where to find Patroclus, he teleports away from his post in the Underworld. The happy couple can be seen on subsequent runs, standing side by side in Elysium. They'll thank Zagreus for his help, and Achilles will eventually give him a Chthonic Companion. Achilles will go back and forth between the House of Hades and Elysium for the rest of the game.
The Song of Achilles[]
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Camp Half-Blood Chronicles[]
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Fate[]
In life, during the Trojan War, Achilles witnessed Hector kill Patroclus. This enraged Achilles, and he quickly challenged Hector to a one-on-one fight that ended with the Trojan hero's death. Even after Hector's death, Achilles continued his revenge for Patroclus by dragging his body behind his chariot before continuing to slaughter other Trojans. However, this revenge was seen as too much for Apollo, who switched sides and gave the hero Paris the needed guidance to kill Achilles[6].
Quotes[]
- “A black cloud of grief came shrouding over Achilles. Both hands clawing the ground for soot and filth, he poured it over his head, fouled his handsome face and black ashes settled onto his fresh clean war-shirt. Overpowered in all his power, sprawled in the dust, Achilles lay there, fallen... tearing his hair, defiling it with his own hands”
- — Book XVII of the Iliad by Homer
- “Very different was the reward of the true love of Achilles towards his lover Patroclus… And greatly as the gods honour the virtue of love, still the return of love on the part of the beloved to the lover is more admired and valued and rewarded by them, for the lover is more divine.”
- — Apollodorus of Phaleron, Symposium
The Song of Achilles[]
- “I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
- “He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”
- “I thought of how many nights I had lain awake in this room loving him in silence. Later, Achilles pressed close for a final, drowsy whisper, ‘If you have to go, you know I will go with you.’ We slept.”
- “Patroclus. Achilles did not slur my name, as people often did, running it together as if in a hurry to be rid of it. Instead, he rang each syllable: pa-tro-clus.”
- “You are a terribly real thing in a terribly false world and that, I believe, is why you’re in so much pain.”
- “I think you know how to love better than any of us. That’s why you find it all so painful.”
- “I thought if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.”
- “He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend I had none.”
- “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
- “The sorrow was so large it threatened to tear through my skin. When he (Achilles) died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.”
- “And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.”
- “I did not plan to live after he was gone.”
- “Achilles weeps. He cradles me, and will not eat, not speak a word other than my name. I see his face as if through water, as a fish sees the sun. His tears fall, but I cannot wipe them away. This is my element now, the half-life of the unburied spirit.”
- “The never-ending ache of love and sorrow. Perhaps in some other life I could have refused, could have torn my hair and screamed, and made [Achilles] face his choice alone. But not in this one. He would sail to Troy and I would follow, even in death.”
Hades (Video Game)[]
- “Lad, all this generosity, I... don't want you to get the wrong idea... I'm alone, yes, but my heart belongs to another, ever since I was alive.”
- — Achiles talks about Patroclus.
- Achilles – “I was a fool, you see. The Gods promised me eternal glory beyond death. I could have stayed out of the war. Stayed home with Patroclus. I threw everything away and sent so very many to this place.”
- Zagreus – “What's done is done, sir. In my mind you're the greatest warrior who ever lived. So is it glory you still seek, or is it Patroclus?”
- Achilles – “It isn't glory anymore lad, I'm sure of that. Patroclus, however, I... fear he's gone to me, forever. Although his shade might yet reside within this realm, we left on terms I'd not forgive if I were him. Though... I had better get back to my post now, I think.”
- Zagreus – “Within Elysium, I happened on a shade. It's your Patroclus. He's all right, but he seems like he's known better times than these. Is there something I should say to him, if I run into him again?”
- Achilles – “Oh! Well, then, please send him my regards. And... all my love. I think of him always. But I cannot see him any longer. And you mustn't ask me why, do you understand?”
- “He was... one of the only men I knew who did not look upon me as a threat. He saw something in me I never knew was there. And in turn, with him, I felt... how to describe it? Calm. Whole. He had this wry humor about him. Like he was wise beyond his years. A quality I trust shall see him through his struggles now. Although... I hoped residing in Elysium would mean he wouldn't have to struggle any longer.”
- — Achilles
- Zagreus – “Achilles, would you... tell me something more of Patroclus? You mentioned you were very close.”
- Achilles – “We could have been no closer. The ashes of our bodies yet mingle together somewhere on the surface there. What can I tell you, lad? I loved him with all my heart. And he left me too soon.”
- “When we were both alive, I thought you were invincible. I knew of no one, nothing stronger, other than the love we shared. Was I deceived, in thinking this of you, of us?”
- — Patroclus, thinking to himself.
- “I do think... truly must the Gods despise us, each in turn, to have divided us like this.”
- — Patroclus, thinking to himself.
- Patroclus – “A question, if you don't mind, stranger? Because, I've had one nagging at me since we last discussed the subject. What exactly happened to Achilles, can you say? After I died, that is. I've heard the rumors, but I don't trust any of this boastful lot.”
- Zagreus – “Well, from what I gathered, sir... After you fell, he was overcome with grief. And anger. He joined the war. Just like you urged. And, single-handedly, he almost ended it.”
- Patroclus – “So then, he threw away his life. Soon enough after I lost mine. Yet, despite vanquishing an army on his own, he wound up in the lowest pits of Tartarus? Instead of here, among the great?”
- Zagreus – “You should know, sir. You were buried together. Your ashes. that is. It was his final request. As for how he came to be at my father's house, that's something I think he can best explain. And I will do everything I can to make sure that he has the opportunity.”
- Patroclus – “... Our ashes, you say. Together? Tsk. The fool. We could have lived. Not been reduced to meal for the worms. But... I appreciate the information, stranger. Now... please, go.”
- Zagreus – “(After Achilles and Patroclus reunite) Come, Achilles, I want details, here! What happened with you two? If you don't mind.”
- Achilles – “Hahaha, well. Thankfully, your efforts meant that no words really needed to be said, when I arrived. He simply said my name. Then, we just... were. Two souls together in one spot. The way shades linger, it looks mournful, right? But it isn't always. [...] Lots of making up for lost time. And finally we have some time to spare. It's odd, because so many of my memories of him are from a time of war. Now, we can make new memories in peace.”
- Patroclus – “Achilles is returned to work for now... but, waiting for him, knowing he'll return... rather than waiting for the sake of it, for nothing... such a different feeling, stranger. I'd forgotten it entirely, I think.”
- Zagreus – “I'm happy for the both of you. So, is everything all right, then? The circumstances under which you were separated in life... it's unimaginable, really. How does one move on from a thing like that?”
- Patroclus – “Anger fades, I guess, stranger. Even the famous anger of Achilles. Anger burns hot, then burns out. What's left is a dull ache, but... underneath it, there was something else. It felt as though... well, I was still alive. That feeling... it's worth holding onto.”
DC Comics[]
- Misplaced, I might be, but alone? Perhaps not.
- —Achilles, after meeting his reincarnated lover, Patroclus, in the new earth.
Fanon[]
Patrochilles is one of the most popular, iconic and beloved couples in all of mythology. Their relationship has been part of academic, media and fandom analysis for as long as their love story has existed. So much so, that widely-known historical philosophers like Plato and Socrates, who described them as the "poster-boys of love between males,"[7] made analysis about their love story. Due to the conservative and Christian censorship their relationship has gotten over the years (for example, the Medieval Christian writers deliberately suppressed the homoerotic nuances of their story)[8], fans nowadays have the recurring joke that many other queer historical figures' treatment subscribe to, which is the famous meme line that says "historians would call them besties, pals, buddies."[9] The same was joked about when it came to the extremely historically inaccurate[10] Hollywood movie "Troy," where the two lovers are depicted as "cousins" (something the movie can't stop mentioning), something fans noticed that Hollywood did at the time to try and "no homo" these two lovers' story.
After "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller was published, the love story of Achilles and Patroclus became extremely popular amongst a younger generation that might've not been so familiar with their relationship. And therefore, all types of fanworks online about the pair were made: videos, fan arts, fan fictions (usually setting the two in a modern setting), and even music. The novel also helped sparked interet back to Achilles and Patroclus story in history, mythology and The Iliad itself. Within the Hades fandom, it is popular to interpret Song of Achilles as the definitive example of their shared backstory in the game, nothing in Hades directly contradicts its events as it picks up where the book's story would've ended. People have also commented that Hades' Achilles and Patroclus heavily resemble common depictions of the two of them in fanart, with Patroclus being described as having darker skin than Achilles (which has some basis in history, scholars speculate that Patroclus' hometown of Opus was located somewhere in modern day Turkey).
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Achilles/Patroclus tag on AO3
- Achilles/Patroclus of Opus tag on AO3
- Achilles/Patroclus (Song of Achilles) tag on AO3
- Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game) tag on AO3
- Achilles/Patroclus (Percy Jackson) tag on AO3
- Achilles/Patroclus stories on FanFiction.Net
- Patrochilles stories on Wattpad
- FAN ART
- Patrochilles search results on DeviantArt
- Patrochilles tag on DeviantArt
- Patrochilles tag on Pixiv
- Patrochilles hashtag on Instagram
- TIKTOK
- Patrochilles tag on TikTok
- TUMBLR
- Patrochilles posts on Tumblr
- Achilles x Patroclus posts on Tumblr
- Patrochilles tag on Tumblr
- Achilles x Patroclus tag on Tumblr
- Patrochilles posts on Twitter
- Patrochilles hashtag on Twitter
- WIKI
- Achilles and Patroclus on Wikipedia
- Achilles/Patroclus on Fanlore
Trivia[]
- In Greek, Patrochilles is written as Πατροτσίλλης.
- Marwan Kenzari, who plays Joe in The Old Guard, has compared Nicky and Joe's relationship to Achilles and Patroclus several times.[11]
- “In Greek mythology, and I especially thought of Achilles and Patroclus, they have this indescribable attachment, a huge rope that goes from Achilles’s heart to Patroclus’s heart — or, at least when reading Homer, that’s that I thought it was. Joe and Nicky, their souls are connected, and therefore I had the thought of bringing a little bit of Greek mythology back into my preparation — without making it too pretentious! You’re trying to figure out where to start from, and that’s where I started from.”
- — Marwan Kenzari for Venture
References[]
- ↑ Weird War Tales Special (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ Deathstroke (Volume 2) #6
- ↑ DC Pride #1
- ↑ Justice League: The Darkseid War: Shazam! #1
- ↑ Lucifer (Volume 3) #12
- ↑ Fate/Apocrypha - Volume 2, Chapter 2-18
- ↑ Hellenic Museum
- ↑ King, Katherine Callen (1987) Achilles: Paradigms of the War Hero from Homer to the Middle Ages, Berkele
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ [3]
[]
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| Iliad Ships • Iliad Characters | |||
| SHIPS | het | Haris • Henelaos • Hectromache | |
| slash | OdyDio • Patrochilles | ||
| CHARACTERS | male | Odysseus | |
 | |||
| Hades Ships • Hades Characters | |||
| SHIPS | het | Aphermes • Aphrodares • Aphronysus • Ariadnysus • Hephrodite • MegZag • OdyCirce • Orphydice • Persades • Posera • ZeusHera | |
| slash | Patrochilles • ThanZag • Wine & Song | ||
| poly | ThanMegZag • Zagtrochilles | ||
| family | Olympian Twins • Orpheus & Hermes | ||
| friend | Zagdusa | ||
| CHARACTERS | male | Dionysus • Hades • Heracles • Odysseus • Orpheus • Poseidon • Zagreus | |
| female | Aphrodite | ||
 | ||
| Camp Half-Blood Chronicles Ships • Camp Half-Blood Chronicles Characters | ||
| SHIPS | het | Amphiseidon • Aphermes • Aphrodares • Aphronysus • Ariadnysus • Caleo • Frazel • Hephrodite • HermIris • Jeyna • Jiper • Lukabeth • Percabeth • Perlypso • Persades • Posera • ZeusHera |
| slash | The Demigod Who Lived • Hyapollo • Patrochilles • Percico • Solangelo • Valgrace | |
| femslash | Athenike • Medusathena • Pipabeth • Ruegard • Zartemis | |
| non-binary | Fierrochase | |
| poly | Aphroestus | |
| family | Olympian Twins | |
| friend | Half-Blood Trio • The Seven | |
| CHARACTERS | male | Hades • Percy Jackson • Poseidon |
| female | Annabeth Chase • Aphrodite | |
 | |||
| Fate Ships • Fate Characters | |||
| SHIPS | het | Cleosar • Diarturia • Gilturia • KirIri • OdyCirce • ShiRin • ShiSaber • ShiSaku | |
| slash | Patrochilles | ||
| non-binary | NeroHaku • TamaHaku | ||
| CHARACTERS | male | Arthur Pendragon • Henry Jekyll • Heracles • Merlin • Odysseus • Robin Hood | |