Book Twenty-Three

While the Trojans grieve, the Greeks arrive back at their camp, and all but Achilles' (a-KIL-eez) men disperse to their separate ships. Achilles orders his troops to remain in battle dress and drive their chariots three times around the body of Patroclus (pa-TRAH-klus) in tribute to their fallen comrade. This done, they strip off their armor, which at this point is wet with tears. Achilles orders that a feast be prepared. He is offered a cauldron of hot water for a bath, but he declines to wash until Patroclus is placed on his funeral pyre. Meanwhile the body of Hector lies face down in the dust.

Hunger and thirst having been satisfied, the men bed down for the night. Worn out from running after Hector around the city of Troy, Achilles soon falls asleep. Patroclus comes to him in a dream and says that the shades of the dead won't let him join them until his burial rite has been performed. He asks that the ashes of his bones be mixed with those Achilles when his great friend has joined him in death.

In the morning, timber is harvested and stacked at a place that Achilles has chosen for the building of an immense burial mound for Patroclus and himself. Achilles' men mount their chariots, and the foot soldiers carry the body of Patroclus, now completely covered in locks of hair shorn from his comrades. They place Patroclus down at the chosen site and heap up the timber into a pyre. Achilles adds a lock of his own hair, which had been promised to a river god on the day of his return from Troy, a day that will never come.

The main body of troops are dismissed while those nearest and dearest to Patroclus perform the final preparations. The pile of timber is extended and the body of Patroclus placed upon it. The corpse is slathered with the fat of sacrificed cattle and sheep. Jars of honey and oil are leaned against the bier, while four horses are cast upon it. Of the nine dogs that had fed beneath the table of Patroclus, Achilles now slits the throats of two of them and throws them onto the pyre. Then he hacks up twelve Trojan warriors and sets fire to it all. "For you, Patroclus," he cries out, "flames will devour all but the body of Hector. Him will I feed to the dogs."

But the fire will not kindle, so Achilles calls on the North Wind and the West Wind, and these deities fan it into a roaring blaze. Finally at dawn the flames die down and the embers are quenched with wine. Achilles orders that the ashes of Patroclus be sealed in an urn until the time of his own death, and that a fitting burial mound be erected for Patroclus, to be enlarged when Achilles joins him.

Now it is time for the funeral games. Prizes are brought out for the chariot race. The contestants are Eumelus (yoo-MEE-lus), Diomedes (dy-uh-MEE-deez), Menelaus (meh-neh-LAY-us), Antilochus (an-TIL-uh-kus), and Meriones (meh-RY-uh-neez). The race begins in a great cloud of dust as the drivers lash their teams toward the tree stump marking the turn. Out of the turn Eumelus is in the lead with Diomedes so close behind him that his horses are almost in Eumelus' car. Now the god Apollo (uh-POL-oh) intervenes by knocking the whip out of Diomedes' hand.

With no way to lash his team, Diomedes quickly falls behind, but now Athena (a-THEE-nuh) gives him back his whip and puts strength into his horses. She breaks the yoke of Eumelus' chariot and his horses veer apart, causing the car to swerve from side to side and the yoke to plow into the ground. Eumelus is hurled from the chariot while Diomedes veers around the wreck and takes the lead. Menelaus is close behind, with Antilochus in third position.

Now Menelaus makes for a place where the track has been washed away into a narrow stretch, thinking that no one can pass him here. But Antilochus drives on outside the track, coming up closely behind. "Don't be so reckless!" shouts Menelaus. "Wait to pass until the track is wider or you will destroy us both." But Antilochus acts like he hasn't heard and Menelaus gives way to avoid a collision, allowing Antilochus to take the lead. Even though Menelaus is coming on strong as they reach the finish line, Diomedes is in first place, Antilochus is in second, and Menelaus third. Meriones finishes fourth, while Eumelus comes in last, dragging his chariot behind him.

While the runners-up are still crossing the finish line, Diomedes has already carried off the prize for first place, a woman skilled in handicrafts. Now Achilles takes pity on Eumelus and declares that he should have the prize for second. But Antilochus protests at being robbed of what is rightfully his and suggests that Achilles award a consolation prize out of the treasures on his ship. Achilles readily assents. But now Menelaus accuses Antilochus of beating him out of second place by guile instead of skill. Antilochus responds by acknowledging Menelaus as the elder and better man who well knows the impetuosity and foolishness of youth. Antilochus readily turns over the prize for second and offers any other treasure from his stores that Menelaus might prefer. This appeases Menelaus. who appreciates that Antilochus and his father Nestor have been suffering and toiling greatly on his behalf.

Achilles now calls for two men to come forward for a boxing match, and he offers a mule as the prize for the winner. Epeus (eh-PEE-us) declares that the prize is his, saying that he might not be the best warrior but he is the best fighter. He soon proves it by knocking out his opponent and then considerately hoisting him back to his feet so his friends can drag him away.

In the wrestling match that follows, the contestants are Great Ajax (AY-jax) and Odysseus (oh-DISS-yoos). They are so closely matched that as they grapple and strain neither can force a fall, and the audience is starting to get restless. So Ajax suggests that they take turns hoisting each other up. He goes first and lifts Odysseus over his head, but the crafty Odysseus kicks the back of his knee, drops him to the ground, and falls down on his chest. Now it is Odysseus' turn but he can barely budge Ajax, so he hooks his leg beind the other's and they both go down and scuffle in the dust. They would have gotten up a third time but Achilles calls a halt and awards them equal prizes.

For the footrace the contestants are Little Ajax, Odysseus, and Antilochus. From the start Ajax is in the lead and Odysseus is right behind him, but in the homestretch Odysseus prays to Athena and the goddess trips up Ajax. He slides into the dung from the cattle slain for Patroclus' funeral, and Odysseus comes in first. Taking the prize for second place, Ajax spits out dung and declares that Athena is always hovering over Odysseus like a mother, which causes the troops to roar with laughter.

Achilles now announces a duel in full armor between the two best fighters among the Greeks. The winner will be the first to pierce deep beneath the other's flesh. Great Ajax and Diomedes step forward and go at it eagerly. Ajax stabs through Diomedes' shield but fails to draw blood, and now Diomedes works to get at the other's throat around the top of his shield, with such persistence that the onlookers are afraid for Ajax and call for a halt and a sharing of the prize. Ajax carries off a suit of armor while Diomedes is awarded a silver-studded sword.

Polypoetes (po-li-PEE-teez) takes the prize for shot put, and now it is time for archery. A dove is tethered to the mast of a ship, and Achilles declares that first prize will go to whoever hits the dove and second to the one who misses but hits the tether cord. Of the two competitors, Teucer (TYOO-sur) goes first. Without thinking to offer a prayer to the archer god Apollo, he lets fly, misses the dove, but severs the cord, allowing the bird to dart up into the sky. Meriones snatches the bow from his hands and with a quick promise of a sacrifice to Apollo aims and shoots. The arrow catches the bird under the wing, passes through the heart, and lands at Meriones' feet. The bird plunges back to the mast, then lifeless to the earth.

The final contest is for spear throwing. When Agamemnon (a-guh-MEM-non) steps forward, Achilles declares that no one can match him and awards him the prize.