If you have never heard the story of Achilles, then you should probably stop reading this post and go read or watch any version of his story. For a little bit of background information, depending on the story, Achilles is a Greek Demi-God who was the son of the human king Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis (Who are a type of immortal, so they’re considered gods). In almost all versions of his story, he is the greatest warrior of all time. Mostly we view his battle exploits, and they are often through the eyes of other warriors or omniscient narrators but this time I chose to view Achilles in a way that I hadn’t before. Madeline Miller decided to take on the task of breathing new life into such a well-known and often retold story regarding the Hero of the Trojan War.
In “The Song of Achilles” Miller writes from the perspective of Patroclus who to many historians or scholars is the ward, squire, cousin or most of the time “Close Friend” of Achilles. However rather than washing away the possibility of them being anything more than a couple of bros, she embraces the idea the two were lovers. In this version of the story, we get to see Achilles still in all his capable masculine and warrior glory, but also through the eyes of a Lover. We get descriptions of his beauty or his gentleness rather than that of his savagery in combat. I am not to pretend we don’t get any combat savagery in the book because this remains mostly the same storyline. Though it does paint Achilles in a much sweeter light without some of the less redeemable things he may or may not have done in other stories. I picked two interactions between them that shows their relationship while keeping true to who Achilles was.
“Name one hero who was happy.”
(Miller, Madeline. The Song of Achilles)
I considered. Heracles went mad and killed his family; Theseus lost his bride and father; Jason’s children and new wife were murdered by his old; Bellerophon killed the Chimera but was crippled by the fall from Pegasus’ back.
“You can’t.” He was sitting up now, leaning forward.
“I can’t.”
“I know. They never let you be famous AND happy.” He lifted an eyebrow. “I’ll tell you a secret.”
“Tell me.” I loved it when he was like this.
“I’m going to be the first.” He took my palm and held it to his. “Swear it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the reason. Swear it.”
“I swear it,” I said, lost in the high color of his cheeks, the flame in his eyes.
“I swear it,” he echoed.
We sat like that a moment, hands touching. He grinned.
“I feel like I could eat the world raw.”
This moment shows them digging into their feelings about life together, with Achilles sharing his ambitions to be the first hero who was truly happy with his life. The next quote is more of their back-and-forth flirting, often fooling around with one another.
Achilles was looking at me. “Your hair never quite lies flat, here.” He touched my head, just behind my ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how I like it.”
(Miller, Madeline. The Song of Achilles)
My scalp prickled where his fingers had been. “You haven’t,” I said.
“I should have.” His hand drifted down to the vee at the base of my throat, drew softly across the pulse. “What about this? Have I told you what I think of this, just here?”
“No,” I said.
“This surely then.” His hand moved across the muscles of my chest; my skin warmed beneath it. “Have I told you of this?”
“That you have told me.” My breath caught a little as I spoke.
“And what of this?” His hand lingered over my hips, drew down the line of my thigh. “Have I spoken of it?”
“You have.”
“And this? Surely I would not have forgotten this.” His cat’s smile. “Tell me I did not.”
“You did not.”
“There is this too.” His hand was ceaseless now. “I know I have told you of this.”
I closed my eyes. “Tell me again,” I said.
Having the story told in a first person perspective, it was a much better idea to have this story narrated by Patroclus than Achilles himself because it would have been almost no different from the stories we had already seen or maybe even less believable. This truly was different, and oftentimes felt like I was reading Gay Fanfiction of the Iliad but nevertheless, it was good fanfiction to say the least. I was happy that none of his abilities or good masculine traits were removed in favor of making him more relatable, instead he was sweet and enjoyable to root for without much of the things that made him seem arrogant in the other stories. He did still know he was the best, but he wasn’t one to boast or beat Patroclus at things just because he could. It would be seen throughout the story that though we admire the gentleness of their affections, we don’t lose the capability to be violent or powerful when it is required.
I hope you stopped to go take in the story before I hit you with the major spoilers, because they’re incoming. This story is a Greek Tragedy and remains that even in this version, the Invincible hero is prophesied to die in a battle that he cannot seem to escape. While it is tragic on its own, we see it through the eyes of the man that truly loves him. Miller writes their love as unconditional, even should Achilles amount to nothing with his name lost to history, Patroclus would still be by his side. That is what makes their Deaths all the more devastating. Should a friend or cousin fall to battle, it is horrible however should your lover fall that adds a level of depth that is almost impossible to move past. The final passage of the story offers a unique closure to their story together that often most tragedy tends to leave in sorrow. Though their story in the world of the living is over, we get to feel their embrace in death.
“I have done it,” she says. At first I do not understand. But then I see the tomb, and the marks she has made on the stone. A C H I L L E S, it reads. And beside it, P A T R O C L U S.
“Go,” she says. “He waits for you.”In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.
(Miller, Madeline. The Song of Achilles)
Works Cited:
Miller, Madeline. The Song of Achilles. 1st ed, Ecco, 2012.
Featured Image:
Patroclus and Achilles (Hades Game) by Neil Larioza.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Qrv26Z
