The Song of Achilles

I am currently reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This is a fairly accurate story exploring the documented relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. In looking for an adequate quote from the author to explain the accuracy, I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself. I'm going to share the partial quote so as to not spoil the ending for anyone else! Miller states, "I stole it from Plato! The idea that Patroclus and Achilles were lovers is quite old. Many Greco-Roman authors read their relationship as a romantic one—it was a common and accepted interpretation in the ancient world. We even have a fragment from a lost tragedy of Aeschylus, where Achilles speaks of his and Patroclus' 'frequent kisses.' There is a lot of support for their relationship in the text of the Iliad itself, though Homer never makes it explicit." You can find this quote on Miller's website: http://www.madelinemiller.com/q-a-the-song-of-achilles/

I have always been fascinated by mythology and appreciate many of the classic stories such as the Odyssey and the Iliad, but I have never had a mythological story pull me in so deeply. Patroclus, an exiled prince, was welcomed into the kingdom of Phthia by the king Peleus. Peleus was known for fostering boys and welcomed Patroclus into his kingdom. Peleus' son, Achilles, took a liking to Patroclus and invited him to be his sworn companion, though up until this point he had refused all of his father's suggested companions. The boys were eleven when their lived entwined. They grew together until, one day, Achilles' mother, the sea-nymph Thetis, saw Patroclus kiss Achilles and had Achilles sent to train with Chiron, a skilled centaur. Patroclus woke hours later and could not bare to be separated from Achilles. He ran to the mountains in hopes of catching up to Achilles before the palace guards discovered his absence. Achilles had been waiting for him in the forest and convinced Chiron to allow him to stay. So Achilles and Patroclus stayed and trained with Chiron for three years, until a palace herald was sent to escort the prince and companion back to the palace. It was then that the two young men, only fifteen, were told of the brewing war with Troy. This is, of course, the famous war of Troy, set into motion by the capturing of Helen. The king and his men wanted Achilles, the best of the Greeks, to lead his people in the war against Troy, but Achilles wanted no part of this. He was destined to be a great warrior, but believed there would be other wars. His mother, Thetis, did not want him to go to wr and stole him from his bed in the night, hiding him away in Scyros. Patroclus woke to find him gone and convinced the king to tell him where he had gone. Patroclus went after Achilles and they were reunited until Achilles' cover was blown and they were recruited for the war. They sailed back to Phthia to prepare.

This has been an amazing story to get lost in. I would definitely use this in an upper level classroom, where the mature content could be better accepted. It teaches Greek mythology in such a capturing way, and would enable a lesson surrounding homosexuality as the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is hard to write off. I think such a diverse story would be a welcome change to the stale teaching of mythology and I think students could appreciate the emotional pull it has on the reader. You're not only learning of the gods and the war, but you're invested into it emotionally, something the Iliad could never do.