Welcome back, Obscurians! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends and is having a pleasant Monday. I kicked my weekend off the right way, with a fantastic Friday night poetry slam at the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe in East Village If you’ve never gone, I highly recommend it. Tickets are cheap ($15-$25), the drinks are strong, and the talent is undeniable. Go there with friends, go with a date, go by yourself and get inspired. No matter what, you’ll walk out of the building afterwards secure in the knowledge that you’ve just witnessed something incredible, and unique to this beautiful city.
Who here loves Ancient Greek mythology? I know I do. Growing up, my first introduction to polytheism was through that of the Ancient Greeks. Having been raised in an Italian Catholic household, I was fascinated by the notion of these gods and goddesses who were flawed, and who interacted with humans so freely. Zeus never felt the need to woo his lady loves through burning bushes. To the ancient Greeks, the divine was tangible. And so, I fell in love with the heroic fables of legendary warriors, whose relationships to the gods rendered them above most other humans. From the demigod Hercules to the mortal Achilles, tales of the adventures of these heroes raised an important question that was present in the minds of many ancient Greeks: what does it mean to be a hero?
Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the events of Homer’s classic work, The Iliad. With a prose that reads like poetry, Miller explores the Trojan War and the role Achilles played in it from the perspective of Patroclus, the warrior’s best friend and lover.
For centuries, scholars have debated as to the exact nature of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. In the source material, Homer describes them as having an incredibly close bond. While Achilles is harsh and cold to others, he is warm and friendly in his interactions with Patroclus, as they understand each other in a way that no one else can. In ancient Greece, it was common for fellow warriors-in-arms to engage in sexual and romantic relationships with each other while away from home. In fact, Spartan generals often encouraged homosexual behavior, as they believed it to boost moral and increase camaraderie between the different military units. Though Homer never describes the relationship between Achilles and his best friend as sexual, many aspects of The Iliad’s plot make more sense if their bond is interpreted as such. For example, following Patroclus’ death, Achilles is so overcome with grief that he cannot be persuaded from Patroclus’ corpse, and his weeping is such that even the immortal sea nymphs (including his mother, Thetis) can hear him. In Book 18 of The Iliad, he laments, “My dear comrade’s dead㇐ / Patroclus㇐the man I loved beyond all other comrades, / loved as my own life㇐I’ve lost him” (l.94-6). To Thetis, he explains how drastically his life has been altered by Patroclus’ death, declaring, “My spirit rebels㇐I’ve lost the will to live” (l.105). While certainly the relationship could be read platonically, in my opinion Achilles’ reaction resembles what would typically be expected of one who has lost a lover, not just a friend.
Some of you may remember the movie Troy (2004) starring Brad Pitt as Achilles. Though Pitt’s performance is impressive, Hollywood (of course) was nowhere near daring enough to depict Patroclus as Pitt’s on-screen lover. In fact, so fearful were they about possible fan interpretations of Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship that they altered the story entirely. In the film, Patroclus is Achilles’ beloved younger cousin. By rewriting Patroclus to be a member of Achilles’ family, the film is able to account for the warrior’s despair following Patroclus’ death while safely portraying their hero as strictly heterosexual.
Miller’s The Song of Achilles does not shy away from a more delicate portrayal of Achilles and Patroclus’ bond. Written from the perspective of Patroclus, the novel depicts the circumstances which led him, as a boy, to come to the castle of King Peleus, where he meets Achilles, who is the king’s son. Readers watch the two fumble through the beginnings of a friendship, which progresses to a sexual relationship as they near adulthood. One thing in particular that struck me about Miller’s depiction of their bond is the vulnerability with which they interact with each other. Achilles is Aristos Achaion, the prophesied warrior who has been so blessed by Athena in battle that he is believed near immortal, and is destined to kill the great Hector of Troy. Achilles also trembles in Patroclus’ arms when they lay together for the first time, and approaches the world with such carefree optimism that when Odysseus appeals to him to lend his skills to the armies of Greece in the Trojan War, Patroclus cannot comprehend everyone’s perceptions of Achilles as a cold-blooded killer. That is not the Achilles that Patroclus has known and loved. It would be impossible to choose one line of the masterpiece as my favorite, but one of the lines which helped me best understand the relationship between the two men is from their first sexual experience together. Patroclus describes, “Our bodies cupped each other like hands” (p.100). Hands give aid, or receive it. They present offerings; they are used to comfort. In cupped hands, we hold water to prevent spillage. In describing their union in such terms, Miller emphasizes the emotional support that Patroclus and Achilles provide each other, which becomes especially crucial as the events of the Trojan war unfold. Death and destruction are all around them, and much of the blood is spilled by Achilles himself. Despite this, their emotional connection holds them together. As hands do.
The Song of Achilles is a bittersweet story. I won’t give away the ending, but I will admit that I cried – several times – while reading it. If I reread the book again from beginning to end, I am sure it would conclude with me huddled in a puddle of my own tears. Again. The writing is some of the most powerful I’ve ever encountered from a modern writer, and I am continually in awe of Madeline Miller’s talent. This is her debut novel! I very much look forward to reading the works she has written since. And I highly recommend that you get your hands on a copy of this book. I promise, you won’t regret it.
Next week, we’ll dive into a more controversial topic that has been receiving attention in the news the past couple of weeks: the relationship status of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie. The writer of the hilarious roommate duo has recently opened up about his own perception of their relationship, and a lot of people have a lot of opinions on this, including Sesame Workshop, the company behind the long-running children’s program. More on the topic next week! Until then, Obscurians, stay well, and remember to hydrate!
Best wishes,
Brittany
Next Week: Sesame Workshop and the Public Response to Bert and Ernie
Referenced Works:
Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin, 1990.
Miller, Madeline. The Song of Achilles. HarperCollins, 2012.
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