Artwork Information

Patroclus borrows the protective armour of Achilles and wears it into battle against the Trojans, only to be slain by Hector. Intent on revenge Achilles confronts the Trojans draped in the goddess Minerva’s aegis, instead of his armour. Standing at the edge of the trench beyond the wall of Troy, he shouts, his cries echoed by Minerva, who can be seen hovering over Achilles, having kindled a flame to emphasise his rage. In terror, the Trojan soldiers then draw back from the corpse of Patroclus, allowing the Achaens to recover his body and mourn his loss. (Homer’s Iliad 18, lines 201–29)