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NOT ONLY IS THE DEATH OF PATROCLUS the turning point in the plot of the Iliad; it is also the most extraordinary event in this extraordinary poem.1 Under Patroclus' leadership the Greeks have saved their ships from Trojan fire, have driven the enemy to the walls of Troy, and are, just before Patroclus is killed, fighting "beyond what is fated" (16.780). Nothing else happens in the Iliad "beyond fate," and so, with these words, we know that what is taking place is of the utmost importance. Three times Patroclus charges forward, killing nine men each time, another event unparalleled in the poem. Then suddenly, approaching in a mist, Apollo strikes Patroclus from behind and knocks off his armour, leaving him stunned and vulnerable. Quickly Euphorbus stabs Patroclus with his spear, then retreats back into his own ranks. Dazed and wounded, Patroclus is trying to find safety among his own men when Hector steps forward and kills him.
In this paper I will examine only one aspect of this scene, namely the role of the Trojan Euphorbus, who has the distinction of being the first mortal to wound the defenseless and stunned Patroclus (16.806-815):
From close behind his back a Dardanian man, Panthoos' son, Euphorbus, struck him between the shoulders with a sharp spear. This man excelled all men his own age in spearcraft, horsemanship, and in swiftness of feet. For, at that time, he had already brought down twenty men from their horses, since first coming with his chariot and learning the art of war. He was first to hit you with his javelin, o charioteer Patroclus. But he did not kill you. He ran back and mingled with the crowd, having snatched the ash spear from your flesh. He did not stand and face Patroclus, naked though he was in battle.3
The role that Euphorbus plays here has been and continues to be widely misinterpreted. In an article published in 1972, Hugo Muhlestein argued that Euphorbus is an ad hoc invention created to serve as a doublet of Paris. As such, he reminds the audience of the role that Paris will play as Achilles' slayer. Muhlestein's proposal appeared to solve the long-standing problem of why the poet inserts a minor character whose action undermines...