The Glory and Fall of Patroclus - The Trojan War Saga Ep 23 - See U in History

The Greeks were struggling frantically to protect their ships and prevent the Trojans from setting them on fire. The Trojans sensed that the long-awaited victory was within their grasp, but they had no idea that their luck was about to change. The sound of the wheels of Achilles' chariot, pulled by the two divine horses Xanthus and Baelius, made the Trojans' hearts tremble. Patroclus, wearing Achilles' armor, headed the mighty Myrmidons off to fight their enemies. Frightened and eager to save their own lives, the Trojans on the forefront fled in confusion. Meanwhile, they were pursued and had their flanks battered by the Greek spears. From the top of Achilles' chariot, Patroclus took out Trojans by the dozens with accurate stabs from his spears. But Sarpedon was a Trojan ally, as well as king of Lycia and son of Zeus. He was bent on stopping the Achaeans' counterattack. Patroclus leaped from the divine chariot and dashed against the son of Zeus. Sarpedon was strong and experienced, but his age had eroded his endurance. He was not up to the task of fighting a warrior as good as Patroclus, who had Achilles as his training opponent for most of his life. From above, Zeus looked at his beloved son in peril of his life and thought of intervening, but was scolded by the other gods. It would be disgraceful for the gods to freely intervene in the destiny of men to save the life of one of their descendants, just to avoid the pain of loss. Zeus resigned himself to let Sarpedon's fate be fulfilled. Patroclus easily dodged the thrusts of king Lycian's spear, just standing by to deliver the fatal blow. The Greeks rejoiced as they stripped Sarpedon's body of its glorious armor and weapons. However, sent by Zeus, both Thanatos and Hypnos carried the dead king's body back to Lycia, preventing the corpse of Zeus' son from being defiled. Thus, he could have a dignified funeral in his homeland. Patroclus' heart had started to be seized by pride, which made him believe that he could lead the capture of Troy that day, completely forgetting Achilles' warning not to pursue the Trojans who fled behind the walls. On the very front of the Trojan walls stood Hector, but Patroclus did not look daunted by the presence of such a mighty hero. But Patroclus' shining moments were over. Zeus was sending Apollo to weaken the man who had killed his beloved son. Patroclus' spear broke, and the straps that tied Achilles' armor to his body snapped, rendering the hero defenseless. That's when a Trojan named Euphorbus struck Patroclus in his flank, attacking him with his spear. Hector drove his spear through the body of Achilles' cherished friend. With Patroclus dying at his feet, Hector called him a fool to think he would take Troy that day, saying that the Trojan vultures would feast on his corpse. Patroclus used his remaining strength to say that Hector was bragging about a victory that was not his. After all, the greatest blow he suffered was dealt by Zeus and Apollo. Then it would be Euphorbus' and only then would come the one from the Trojan prince. The Greek hero also stated that by killing him, he lured to himself the shadow of death that now surrounded Hector, because Achilles' revenge would fall heavily on the Trojan. Hector would carry Achilles' armor back to Troy as a trophy and place it on an altar in honor of the gods. Meanwhile, Trojans and Greeks fought over the body of Patroclus. With the arrival of the mighty Ajax, the Greeks succeeded in retrieving Patroclus' body and bringing it back to the camp. The news of Patroclus' death changed the course of the war.