Tsoa Madeline Miller - Tumblr Posts
What can life offer anyway
That I can't have with you in death?
What feels more like home anyway
Than it does besides your grave?
What can life offer anyway
That I can't have with you in death?
What feels more like home anyway
Than it does besides your grave?
Image via pinterest
I had a dream the greeks built a fort on the beach, and there was the space to build three towers. Achilles had said that they should build three small towers, one for him, one for Odysseus and one for Agamemnon (or Patroclus ? Idk).
Then Achilles died and Agamemnon started to build one huge tower for himself only.
I woke up and thought, “that is so Agamemnon.”
“No sane person would ever try to climb their sheer, divinely smoothed face.”
-Patroclus, right before trying to climb the wall ten chapters later.
So now the question poses itself, along with its answer.
“Why did Patroclus try to climb the wall?”
Obvious answer: He was not sane.
But why ?
Well, firstly let us remember that he was in the midst of a killing spree; his spears were hitting each of their targets.
Had he not lost his armour, would probably not have been killed. He was about to give the greeks a long awaited victory.
Except that Achilles asked his mother to ask Zeus to make the trojans win as long as Achilles was not on the battlefield.
To all the greeks it seemed that Achilles was on the battlefield, but as we know it was Patroclus.
Patroclus was winning with Achilles’ armour.
Which leads me to believe maybe Zeus was leading his spears to make him kill the men, to bring the greek a victory by Achilles.
Patroclus, emboldened by power, decided to literally climb Troy to get Helen back.
We know Apollo was up there, waiting for him.
My guess is that Apollo saw through his disguise, and clouded his mind with his “godly powers” to make him think it was possible to actually climb.
Then, when Patroclus tried and failed twice to climb, Apollo loosened his armour and made Achilles’ armour fall off of him.
From the moment Patroclus is revealed, his luck turns. The trojans all start attacking him.
Because Achilles wasn’t actually on the battlefield.
Zeus himself didn’t see through their trickery.
But when it was revealed, Zeus was probably mad that they managed to fool even him.
So he kept his part of the bargain.
He tipped the scale in the favour of the Trojans.
And to get revenge on Patroclus and Achilles for their deceit, he made Hector kill Patroclus, knowing Achilles would kill Hector.
Zeus knew Achilles’ death would follow.
Zeus, insulted to have been fooled by mortals, led them to their deaths.
Here ends my theory. Feel free to add on :)
How about we compromise with the historians and say that Patroclus and Achilles were “friends with the benefit of being in love”
Maybe they won’t notice it actually means they’re gay lovers.. maybe.
You may be in her dms, but i’m throwing figs at him to get him to notice me. We aren’t on the same level.
-Achilles about Patroclus, probably
Achilles: *walks outside shirtless*
Agamemnon: “Hey topless”
Achilles: *starts violently sobbing and has to be physically restrained from killing Agamemnon*
“You don’t have to rub it in that Patroclus is dead !”
Agamemnon: “…what”
Patroclus, in ghost form: “drag him babe”
Tsoa x Achilles come down
Achilles: *on the roof*
Patroclus (dead): please don’t jump off
Apollo: ayo yeet yourself off ! No bottoms welcome here
As long as Hector lives, Achilles cannot die.
Hector is like a barrier, keeping Achilles from the underworld, and keeping Achilles and Patroclus together.
But suddenly, Patroclus dies.
And as long as Hector lives, Achilles cannot die.
Suddenly, Hector becomes a barrier, keeping Achilles from the underworld, and keeping Achilles and Patroclus apart.
That is what Hector did to Achilles.
He kept him from his love.
The other day me and my grandparents were watching a documentary about the Illiad, made by the Louvre. It tells the story with art, and sometimes with crappy animation.
Anyway, at some point they talked about how Achilles and Patroclus share a tent, and showed an animated scene of the visit of Odysseus and co. to their tent.
There. Was. Only. One. Bed
Having read TSOA, i asked my grandfather, “hey, why’s there only one bed ?”
He smirked and replied with “why do you think?”
And casually mentioned later that ancient greeks were pretty GayTM.
I’ve also been listening to songs by Rufus Wainwright , on recommendation from my grandfather. In Going To A Town, Rufus sings “Do you really think you go to hell for having loved?”
And ofc that triggered my gaydar so i looked him up, and, surprise surprise, he’s married to Jörn Weisbrodt (a guy).
So with all of this in mind, i think my grandpa has a highly functional gaydar and is using it to recommend music and stuff to me.
I finished The Song of Achilles and I have a new favorite book. My heart is absolutely broken. I was literally crying. The pain in my chest was concerning from the amount of emotional anguish I felt. It took everything in me not to scream and spit all over those pages. I was angry and sad at the same time. I might reread the book because it was incredible. I would cry again. (Please note I am being a bit dramatic for comedic effect, do not take this too seriously)
Pretty rough however I am proud of it
