Iliad Chapter 16 questions

8. In book 16 there is a massive fight over Sarpedon's body. This is because it became a focal point for both sides. The Achaeans were fighting over it because Sarpedon was their general, and when he died, they all were overcome with grief, so it gave them motive to fight for him. The Trojans on the other hand wanted to defame Sarpedon's body so as to tear down the morale of the other side. Zeus however intervened by first making Hector a coward which made him call for retreat, then the Achaeans take his armor back to the ships, and Sarpedon is brought to a river by Phoebus who washes him, and anoints him in deathless oils.

9. The responsibility Patroclus has for his own death is not much. He had the choice to go into battle and fight with Achilles armor, but that was a choice that had to be made because the armies were being beaten back, and they needed a hero. I think that Apollo was very responsible for his death because he fought Patroclus himself, then he changed forms, and persuaded Hector to kill him. I think that Hector did not have as much to do with his death in that regard, since he was debating whether or not to fight him, and it was a god who told him to. It seems that Zeus also has much to do with Patroclus' death, because he was the one who ultimately decided that he wanted Patroclus to die. He was turning over ideas on how to kill him, and he made Patroclus disobey Achilles, in that he struck fury in his heart and made him attack the wall. That is why I think that Zeus was the most responsible for the death of Patroclus. It seems that Zeus controls fate, so I think that fate cannot be held as responsible. Finally, I think Achilles is very responsible because he was the one that made it so that Patroclus had to go to fight in the first place. he was the cause of his death.