Nestor remembers Achilles as one of the Achaean dead at Troy.
See evidence text
“‘My friend,’ answered Nestor, ‘you recall a time of much sorrow to my mind, for the brave Achaeans suffered much both at sea, while privateering under Achilles, and when fighting before the great city of king Priam. Our best men all of them fell there—Ajax, Achilles, Patroclus peer of gods in counsel, and my own dear son Antilochus, a man singularly fleet of foot and in fight valiant. But we suffered much more than this; what mortal tongue indeed could tell the whole story? Though you were to stay here and question me for five years, or even six, I could not tell you all that the Achaeans suffered, and you would turn homeward weary of my tale before it ended. Nine long years did we try every kind of stratagem, but the hand of heaven was against us; during all this time there was no one who could compare with your father in subtlety—if indeed you are his son—I can hardly believe my eyes—and you talk just like him too—no one would say that people of such different ages could speak so much alike. He and I never had any kind of difference from first to last neither in camp nor council, but in singleness of heart and purpose we advised the Argives how all might be ordered for the best.”
·Remembered
Achilles was present in the fighting at Troy.
See evidence text
“‘Happy son of Peleus,’ answered the ghost of Agamemnon, ‘for having died at Troy far from Argos, while the bravest of the Trojans and the Achaeans fell round you fighting for your body. There you lay in the whirling clouds of dust, all huge and hugely, heedless now of your chivalry. We fought the whole of the livelong day, nor should we ever have left off if Jove had not sent a hurricane to stay us. Then, when we had borne you to the ships out of the fray, we laid you on your bed and cleansed your fair skin with warm water and with ointments. The Danaans tore their hair and wept bitterly round about you. Your mother, when she heard, came with her immortal nymphs from out of the sea, and the sound of a great wailing went forth over the waters so that the Achaeans quaked for fear. They would have fled panic-stricken to their ships had not wise old Nestor whose counsel was ever truest checked them saying, ‘Hold, Argives, fly not sons of the Achaeans, this is his mother coming from the sea with her immortal nymphs to view the body of her son.’
”
“‘As we two sat weeping and talking thus sadly with one another the ghost of Achilles came up to us with Patroclus, Antilochus, and Ajax who was the finest and goodliest man of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus. The fleet descendant of Aeacus knew me and spoke piteously, saying, ‘Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, what deed of daring will you undertake next, that you venture down to the house of Hades among us silly dead, who are but the ghosts of them that can labour no more?’
”
Achilles imagined going for a short time to his father Peleus’s house.
See evidence text
“‘‘Say not a word,’ he answered, ‘in death’s favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead. But give me news about my son; is he gone to the wars and will he be a great soldier, or is this not so? Tell me also if you have heard anything about my father Peleus—does he still rule among the Myrmidons, or do they show him no respect throughout Hellas and Phthia now that he is old and his limbs fail him? Could I but stand by his side, in the light of day, with the same strength that I had when I killed the bravest of our foes upon the plain of Troy—could I but be as I then was and go even for a short time to my father’s house, any one who tried to do him violence or supersede him would soon rue it.’
”
Achilles recalled killing foes on the plain of Troy.
See evidence text
“‘‘Say not a word,’ he answered, ‘in death’s favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead. But give me news about my son; is he gone to the wars and will he be a great soldier, or is this not so? Tell me also if you have heard anything about my father Peleus—does he still rule among the Myrmidons, or do they show him no respect throughout Hellas and Phthia now that he is old and his limbs fail him? Could I but stand by his side, in the light of day, with the same strength that I had when I killed the bravest of our foes upon the plain of Troy—could I but be as I then was and go even for a short time to my father’s house, any one who tried to do him violence or supersede him would soon rue it.’
”
Achilles’s ghost strode across the asphodel meadow in Hades.
See evidence text
“‘When I had told him this, the ghost of Achilles strode off across a meadow full of asphodel, exulting over what I had said concerning the prowess of his son.
”
·Direct
The ghost of Achilles was present in the asphodel meadow.
See evidence text
“Here they found the ghost of Achilles son of Peleus, with those of Patroclus, Antilochus, and Ajax, who was the finest and handsomest man of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus himself.
”
Achilles leads Achaean privateering at sea and is counted among their best men fallen at Troy.
See evidence text
“while privateering under Achilles, and when fighting before the great city of king Priam. Our best men all of them fell there—Ajax, Achilles”
·Remembered
Achilles’s dead body is the focus of the fierce struggle involving Ulysses and the Trojans.
See evidence text
“the Trojans were pressing me so sorely about the dead body of Achilles”
·Reported
Demodocus sings that Achilles and Ulysses exchange fierce words in a quarrel at a banquet.
See evidence text
“The company then laid their hands upon the good things that were before them, but as soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, the muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes, and more especially a matter that was then in the mouths of all men, to wit, the quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles, and the fierce words that they heaped on one another as they sat together at a banquet.”
·Remembered
Achilles’s ghost approaches with Patroclus, Antilochus, and Ajax, recognizes Ulysses, and speaks piteously.
See evidence text
“the ghost of Achilles came up to us with Patroclus, Antilochus, and Ajax who was the finest and goodliest man of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus. The fleet descendant of Aeacus knew me and spoke piteously”
·Reported
Ulysses calls Achilles the foremost Achaean champion in life and a great prince among the dead.
See evidence text
“foremost champion of the Achaeans, I came to consult Teiresias, and see if he could advise me about my return home to Ithaca, for I have never yet been able to get near the Achaean land, nor to set foot in my own country, but have been in trouble all the time. As for you, Achilles, no one was ever yet so fortunate as you have been, nor ever will be, for you were adored by all us Argives as long as you were alive, and now that you are here you are a great prince among the dead”
·Reported
Achilles would rather serve a poor man alive than rule as king of kings among the dead.
See evidence text
“I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead”
·Remembered
Achilles strides across the asphodel meadow exulting over his son’s prowess.
See evidence text
“the ghost of Achilles strode off across a meadow full of asphodel, exulting over what I had said concerning the prowess of his son”
·Direct
Achilles appears as a ghost in company with Patroclus, Antilochus, and Ajax.
See evidence text
“the ghost of Achilles son of Peleus, with those of Patroclus, Antilochus, and Ajax”
·Remembered
Agamemnon recalls Achilles lying huge in the battle dust before being carried to the ships and cleansed with warm water and ointments.
See evidence text
“for having died at Troy far from Argos, while the bravest of the Trojans and the Achaeans fell round you fighting for your body. There you lay in the whirling clouds of dust, all huge and hugely, heedless now of your chivalry. We fought the whole of the livelong day, nor should we ever have left off if Jove had not sent a hurricane to stay us. Then, when we had borne you to the ships out of the fray, we laid you on your bed and cleansed your fair skin with warm water and with ointments”
·Remembered
Agamemnon recalls Achilles clothed in immortal raiment, mourned by mortals and immortals for seventeen days, burned on the eighteenth with divine raiment, resins, and honey, then his white bones gathered into a golden vase with Patroclus’s.
See evidence text
“The daughters of the old man of the sea stood round you weeping bitterly, and clothed you in immortal raiment. The nine muses also came and lifted up their sweet voices in lament—calling and answering one another; there was not an Argive but wept for pity of the dirge they chaunted. Days and nights seven and ten we mourned you, mortals and immortals, but on the eighteenth day we gave you to the flames, and many a fat sheep with many an ox did we slay in sacrifice around you. You were burnt in raiment of the gods, with rich resins and with honey, while heroes, horse and foot, clashed their armour round the pile as you were burning, with the tramp as of a great multitude. But when the flames of heaven had done their work, we gathered your white bones at daybreak and laid them in ointments and in pure wine. Your mother brought us a golden vase to hold them—gift of Bacchus, and work of Vulcan himself; in this we mingled your bleached bones with those of Patroclus who had gone before you”
·Reported
Agamemnon tells Achilles that his fame survives death and his name lives forever among mankind.
See evidence text
“Thus even in death your fame, Achilles, has not been lost, and your name lives evermore among all mankind”