Book XVI

Jove considers saving his son Sarpedon, but Juno persuades him to let fate unfold.

After Jove assents to his son's doom, Patroclus engages Sarpedon in single combat and delivers a mortal wound.

The dying Sarpedon urges Glaucus to protect his body, and the wounded Glaucus prays to Apollo for strength.

Glaucus prays for healing, Apollo grants it, and he immediately rebukes Hector to incite the Trojans to defend Sarpedon's body.

Hector rallies the Trojans while Patroclus rallies the Greeks, and a fierce battle erupts over Sarpedon's corpse.

Hector kills Epigeus, but Patroclus drives the Trojans back until Glaucus turns the tide by slaying Bathyclaeus.

After Merion kills a Trojan priest, he and Aeneas trade boasts until Patroclus urges them back to the fight.

As the battle rages over Sarpedon's body, Jove decides to grant Patroclus more glory before his inevitable death.

After the Greeks capture Sarpedon's body, Jove sends Apollo to cleanse it and deliver it to Sleep and Death.

Patroclus slaughters many Trojans and attacks Troy's walls, but Apollo directly intervenes and warns him to retreat.

Disguised as Asius, Apollo urges Hector to attack Patroclus, who then kills Hector's charioteer Cebrion with a stone.

After taunting the dead Cebrion, Patroclus fights Hector over the body, and the battle descends into chaos.

After a final, furious charge, Patroclus is struck from behind by an invisible Apollo, who dazes him and knocks off his helmet.

Disarmed by Apollo and wounded by Euphorbus, the retreating Patroclus is finally speared and killed by Hector.

Hector taunts the dying Patroclus, who retorts that fate and the gods defeated him before prophesying Hector's death by Achilles.

After Patroclus dies, Hector dismisses the prophecy, pulls out his spear, and pursues the escaping charioteer Automedon.