Achilles & Patroclus Plate

Achilles and Patroclus plate; scene from Homer’s Iliad. Achilles’ closest friend Patroclus is wounded in the battlefield. Achilles bandages the wound, while Patroclus in unbearable pain, turns his head away and grinds his teeth not to scream. Achilles does not even remove his helmet and kneels to attend to his friend’s wound, while Patroclus, has released his epaulet and to be relieved from the additional weight, has removed his helmet revealing the protective beanie underneath. This is the first time we see a medical act depicted in pottery painting.

Red figure plate copy from Original red-figure kylix, 5th century B.C. - Berlin Museum