Growing up on the internet, many of us might have heard about different Greek myths, the most
common being the Icarus, the Hercules, the Achilles etc. The list goes on. My journey of becoming a
huge mythological nerd started there, and my first ever fictional book? The Song of Achilles. Sadly, I
had no patience to complete Percy Jackson back then, lol. So? What is so good about this book? Lets
take a look into the synopsis of the plot.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a retelling of the Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus. It
follows Patroclus, a young prince who is exiled from his home and sent to live in the court of King
Peleus, where he meets Achilles, the son of Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis. The two become
close friends and eventually fall in love.
As Achilles trains to become the greatest warrior of his time, their bond deepens. But when the
Trojan War begins, Achilles is called to fight, and Patroclus follows him. In the war, they face difficult
choices, divine prophecies, and the weight of fate. The story explores love, honor, and sacrifice,
leading to a heartbreaking yet powerful ending.
Phew! That was intense, wasn’t it?
The two characters originate from an infamous Greek epic poem named “The Illiad,” which dates
back to 900 and 850 BC and recites the story of the Trojan War. Yes, from where the myth of the
trojan horse germinated. The war covers 51 days surrounding the conflict between Achilles and
Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae.
One common feature of all the epics around the world is that the characters of such stories are
multifaceted in nature, i.e, they have their story going on, which the readers are expected to know
prior in order to gain the most from these literary works. In the Illiad itself, the two people are said
to be companions originally, but their bond can also be reinterpreted at something more intimate as
romantic. This is where my love for mythofiction finally took its birth. Apart from that, let us also
praise Miller's writing with beautiful metaphors and similes.
As someone who grew up listening and watching the stories of Indian mythology and epics, it was
intriguing to find so many similarities between the Mahabharata and the war of Troy. Disclaimer:
don’t dig deep, or your BBA or B.TECH degree will end up missing you, lmao.