Excerpt from The Classical Review, Vol. 34 Certain inconsistencies arising from their insertion, we shall be struck with admiration at the skill in the inter weaving. We shall be convinced that the authors of the main expansions had an adequate view of the general frame work and were able to justify their work by the choice of sufficient motives. One growing idea was behind the main drift of certain interpolations - the belittlement of Hector. In the ages nearer to the Trojan war the Achaean chiefs could give the dues of chivalry to a greatly fallen foe. In the original Menis Hector alone slays Patroclus, stripping him of, his arms. As the war receded into the dimness of time, the Greek bards increased the glory of their national Chieftains at the expense of the Trojans. Thus it is that Hector becomes merely a third-hand slayer of Patroclus. It was this idea which introduced the Euphorbus episode and the donning of Achilles' armour by Patroclus. If one reads the story with the excitement and hurry of battle in his mind, the traces of these insertions will not be glaringly apparent. There is an amazing verve and continuity in the narrative such as would carry a rhapsode clear through with an audience. Yet the traces are there. For instance, even in the Sarpedon-episode, which has very little to do with the belittling of Hector, somebody has made a slip. Zeus, as he gazes down at the fight over the fallen Lycian, considers whether he will allow Hector there and then to slay Patroclus and strip him of his armour (xvi. Here is a vestige of the original story, but it has been forgotten that Apollo is to do this for Hector. Moreover, though we are told that Apollo did so in XVI. 804, yet at XVII. 125 we find that Hector did it. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.