Source-groundedThe Iliad
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Character · Collective

twelve noble sons of Trojans

Published entity metadata

Read-only identity and editorial metadata.

Canonical name
twelve noble sons of Trojans
Disambiguator
None
Kind
Character
Scope
Collective
Editorial note
Distinct promised and later sacrificed people; never modeled as pyre goods.

Aliases

0

No aliases recorded.

Location presence

Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.

1
Xanthus1 observation
·Direct

The twelve noble sons of Trojans are drawn alive from Xanthus.

See evidence text
“he drew twelve youths alive out of the water”

Claims

3
·Hypothetical

Achilles vows to behead twelve noble Trojan sons before Patroclus’s bier in vengeance.

See evidence text
“Twelve noble sons of Trojans will I behead before your bier”
·Direct

The twelve Trojan youths are pulled alive from the water, compared to dazed fawns, bound with their own shirt-girdles, and sent to the ships for sacrifice in revenge for Patroclus.

See evidence text
“he drew twelve youths alive out of the water, to sacrifice in revenge for Patroclus son of Menoetius. He drew them out like dazed fawns, bound their hands behind them with the girdles of their own shirts, and gave them over to his men to take back to the ships.”
·Direct

Achilles killed twelve brave sons of noble Trojans and laid them on the pyre.

See evidence text
“he also put twelve brave sons of noble Trojans to the sword and laid them with the rest, for he was full of bitterness and fury.”

Additional evidence

Evidence records not already represented by a claim.

2
·Direct
“twelve noble sons of Trojans will I also slay before your pyre to avenge you.”
·Direct
“he also put twelve brave sons of noble Trojans to the sword and laid them with the rest”

Passage preview

Book 18 · Passage 25

Thus spoke Hector; and the Trojans, fools that they were, shouted in applause, for Pallas Minerva had robbed them of their understanding. They gave ear to Hector with his evil counsel, but the wise words of Polydamas no man would heed. They took their supper throughout the host, and meanwhile through the whole night the Achaeans mourned Patroclus, and the son of Peleus led them in their lament. He laid his murderous hands upon the breast of his comrade, groaning again and again as a bearded lion when a man who was chasing deer has robbed him of his young in some dense forest; when the lion comes back he is furious, and searches dingle and dell to track the hunter if he can find him, for he is mad with rage—even so with many a sigh did Achilles speak among the Myrmidons saying, ‘Alas! vain were the words with which I cheered the hero Menoetius in his own house; I said that I would bring his brave son back again to Opoeis after he had sacked Ilius and taken his share of the spoils—but Jove does not give all men their heart’s desire. The same soil shall be reddened here at Troy by the blood of us both, for I too shall never be welcomed home by the old knight Peleus, nor by my mother Thetis, but even in this place shall the earth cover me. Nevertheless, O Patroclus, now that I am left behind you, I will not bury you, till I have brought hither the head and armour of mighty Hector who has slain you. Twelve noble sons of Trojans will I behead before your bier to avenge you; till I have done so you shall lie as you are by the ships, and fair women of Troy and Dardanus, whom we have taken with spear and strength of arm when we sacked men’s goodly cities, shall weep over you both night and day.’