Editing Antilochus (section)

=== Death of Patroclus ===
Antilochus was commissioned to tell Achilles of the death of his beloved [[Patroclus]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} [[Ajax the Great|Ajax]] believed Antilochus was obviously the best person to share the news, and asked Menelaus to find Antilochus.<ref name=":1" /> According to [[Philostratus of Lemnos|Philostratus]], Menelaus believed that Antilochus would be the best choice because Achilles already loved Antilochus. While they lamented Patroclus together, Antilochus made sure that Achilles did not commit suicide.<ref name=":0" /> Antilochus held Achilles' hands because he feared that Achilles would cut his own throat.<ref name=":1" /> Antilochus' touch, and his relationship with Achilles, served to comfort and distract Achilles from his grief.<ref name=":0" /> From this point, Achilles and Antilochus' relationship grew to replace the one between [[Achilles and Patroclus]], but never fully eclipsed the prior relationship.<ref name=":1" />

At the funeral games of Patroclus, Antilochus finished second in the chariot race and last in the foot race. Antilochus entered the chariot race with the slowest horses of any of the heroes, and listened to detailed advice from his father before competing. During the competition, the leading hero, Eumelus, crashed via divine sabotage. Antilochus was later able to slip past Menelaus by aggressively making Menelaus fall back at a point in the track where both of their chariots could not fit side-by-side anymore. When prizes were given, Achilles felt sorry for Eumelus and suggested giving him second place instead of Antilochus. Antilochus objected, saying he would fight Achilles to keep the prize. This made Achilles smile, likely for the first time since Patroclus' death, and Achilles left the prize to Antilochus.<ref name=":1" /> 

Menelaus then contested Antilochus' prize, stating that Antilochus insulted him by defying him at the narrow point in the race. As their argument grew, Menelaus demanded that Antilochus swear the win came without treachery. Antilochus defused the situation by deferring to Menelaus, stating that the king was older and superior. Still, Antilochus did not admit fault. He and Menelaus then alternated public offers to give their prize to the other man.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Stocking |first=Charles H. |title=Homer's Iliad and the Problem of Force |date=May 2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=129-133 |chapter=Force and Discourse in the Funeral Games of Patroclus |doi=10.1093/oso/9780192862877.003.0004}}</ref> Later, when Antilochus lost the foot race, he made a speech declaring that the others were all older than him, and thus honored by the gods. He then complimented Achilles, and Achilles doubled Antilochus' prize.<ref name=":1" />