Patroclus, arriving at Nestor’s tent, saw Machaon wounded, and having told the cause of his coming would have hastened away, but Nestor detained him, to tell him the extent of the Grecian calamities.  He reminded him also how, at the time of departing for Troy, Achilles and himself had been charged by their respective fathers with different advice:  Achilles to aspire to the highest pitch of glory, Patroclus, as the elder, to keep watch over his friend, and to guide his inexperience.  “Now,” said Nestor, “is the time for such influence.  If the gods so please, thou mayest win him back to the common cause; but if not let him at least send his soldiers to the field, and come thou, Patroclus, clad in his armor, and perhaps the very sight of it may drive back the Trojans.”

Patroclus was strongly moved with this address, and hastened back to Achilles, revolving in his mind all he had seen and heard.  He told the prince the sad condition of affairs at the camp of their late associates:  Diomede, Ulysses, Agamemnon, Machaon, all wounded, the rampart broken down, the enemy among the ships preparing to burn them, and thus to cut off all means of return to Greece.  While they spoke the flames burst forth from one of the ships.  Achilles, at the sight, relented so far as to grant Patroclus his request to lead the Myrmidons (for so were Achilles’ soldiers called) to the field, and to lend him his armor, that he might thereby strike more terror into the minds of the Trojans.  Without delay the soldiers were marshalled, Patroclus put on the radiant armor and mounted the chariot of Achilles, and led forth the men ardent for battle.  But before he went, Achilles strictly charged him that he should be content with repelling the foe “Seek not,” said he, “to press the Trojans without me, lest thou add still more to the disgrace already mine.”  Then exhorting the troops to do their best he dismissed them full of ardor to the fight.

Patroclus and his Myrmidons at once plunged into the contest where it raged hottest; at the sight of which the joyful Grecians shouted and the ships reechoed the acclaim.  The Trojans, at the sight of the well-known armor, struck with terror, looked everywhere for refuge.  First those who had got possession of the ship and set it on fire left and allowed the Grecians to retake it and extinguish the flames.  Then the rest of the Trojans fled in dismay.  Ajax, Menelaus, and the two sons of Nestor performed prodigies of valor.  Hector was forced to turn his horses’ heads and retire from the enclosure, leaving his men entangled in the fosse to escape as they could.  Patroclus drove them before him, slaying many, none daring to make a stand against him.