Funerals in the Eastern Mediterranean: The case of Patroclus's Funerals

In this study, after a general introduction to the dead/death rituals applied during the funeral ceremonies in antiquity, as seen in the Eastern Mediterranean societies in particular, the funeral plays performed during the funeral of Patroclus in the Iliad of Homer are examined. The reason for this is that the Trojan War, in which the Bronze Age Mediterranean societies clashed and we can almost describe as the world war of the ancient world, although it is simply a myth, the effects/similarity of both the period and later periods on the shaping of the burial traditions of the Hellenic society are extremely evident. It is possible to observe the effects of such rituals repeatedly, especially in the art (vase/wall paintings, mosaics, reliefs, tomb finds) and literature (such as Vergilius's Aeneas) of the Eastern Mediterranean societies since ancient times. It is thought that such games, which were practiced in ancient societies of the Bronze Age, were generally arranged to honor the dead as well as to comfort their soul. It consists of a series of rituals usually performed after the dead (extinguishing the fire of the burned body with the help of wine, collecting the bones and ashes and placing them in a usually golden container/box, then burial at a prepared point and building an earthen tumulus over it, performing a series of sacrificial rites to relieve the soul of the deceased – human and animal content-, followed by libation in honor of the dead and arranging food for the dead). It is understood that in addition to blood/wine libations in the funeral ritual performed in honor of Patroclus, which is cited in chapter XXIII of Homer's Iliad, Achilles organized a series of competitions in 8 different categories, the most important and the first being the armed chariot race, in honor of this faithful friend of Achilles. The competition displayed in these plays is almost a microcosm of Homer's monumental work, which is the subject of the whole Iliad and forms the spirit of the fierce competition for honor awards. Here, the poet brought together the Achaean heroes he described and described throughout the Iliad for the last time, giving a picturesque depiction of how tense their characters and competitive feelings can become when the subject is competition. In this study, Homer's Iliad XXIII. The sports competitions organized by Achilles in the funeral ritual performed in honor of Patroklos described in the chapter were evaluated in the light of ancient sources and modern literature.