batch.motif.greek-iliad-pope-gutenberg-l21866-l22001
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-iliad-pope-gutenberg-l21866-l22001
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
passage_locator:
label: ARGUMENT. / THE DEATH OF HECTOR. / BOOK XXIII. / ARGUMENT.; lines 21866-22001
start: '21866'
end: '22001'
translation: The Iliad
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Achilles conducts funeral games for Patroclus. Ajax and Ulysses wrestle
to a draw and Achilles divides the prize. Achilles then sets prizes for a footrace;
Oilean Ajax, Ulysses, and Antilochus compete. Ulysses prays to Pallas, who aids
him and causes Ajax to fall in filth near Patroclus' pyre. Ulysses wins the urn,
Ajax receives the bull, and Antilochus receives the last prize plus gold from
Achilles for praising him.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Achilles announces a wrestling contest on the level sands and sets a tripod
for the victor and a female captive for the loser.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Ajax and Ulysses wrestle closely, each unable to overthrow the other decisively.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Achilles stops the wrestling contest and declares that both contestants have
won.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: 'Achilles sets prizes for a footrace: a silver urn, a well-fed ox, and half
a talent.'
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The silver urn is described as Sidonian workmanship, transported by Tyrian
sailors, given through prior owners, and now used to honor Patroclus' funeral
rites.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Oilean Ajax, Ulysses, and Nestor's son Antilochus stand for the race.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Ulysses silently prays to Pallas, and Pallas descends to aid him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Pallas causes Ajax to stumble on a slippery place clogged with dung and gore
beside Patroclus' pyre.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Ajax complains that a goddess, not Ulysses alone, won the race against him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The Greeks laugh after Ajax speaks while covered with dirt and gore.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: Antilochus receives the last prize, jokes about older heroes and divine favor,
and is awarded an additional gold talent by Achilles.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: The passage locates slaughtered victims and fire at Patroclus' pyre.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Achilles / Pelides
description: Leader who announces contests, sets prizes, stops the wrestling, and
awards an additional gold talent.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Ajax / Telamonian Ajax
description: Wrestler described as tower-like and strong, matched against Ulysses.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ulysses
description: Contestant renowned for art and caution; wrestles Ajax and later wins
the footrace with Pallas' aid.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Oilean Ajax / Ajax son of Oileus
description: Racer who leads the race but stumbles after Pallas intervenes, then
receives the second prize.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Antilochus / Nestor's son
description: Young racer who receives the last prize and an added gold talent after
praising Achilles.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Pallas
description: Goddess who answers Ulysses' thought-prayer, gives him force, and overturns
Ajax.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Patroclus
description: Dead hero whose funeral rites are being honored by the games and whose
pyre is near the racecourse.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Greeks / host
description: Audience who acclaim the race, laugh at Ajax, and admire Antilochus.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: contest organizer and prize giver
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Achilles demands games, announces prizes, divides the wrestling prize, and
grants extra gold.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: wrestler
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: Ajax and Ulysses rise for the wrestling match and grapple with each other.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: racer
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Ulysses, Oilean Ajax, and Nestor's son stand in line and run the race.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: divinely aided competitor
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Ulysses prays to Pallas, who descends and gives him heavenly force.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: defeated competitor
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Oilean Ajax stumbles, loses the urn, and complains that a goddess opposed
him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: witty prize recipient
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Antilochus takes the last prize with a jest and receives extra gold from
Achilles.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: divine intervener
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Pallas aids Ulysses and overturns Ajax in the race.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: funeral honoree
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The prizes and games are said to grace Patroclus' funeral rites, and the
race passes near his pyre.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: spectating community
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The Greeks acclaim, laugh, and admire contestants during the games.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: tripod prize
literal_form: massy tripod valued at twelve oxen
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: female captive prize
literal_form: female captive valued at four oxen
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: silver urn
literal_form: silver urn of Sidonian workmanship, first prize in the footrace
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: ox or bull prize
literal_form: well-fed ox or bull assigned as second prize
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: gold talent
literal_form: talent of purest gold awarded to Antilochus
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: pyre fire
literal_form: fire at Patroclus' pyre fed by slaughtered victims
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: filth of the racecourse
literal_form: slimy dung, gore, clay, dirt, and dust on the shore near the pyre
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Wrestling contest
summary: Achilles announces prizes for wrestling; Ajax and Ulysses grapple without
decisive victory; Achilles stops the contest and gives both men the victory.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Presentation of race prizes
summary: Achilles sets out the prizes for a footrace, including the silver urn whose
previous transfers are recounted, and states that the prize now honors Patroclus'
rites.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Footrace and divine intervention
summary: Oilean Ajax, Ulysses, and Antilochus run; Ulysses prays to Pallas, who
aids him and makes Ajax fall in a foul place near Patroclus' pyre.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Jest and additional reward
summary: Antilochus jokes about older heroes and divine favor; Achilles rewards
his praise with a gold talent, and the host admires him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Funeral games with prizes for a dead hero
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Athletic contests and valuable objects are used to grace Patroclus' funeral
rites, and Achilles distributes prizes to competitors.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is approximate; the passage presents ritualized
prize distribution rather than an explicit doctrinal exchange.
- id: motif:2
label: Divine intervention determines an athletic victory
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: Ulysses prays to Pallas, receives her aid, and Ajax attributes the victory
to Pallas favoring Ulysses.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy has no exact athletic-contest intervention category;
'divine_beloved' is used only because the passage calls Ulysses the goddess' favourite.
- id: motif:3
label: Contest resolved by shared victory
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After Ajax and Ulysses wrestle without decisive outcome, Achilles restrains
them and says both have won.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: This is a local contest pattern, not linked to a supplied taxonomy family.
- id: motif:4
label: Sacrificial pyre near athletic rite
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The racecourse includes the place beside Patroclus' pyre where slaughtered
victims fed the fire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage mentions the sacrificial victims retrospectively and does
not narrate the sacrifice itself in this excerpt.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage fits the functional pattern of funeral games: athletic contests
and valuable prizes publicly honor a dead hero.'
claim_level: same_function
target: funeral games honoring the dead
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The claim is limited to the function stated in the passage and does
not assert historical comparison beyond this text.
- id: claim:2
claim: The race exemplifies a divine-aid-in-contest pattern, in which a god's favor
alters the outcome of a human competition.
claim_level: same_function
target: divine aid in heroic contests
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The comparison remains thematic; no broader corpus examples are provided
in the passage.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 21866-21888
quote_or_summary: Achilles calls for wrestlers on the sands, setting a tripod for
the victor and a female captive for the loser; Ajax and Ulysses rise and grapple
intensely.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 21889-21923
quote_or_summary: Ajax and Ulysses each attempt throws; Ajax falls once, then both
tumble side by side. Achilles tells them to restrain their vigor and declares
that both have won.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 21924-21951
quote_or_summary: 'Achilles sets prizes for the race: a silver urn, a well-fed ox,
and half a talent. The urn''s Sidonian making and previous transfers are recounted,
and it is now used for Patroclus'' funeral rites.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 21952-21987
quote_or_summary: Oilean Ajax, Ulysses, and Nestor's son run. Ulysses prays to Pallas,
who aids him. Ajax stumbles where the slippery shore is clogged with dung and
gore beside Patroclus' pyre, where victims had fed the fire.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 21988-22001
quote_or_summary: Ajax, holding the bull, says he lost because a goddess opposed
him and Pallas won the day for Ulysses; the Greeks laugh as he sputters dirt and
gore.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 22002-22018
quote_or_summary: Antilochus takes the last prize with a jest about older heroes
and divine favor. Achilles praises his speech and awards him a talent of pure
gold; the host admires Nestor's son.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: quote
locator: lines 21980-21983
quote_or_summary: '"The self-same place beside Patroclus'' pyre, / Where late the
slaughterd victims fed the fire."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/iliad-pope.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The athletic events, prizes, divine intervention, and funeral context are
explicit. Taxonomy alignment is approximate for some motif candidates because
the supplied taxonomy lacks a specific funeral-games or divine-contest category.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. Evidence line ranges are approximate subdivisions of the provided stable range.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-iliad-pope-gutenberg__l21866-l22001
passage_sha256=c8ada5d8dd79cab808276184451cdd56694480605b476746d4d9d1a27d6d03ab