Who was Achilles' charioteer?

Achilles’ charioteer was Automedon, the warrior who drove his famous horses in the Trojan War.

Automedon was the son of Diores and a trusted companion of Achilles. Homer’s Iliad identifies him as the driver of Achilles’ chariot and associates him with the immortal horses Balius and Xanthos, offspring of the harpy Podarge and the West Wind.

When Patroclus wore Achilles’ armor and entered battle, Automedon drove the chariot for him. After Hector killed Patroclus, Automedon took the horses back from the fighting, grieving alongside the team. Zeus later reassured the horses that they would not fall into Hector’s hands, allowing Automedon to return to battle.

A common mix-up is Patroclus, who temporarily used Achilles’ armor and chariot but was not the charioteer. Automedon also fought as a warrior: with Alcimedon helping to drive, he killed the Trojan Aretus during the struggle over Patroclus’ body.