Who was the first Trojan to wound Patroclus in battle?
Answer
Euphorbus
Answer
Euphorbus
Who was the first Trojan to wound Patroclus in battle? Euphorbus was the first Trojan to wound Patroclus during the battle over Achilles' armor.
Patroclus entered the fighting wearing Achilles' armor in an effort to drive the Trojans away from the Greek ships. After Patroclus killed several enemies and pushed toward Troy, Apollo struck him from behind and disoriented him. Hector then attacked, but the Trojan warrior Euphorbus was the first to land a wound on Patroclus.
Euphorbus stabbed Patroclus with a spear in the back. This injury weakened Patroclus and separated him from much of his armor, setting up the final encounter with Hector. Hector delivered the mortal blow, but Homer distinguishes Euphorbus's earlier wound from Hector's fatal attack.
Euphorbus is therefore often confused with Hector or Apollo. Apollo was instrumental in stripping Patroclus of his strength and armor, while Hector killed him; Euphorbus was the first Trojan fighter to wound him directly. Shortly afterward, Menelaus killed Euphorbus while defending Patroclus's body, an episode later depicted on the famous Euphorbos Plate.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026