The Iliad, books 22, 23, 24

After the death of Patroclus, Achilles has lost his humanity. He no longer spares and sells captured Trojans, he kills them without regret. He kills without compassion and is filled with hate, he goes in to a 'killing frenzy'. ". . .Like a spirit from hell bent on slaughter. He struck over and over, in a widening spiral. Hideous groans rose from the wounded, and the river turned crimson with blood." (page 404, the Iliad, translated by Stanley Lombardo). Achilles becomes crazy with the thought of killing Trojans, it becomes an obsession for him. "All of you Trojans will die like that. . .No, you'll all die, die ugly deaths, until you have paid for the Greeks' loss, for Patroclus dead, killed by the ships while I was away." (page 407). Zeus sends Achilles mother, Thetis, to reason with her son. She tells him to give the body of Hector back to Priam for ransom and to not be so grieved stricken. Iris goes to Priam and she to give ransom for his son, and to appeal to Achilles noble father and beautiful mother to soften his heart. Achilles knows it is the will of Zeus to give back the body of Hector because Priam would not have been able to make it into the Greek camp with the help of an immortal. Achilles' humanity is restored when he decides to take the ransom and prepare Hector's body for Priam.