Patroklos' presence defines and dominates book 16, whence its title Patrokleia. The poet must save the ships from Hektor's assault. We know that Patroklos is en route to Akhilleus, and hopes to persuade him to rejoin the war (15.390ff.); we now expect the hero simply to agree, even though Zeus's forecast that his own ships would come under attack is still unfulfilled (15.56–77n). But Homer has grander plans, which lead his hero to disaster. Although moved by Patroklos' passionate speech, Akhilleus is too concerned over losing face to join the fighting himself with no personal apology from Agamemnon. The Greek leaders ought by now to be here, offering restitution in person – but clearly cannot, if they are as badly wounded as Patroklos says. So Akhilleus tries to buy time for another, humbler embassy by accepting the compromise proposed by Nestor (11.794ff.), and advanced by Patroklos as if his own idea, that he send Patroklos in his own place at the head of his men. He can thus assuage his guilt (not unmixed with Schadenfreude) that the Greeks are imperilled because of his refusal the night before to end the quarrel when he had the chance, even though that entailed terms he found intolerable – and when the concessions he made, tacitly retracting his threat to sail home, went unnoticed after his initial outburst.