Patroclus was the son of Menoetius, king of the Locrians, and Sthenele, and a close friend of Achilles. His name means 'glory of the father', from pater, 'father' and cleos, 'fame', 'glory'. This is obviously a propitious name, although Robert Graves regards it as 'inappropriately patriarchal' and suggests that his actual name may have been
Phoenix.
