Achilles in greek mythology

Achilles in greek mythology

According to Greek mythology, Achilles led the Greek army in the Trojan War as their most formidable fighter and hero. He was the son of the sea nymph Thetis and the Myrmidon king Peleus. Achilles’s narrative is told in several places, including Homer’s Iliad.

What is Achilles known for?

One of the greatest fighters and heroes in Greek mythology was Achilles. He had a significant role in Homer’s Iliad, fighting alongside Troy in the Trojan War.

Birth of Achilles

The sea nymph Thetis was Achilles’ mother, and the king of the Myrmidons, Peleus, was his father. Achilles’s mother wished to keep him safe after he was born. She submerged him in the Styx River while holding him by the heel. Greek mythology described the river Styx as having unique abilities and existing in the Underworld. Achilles’ mother’s holding of him made him impervious everywhere but at his heel.

Achilles was incredibly strong and quickly rose to become a legendary warrior since he was a half-god. But unlike his mother, he was not immortal and was also part human. One day he would grow old and die, and he might even be murdered.

The Trojan War Begins

The Greeks waged war to reclaim Helen, the wife of Greek King Menelaus, who had been abducted by the Trojan Prince Paris. He entered the conflict and brought the Myrmidons, a formidable force of warriors.

Achilles Fights Troy

Achilles was invincible in the Trojan War. He dispatched numerous of Troy’s finest fighters. But the conflict continued for years. Numerous Greek gods were implicated; some aided the Greeks, while others supported the Trojans.

Achilles Refuses to Fight

Achilles once fell in love with Briseis, a stunning princess he had captured during the conflict. But Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek army, lost his cool and stole Briseis away from Achilles. Achilles lost his temper and stopped fighting.

Patroclus Dies

The Greeks started to lose the war because Achilles was not fighting. Hector was the greatest warrior of Troy, unstoppable. Patroclus, a soldier, was Achilles’ closest friend. Achilles was persuaded by Patroclus to offer him his armor. Patroclus assumed Achilles’s armor before the fight. Inspired by the thought that Achilles was returning, the Greek soldiers stepped up their fighting.

Patroclus and Hector met just as things were looking up for the Greeks. The two fighters went to war. With the intervention of the god Apollo, Hector murdered Patroclus and took Achilles’ armor. After that, Achilles returned to the fight to get revenge on his friend’s killer. After a protracted battle, he overcame Hector when they first met on the battlefield.

Death

Achilles kept fighting the Trojans, and it appeared that there was no stopping him. But Apollo, the Greek god, was aware of his frailty. Apollo aimed Paris’s arrow at Achilles, causing it to hit Achilles in the heel. Achilles’ wound finally claimed his life.

The Achilles’ Heel

Today, the term “Achilles’ heel” is used to describe a point of weakness that could lead to one’s downfall.

Facts About Achilles

• One story tells how Thetis disguised Achilles as a girl in the court of the king of Skyros in order to keep him from war. Another Greek hero, Odysseus, traveled to Skyros and tricked Achilles into giving himself away.
• The Achilles tendon that connects the heel to the calf is named after the hero Achilles.
• The Greek god Apollo was angry with Achilles because Achilles killed Apollo’s son.
• He fought and killed Penthesilea, the Queen of the Amazons.
• After Achilles’ death, the heroes Odysseus and Ajax competed for Achilles’ armor. Odysseus won and gave the armor to Achilles’ son.

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