Achilles - Greek Hero Of The Trojan War | The Story Of Achilles | Greek Mythology And Folklore

In Greek mythology, Achilles was the son of the mortal Phythian king, Peleus, in Thessaly, and the immortal sea nymph, Thetis, daughter of Messias. Achilles is often described in all of Hellenic mythology, as the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. When Achilles was born, the fates revealed a prophecy that he would die an early death in battle. Thetis was worried about her newborn son and his defenselessness, due to his half-mortal parentage, so she thought of a way to make him indestructible, and came up with one idea. She took the newborn Achilles to the river Styx, and dipped the baby into the water, which had the power to make him invincible. But unknown to Thetis, the heel by which she was holding the baby was not touched by the magical water. In a slightly different version, a large leaf stuck to his heels and kept the water from touching them. As a result, Achilles' heel remained vulnerable. Still wanting to ensure her son's invincibility, Thetis rubbed the baby, Achilles each day with godly ambrosia, and each night laid him on the fire. One day, his father, Peleus, came upon Thetis holding their baby in the flames and cried out in alarm. He told Thetis to abandon that routine, Thetis was offended and returned to the sea, leaving Achilles to his mortal world. When the Trojan War began, Mycenaean king, Agamemnon, commander of the Greek forces, sent Odysseus and a group of soldiers to recruit the strong Achilles. Thetis was afraid for her son and sent him, disguised as a woman, to king Lycomedes, on the island of Skyros to live among the king's daughters. There, Achilles spent nine years, during which time, he begets a son called, Neptolemus, with one of the king's daughters. When the clever Odysseus arrived at Skyros, he saw through the disguise, tricked Achilles into revealing his identity, and convinced him to join the army of the Greeks in the war against the Trojans. Achilles proved to be a formidable warrior, who within a short while, caused fear in the hearts of the Trojans. Achilles also displayed one notable flaw, he had a terrible temper. During the last years of the Trojan War, Achilles quarreled with Agamemnon over possession of Briseis, a young woman Achilles had captured as a prize of war. When Agamemnon claimed her, Achilles took it as a deadly insult, he fought, and would have killed the commander if not for Athena's intervention. Thereafter, he swore an oath that he would withdraw from the fighting and that the Greeks would appeal to him in vain in their hour of need. True to his word, Achilles withdrew from the army, and stayed in his tent. His mother, Thetis, in the meanwhile, complained to Zeus, who in turn, assured her that he would turn the tide of battle against the Greeks precisely to make them understand how much they need Achilles and how much his loss means to them. And it came to happen. The Greek forces began to lose the battle, because Achilles was not with them. The Greeks sent an embassy to Achilles to persuade him to return to battle, offering to return Briseis to him and to give him other magnificent gifts in addition, yet he still refused. Unfortunately, Achilles' best friend, Patroclus, borrowed his armor to go into battle and was killed by Hector, Prince of Troy, the greatest Trojan warrior. Deeply enraged, Achilles returned to the battlefield. He filled the Trojans with terror, choked the rivers with blood, and even battled a river god. At last, with the help of Athena, he met Hector face to face and defeated him in one to one combat. At that point, the extremity of Achilles' temper once again manifested itself. He refused to return Prince Hector's body, and instead abused it, dragging it around the walls of Troy behind his chariot. It was only when Apollo guided a man named Priam to his tent, under the cover of darkness, that Achilles agreed to return the body. It was said that Achilles insulted and disrespected Apollo, and so the god turned his anger towards the Greek, towards Achilles in particular. Apollo appeared to Hector's brother, Paris, and promised to guide him in his revenge against Achilles, for the death of his brother and the abuse of his corpse. On a fateful day, on the battlefield, guided by Apollo, Paris, shot a poisoned arrow into Achilles' one mortal spot, his heel. The powerful poison went into his body and did its work. Within seconds, Achilles succumbed to death. Oh, how wonderful a news it was, to the Trojans. The mighty Achilles had fallen. To this very day, the phrase Achilles' heel refers to a vulnerable spot.