~ ACHILLES ~
"Achilles was the mightiest of the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War." -'Achilles', James Hunter, Encyclopedia Mythica
Achilles was the mortal son of the Nereid Thetis and the motal Peleus. Ever since he was a young boy, Calchas, a soothsayer, prophesied that Achilles was destined to fight in the Trojan War .
As an infant, Thetis attempted to make her son immortal. She dipped him in a river called Styx, a river that separates the worlds of the living and the dead. Whatever touched the water became invulnerable, but because Thetis was holding Achilles by the heel, his heel remained dry and unprotected - hence the term 'Achilles heel', which is used today to refer to a part of something that is vulnerable, or a weakness.
As an infant, Thetis attempted to make her son immortal. She dipped him in a river called Styx, a river that separates the worlds of the living and the dead. Whatever touched the water became invulnerable, but because Thetis was holding Achilles by the heel, his heel remained dry and unprotected - hence the term 'Achilles heel', which is used today to refer to a part of something that is vulnerable, or a weakness.
Scyros
Thetis didn't want Achilles to go to the city of Troy to fight in the Trojan War because she knew he would die at an early age. She disguised him as a girl and sent him to Scyros, where Lycomedes was king. Achilles ended up having an affair with the daughter of Lycomedes, Deidameia. She had a son, Achilles' only son, who they named Pyrrhus. (He is also known as Neoptolemus.) At last, Odysseus, a prominent Greek leader of the Trojan War, realized who he was by placing swords and shields, objects that would typically interest men, next to things that would typically interest women and found that Achilles was the only one interested by the swords and shields. He then went to Troy with Odysseus willingly.
Trojan War
"At Troy, Achilles distinguished himself as an undefeatable warrior." -'Achilles', James Hunter, Encyclopedia Mythica
The Trojan War began because Helen of Troy was abducted by Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy. Years before that, many men from Greece were suitors to marry her. She married Menelaus, the brother of Agamemnon. The other suitors were to swear to support Menelaus as the successful candidate. When Helen was abducted, Menelaus requested the help of the other suitors to try and get her back. James Hunter puts it best - "As a result, the Greek leaders mustered the greatest army of the time, placed it under the command of Agamemnon, and set off to wage what became known as the Trojan War.
During his time in Trojan territory, he captured 23 towns. In one town, Lyrnessos, he took a war prize - a woman named Briseis. But the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, Agamemnon, had to give up his own war-prize because of an oracle of Apollo. As compensation for his loss, he took Briseis from Achilles. That caused Achilles to become angry, and he refused to fight for the Greeks. Although it was wrong of Agamemnon to take Briseis, Achilles could have put his personal issues aside and continued to help the people of Greece. But because Achilles stopped fighting, the war didn't go well for the Greeks. They offered Achilles reparations, and he still refused - but he did allow his friend Patroclus to fight in his armor. Unfortunately, the Trojan hero Hector mistook him for Achilles and killed him the next day.
Achilles was grieving for his friend and was outraged at Hector. Achilles must have known the risk of sending out his friend into the war, yet he did not seem to place any blame on himself. He instead got revenge, obtaining new armor his mother got him from Hephaestus and killing Hector. He desecrated the body and dragged it behind his chariot through Troy, refusing to allow it funeral rites.
Priam, Hector's father, secretly went into the Greek camp and pleaded Achilles for the body of Hector. Achilles at last showed remorse and relented. It was good of Achilles to demostrate empathy towards Priam despite the fact that his son had killed Patroclus. Perhaps that was what made Achilles understand the grief Priam was going through - he had gone through it as well when his friend was killed.
Achilles continued to fight until Paris, wounded Achilles in the heel with an arrow. Since Achilles' heel was the one part of him that hadn't been dipped in Styx, it was vulnerable. Achilles ended up dying of the wound.
The Trojan War ended when the Greeks put up a wooden horse by the gates of Troy full of Greek men. The Trojans noticed the Greek ships sailing away earlier during the day and thought it was a peace offering. They led the horse into the city and feasted and partied that night, believing they had won the war. While they were asleep, the Greek destroyed the city, killing the men and holding the women as prisoners. Helen was returned home to her husband.
During his time in Trojan territory, he captured 23 towns. In one town, Lyrnessos, he took a war prize - a woman named Briseis. But the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, Agamemnon, had to give up his own war-prize because of an oracle of Apollo. As compensation for his loss, he took Briseis from Achilles. That caused Achilles to become angry, and he refused to fight for the Greeks. Although it was wrong of Agamemnon to take Briseis, Achilles could have put his personal issues aside and continued to help the people of Greece. But because Achilles stopped fighting, the war didn't go well for the Greeks. They offered Achilles reparations, and he still refused - but he did allow his friend Patroclus to fight in his armor. Unfortunately, the Trojan hero Hector mistook him for Achilles and killed him the next day.
Achilles was grieving for his friend and was outraged at Hector. Achilles must have known the risk of sending out his friend into the war, yet he did not seem to place any blame on himself. He instead got revenge, obtaining new armor his mother got him from Hephaestus and killing Hector. He desecrated the body and dragged it behind his chariot through Troy, refusing to allow it funeral rites.
Priam, Hector's father, secretly went into the Greek camp and pleaded Achilles for the body of Hector. Achilles at last showed remorse and relented. It was good of Achilles to demostrate empathy towards Priam despite the fact that his son had killed Patroclus. Perhaps that was what made Achilles understand the grief Priam was going through - he had gone through it as well when his friend was killed.
Achilles continued to fight until Paris, wounded Achilles in the heel with an arrow. Since Achilles' heel was the one part of him that hadn't been dipped in Styx, it was vulnerable. Achilles ended up dying of the wound.
The Trojan War ended when the Greeks put up a wooden horse by the gates of Troy full of Greek men. The Trojans noticed the Greek ships sailing away earlier during the day and thought it was a peace offering. They led the horse into the city and feasted and partied that night, believing they had won the war. While they were asleep, the Greek destroyed the city, killing the men and holding the women as prisoners. Helen was returned home to her husband.