Achilles— Greek Hero"Swift-Footed Achilles"

The Choice of Achilles

Before Achilles was born, a prophecy declared he would either live a long, peaceful life in obscurity or die young at Troy with eternal glory. His mother Thetis, knowing his fate, tried to protect him by dipping him in the River Styx, making him invulnerable—except for the heel by which she held him. When the Greeks sailed for Troy, Thetis disguised Achilles as a girl, but Odysseus's trick revealed him, and Achilles chose glory.

The Wrath of Achilles

The Iliad begins with Achilles's rage at Agamemnon, who took his war-prize Briseis. Achilles withdrew from battle, and without him, the Greeks faced slaughter. His mother Thetis convinced Zeus to let the Trojans win, punishing the Greeks for dishonoring her son. This divine wrath shapes the entire Trojan War.

Swift-Footed and Terrible

No warrior could match Achilles in speed, strength, or skill. He was tutored by the centaur Chiron and armed by the gods—Hephaestus forged his immortal armor at Thetis's request. When he returned to battle, he killed so many Trojans that the river Scamander rose against him. He slew Hector, Troy's champion, and dragged his body behind his chariot for days.

The Death of Patroclus

Achilles's closest companion Patroclus begged to wear his armor and fight in his place. Achilles agreed, but Patroclus was killed by Hector. Achilles's grief was savage and total—this loss, not honor, drove him back to war. His love for Patroclus, whether seen as friendship or romance, is among myth's most powerful bonds.

The Heel

Paris, guided by Apollo, shot an arrow that struck Achilles in his one vulnerable spot—his heel. The greatest warrior of his age fell, killed by the weakest Trojan prince. His choice was fulfilled: he died young, but his name lives forever. The "Achilles heel" became a phrase for fatal vulnerability in an otherwise invincible being.