ACHILLESBy Theo Maniatis and Akis Vairamis

• In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War and the central character and greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad. Achilles was said to be a demigod; his mother was the nymphThetis, and his father, Peleus, was the king of the Myrmidons.

• Achilles’ most notable feat during the Trojan War was the slaying of the Trojan hero Hector outside the gates of Troy. Because of his death from a small wound in the heel, the term Achilles' heel has come to mean a person's point of weakness.

BIRTH

• Achilles was the son of the nymph Thetis and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Zeus and Poseidon had been rivals for the hand of Thetis unti lPrometheus, the fore-thinker, warned Zeus of a prophecy that Thetis would bear a son greater than his father. For this reason, the two gods withdrew their pursuit, and had her wed Peleus.

TROJAN WAR 1• It begins with Achilles' withdrawal from battle after he is dishonored by

Agamemnon, the commander of the Achaean forces. Agamemnon had taken a woman named Chryseis as his slave. Her father Chryses, a priest of Apollo, begged Agamemnon to return her to him. Agamemnon refused and Apollo sent a plague amongst the Greeks. The prophet Calchas correctly determined the source of the troubles but would not speak unless Achilles vowed to protect him. Achilles did so and Calchas declared Chryseis must be returned to her father. Agamemnon consented, but then commanded that Achilles' battle prize Briseis be brought to replace Chryseis. Angry at the dishonor of having his plunder and glory taken away (and as he says later, because he loved Briseis),[ with the urging of his mother Thetis, Achilles refused to fight or lead his troops alongside the other Greek forces. At this same time, burning with rage over Agamemnon's theft, Achilles prayed to Thetis to convince Zeus to help the Trojans gain ground in the war, so that he may regain his honor.

TROJAN WAR 2• The Trojans, led by Hector, subsequently pushed the Greek army back toward the beaches

and assaulted the Greek ships. With the Greek forces on the verge of absolute destruction, Patroclus led the Myrmidons into battle wearing Achilles' armor, though Achilles remained at his camp. Patroclus succeeded in pushing the Trojans back from the beaches, but was killed by Hector before he could lead a proper assault on the city of Troy.

• Achilles chased Hector around the wall of Troy three times before Athena, in the form of Hector's favorite and dearest brother, Deiphobus, persuaded Hector to stop running and fight Achilles face to face. Wanting to go down fighting, he charged at Achilles with his only weapon, his sword, but missed. Accepting his fate, Hector begged Achilles, not to spare his life, but to treat his body with respect after killing him. Achilles told Hector it was hopeless to expect that of him.Finnaly he killed jim and then got his vengeance.

• With the assistance of the god Hermes, Hector's father, Priam, went to Achilles' tent to plead with Achilles to permit him to perform for Hector his funeral rites. Achilles relented and promised a truce for the duration of Hector's funeral. The final passage in the Iliad is Hector's funeral, after which the doom of Troy was just a matter of time.

DEATH

• The death of Achilles was brought about by Paris with an arrow.In some versions, the god Apollo guided Paris' arrow. Some retellings also state that Achilles was scaling the gates of Troy and was hit with a poisoned arrow.

Achilles in later art

• The role of Achilles has been played in film by:• Richard Trewett in the miniseries The Odyssey (TV, 1997)• Joe Montana in Helen of Troy (TV, 2003)• Brad Pitt in Troy (2004)• Achilles has frequently been mentioned in music:• "Achilles' Revenge" is a song by Warlord.• "Achilles' Wrath" is a concert piece by Sean O'Loughlin.• Achilles is referred to in Bob Dylan's song "Temporary Like

Achilles".• "Cry of Achilles" is the lead track off of Alter Bridge's fourth

album, Fortress.

SOME PICTURES

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