Legend has it that in ancient Greece there lived a great warrior admired by all his comrades for his bravery and strength, and feared by his enemies for his skill in the precise combat techniques he had learned from the gods. His name was Achilles , and he is one of the most famous figures from Mount Olympus. Would you like to learn about his myth?
I want to tell you the famous story of this feared fighter so you can learn about the most important moments of his life. You'll see everything from his birth to his death. Why he was a demigod and how he was immortal from his head to his ankles, but mortal from his feet down. It was for this reason that an arrow to his heel caused his death.
Who were the parents of Achilles?
Achilles came from a very unusual union, combining two natures: human and divine. His father was Peleus, a mortal hero who had the honor of marrying Thetis, the immortal goddess of Olympus.
She was a woman of incomparable beauty, so beautiful that Zeus and Poseidon wanted her love for a long time, but they learned of something fearsome, which would put their powers on Olympus at risk, for this reason they gave up their love for Thetis.
What was this terrible news that frightened them so much? One day, the titan Prometheus gave an oracle to the god Zeus, and this object revealed an unexpected prophecy. It foretold that Thetis would give birth to a very powerful son , capable of dominating his father to the point of usurping his reign.
Zeus and Poseidon were greatly afraid upon hearing such disastrous news; therefore, neither wanted to be the father of this evil creature, so they allowed the beautiful goddess to marry a mere mortal.
The day of the great wedding of Thetis and Peleus arrived. During the banquet, Eris, goddess of discord, provoked a dispute between the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite; being the beginning of what would later be the end of Achilles.
All the guests wished the newlyweds much happiness and a happily ever after; however, this was not to be. Shortly after Achilles was born, his mother, the goddess of the sea , returned to the ocean, abandoning her son and father. This caused great sorrow to the two, who loved her dearly and missed her for the rest of their lives.
How was the childhood of Achilles?
Achilles, from birth, was a large child, possessing great strength. He was also very swift, earning him the nickname " swift-footed ." He had a strong character, displaying an insatiable thirst for fame and a thirst for violence toward others. Legend has it that this behavior stemmed from his mother's abandonment, an event that caused him great sorrow.
He spent his early years in Phthia with his father, Peleus. His great teacher was Phoenix, who taught him the most important things for a child his age . A bond of love and friendship formed between them. Phoenix loved him as if he were his own son, always caring for him and staying with him until his adolescence.
During his childhood, he also met Patroclus , a young boy who shared all his adventures with him. Together they learned the art of combat and other disciplines that would later make them army leaders. They became very good friends, remaining close for the rest of their lives.
Achilles when entering adolescence his father sends him Chiron, his new instructor. Chiron was a fabulous centaur, distinguished from others by being civilized and highly knowledgeable in the area of combat. He was the one who taught the young prince the techniques of defense and attacks during wars, medicine and all kinds of survival in battles.
This great warrior, son of a goddess mother and a mortal father, was born with a characteristic that distinguished him from the other gods and the rest of humanity: he was a demigod . That is to say, he was not entirely immortal. How could such an extraordinary man as Achilles have a weak side?
The story goes that before departing, his mother dipped him in the waters of the River Styx to grant him immortality . Because she held him by his feet to prevent him from sinking or being swept away by the currents, they remained dry and unaffected by the powerful effects of the magical waters. Therefore, Achilles could survive any wound, but he would die through his feet; hence the famous phrase " Achilles' heel ," used as a synonym for weakness.
The Trojan War
A series of events triggered a great fight between the Greeks and the Trojans known as the Trojan War. This battle has been predicted for many years and it was already known that Achilles would die in it. Thetis, his beloved mother, aware of such a terrible announcement, bathed him with magical waters to give him immortality.
Then he tried to hide it from the war troops among the daughters of King Lycomedes, but his attempts were in vain, because Achilles was discovered by himself under the temptation of the music of a bugle, a shield and a spear. So he set out with Odysseus to fight on the side of the Greek army.
During the battle, he distinguished himself by his cruelty, destroying cities and looting everything in his path. He sowed fear among the Trojans, who knew they would not survive him. On these battlefields, he lost his great friend , Patroclus , which drove him to kill Hector and fight with even greater rage and thirst for revenge.
The horses offered to the Trojans served as a trap to enter the city of Troy . Achilles, upon crossing the great walls, continued destroying everything in his path, though he also met his death. Paris, son of King Priam and brother of Hector, protected by the goddess Aphrodite, struck Achilles in the heel with a well-aimed arrow, causing his swift demise.
There is no doubt that Achilles was one of the most celebrated heroes of Greek mythology . His participation in the Troop War allowed the Greeks to win the battle, but it cost him his life. He is a clear example of how desires for revenge, anger, and ill will can lead to a tragic death, even beyond heroism.
This has been it, we hope you enjoyed reading the Achilles myth as much as we liked telling you about it. If you have any questions about the hero Achilles, you can leave a comment below.
