Achilles

Posted on | February 19, 2008 |

Achilles has been described as the most handsome warrior to fight in the Trojan War. He established an impressive war record and captured 23 Trojan villages. He was seen as a great hero and is the main character in the Iliad, whose central theme is the wrath of Achilles, in deference to his explosive and murderous temper.

Many stories surround the sexual exploits of Achilles, with both men and women. There was great speculation regarding Achilles’ close relationship with Patroclus, who was killed during the Trojan War. Achilles pursued a prince of Troy, Troilus, who hid from Achilles in Apollo’s temple. Achilles desecrated the temple by beheading the boy inside, earning him the rage of Apollo. It is said that Apollo guided the arrow that struck Achilles in the heel, the only mortal spot on Achilles’ body, which has led to the reference of the “Achilles heel” as a weakness.

Mythology

Achilles was born in Farsala to the king of the Myrmidons, Peleus, and his immortal wife Thetis, a sea nymph. He was sent to Mt. Pelion where he was raised by a centaur named Chiron.

An ancient story by Statius claims that Thetis dipped Achilles in the river Styx, trying to make him immortal. The story goes on to tell that she forgot to dip the heel she had been holding him by, making it the only spot on his body vulnerable to attack. Another version of the story relates that Thetis covered the child in the godly ambrosia and placed him in the fire to let the flames destroy his mortal aspects, but was interrupted by Peleus, who was enraged and removed him from the fire, leaving a mortal spot on Achilles’ heel.

While Achilles was young, Calchas foretold that Troy could not be defeated without the help of Achilles. Thetis, however, knew her son was doomed to an early death if he fought in the war, so she hid him in the court of Lycomedes, disguised as a girl. His son Pyrrhus was born of Achilles’ affair with Lycomedes’ daughter, Deidameia. Achilles identity was eventually discovered, and he went to Troy and led many of the Myrmidons in battle.

In one of the Trojan towns captured by Achilles, Lyrnessus, he took the woman Briseis as a war prize. The leader of the Greek forces, Agamemnon, took the lady Chryseis as his war prize, but an oracle of Apollo forced him to surrender his prize. He took Briseis away from Achilles to console himself, enraging Achilles and causing him to withdraw from the war. This confrontation with Agamemnon begins Homer’s epic poem iliad.

With Achilles withdrawl from battle, the Trojans began gaining ground against the Greek forces. The Greek commander was blamed for making Achilles mad, which in turn was causing the Achaeans to lose ground to the Trojans. He sent Odysseus to try to bribe Achilles with gifts in exchange for his return to battle. Achilles refused and urged them to return to Greece. The Greeks offered their most ferocious warrior many gifts to try to encourage him to return to battle.

Achilles finally relented and agreed to help the Achaean forces, but still refused to personally appear in battle. He prayed to his mother that the Trojans could be defeated, although by this time the Greeks were teetering on the edge of destruction at the hands of the Trojans. Achilles gave Patroclus his armor and allowed the boy to lead the Greek troops in battle against the Trojan forces. Patroclus and his men were able to push back the Trojans, but the Trojan leader Hector mistook Patroclus for Achilles and killed him, stripping him of the armor.

In a rage, Achilles returned to battle and became a killing machine, seeking to exact revenge upon Hector. He was bolstered by a magnificent new set of armor his mother had obtained from Hephaestus.

At one point Zeus had to have Achilles restrained to prevent him from taking on the city of Troy singlehandedly. Achilles finally found Hector, who had to be persuaded by Athena to fight Achilles rather than run from him. Achilles killed Hector, then mutilated the body by dragging it behind a chariot for nine days. The Iliad closes with Hector’s funeral, which takes place shortly before the fall of Troy.

Despite his prowess as a warrior, Achilles’ affinity for young boys is perhaps what finally led to his demise. He had made many advances toward a Trojan boy named Troilus, and became aggressive in his pursuits of the boy. Troilus ran to the temple of Apollo and hid inside, trying to escape Achilles’ advances. Achilles was furious about being spurned by Troilus and beheaded him inside the temple.

Troilus was killed just prior to his twentieth birthday, and myths told that should Troilus have lived past his twentieth birthday, Troy would have been invincible. Apollo was enraged by the desecration of his temple, and swore revenge against Achilles.

Achilles was finally killed by an arrow, which struck his heel, the only vulnerable place on Achilles’ body. Paris was the one who loosed the arrow, but many believe it was guided to its fatal mark by Apollo.

Following his death, Odysseus and Ajax competed for Achilles’ armor by telling why they were the bravest warriors, and therefore the most deserving of it. When Odysseus won the competition, Ajax lost his mind and went mad. After killing many sheep, believing them to be Greek soldiers, he killed himself.

Achilles in Pop Culture

• Achilles has been portrayed on stage in the production of Paris, a musical based upon the Trojan War, and in William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.

• Many actors have portrayed Achilles in film, most recently by Brad Pitt in Troy. Joe Montana played Achilles in the made-for-television movie Helen of Troy.

• Other films featuring Achilles include: 1955’s Ulysses, Helen of Troy starring Stanley Baker, Something About Zeus, and Fury of Achilles released in 1962.

• The character Archie in the animated series Class of the Titans is a descendent of Achilles who has inherited the hero’s weak heel.

• In 1976, Led Zeppelin sang Achilles Last Stand.

• Other songs about Achilles include: Achilles Revenge by Warlord, Jag Panzer’s Achilles, Sean O’Loughlin’s piece Achilles’ Wrath, and Manowar’s Achilles, Agony & Ecstasy in Eight Parts.

• Reference is made to Achilles in many other modern songs, including: Ghost by the Indigo Girls, Placebo’s Special K, and Bob Dylan’s Temporary Like Achilles.

• A cruiser with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War II was named the HMNZS Achilles.

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