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Achilles

Written By Unknown on Monday, July 1, 2013 | 3:13 PM

Achilles in Greek mythology

The birth of Achilles

In Greek mythology, Achilles, grandson of Aeacus (Achilles Eakides) was the greatest and the main hero of Homer in Iliad.
Achilles was son of Peleus (that's why he was called and Pilides), king of the Myrmidons in Phthia (now East - Northeast Fthiotida) and the Nereid Thetis. Zeus and Poseidon vied for her hand until an oracle revealed that she would give birth to a son greater than his father, so they wisely chose to give her to someone else. According to the post-Homeric legend, Thetis attempted to make Achilles invulnerable, dunking him in the waters of the Styx, but holding him by the heel,so left him vulnerable at that point. Homer, however, reported a slight injury in the Iliad. In a newer and less popular version, Thetis anointed the boy in ambrosia and then placed it over the fire to burn the mortal parts of his body.But, she was interrupted by Peleus and she abandoned father and son, enraged. Peleus gave him (perhaps with his little friend Patroclus) to the centaur Chiron on Mount Pelion,to raise them up.


Achilles in the Trojan War

When the Greeks sailed to Troy, accidentally stopped in Mysia, where Telephus was king. In the ensuing battle, Achilles wounded Telephus. The wound was not closing so Telephus asked for an oracle,which stated "the burrowing is the healer" meaning that the one that wounded that one shall heal ".
According to other reports on the lost work of Euripides' Telephus went to Aulis, pretending the beggar and asked Achilles to heal his wound. Achilles refused, claiming that he had not medical knowledge. Alternatively, Telephus held Orestes hostage in exchange for the help of Achilles in wound healing. Odysseus concluded that the spear created so the spear wound should heal it. Copper shavings from the spear placed in the wound and Telephus was healed.

In a post-Homeric (but popular) version of the myth, the seer Calchas said that the Greeks could not win without the help of Achilles, but his mother, Thetis, she knew he would die if he went to Troy. So she hid him in the yard of Likomidis in Skyros, disguised as a girl. There was a tie with Diidameia resulting in a son, Neoptolemus. However, he was discovered by the wily Odysseus, who arrived disguised as peddler with jewels and weapons. Achilles identified by the fact that he looked the "wrong" goods. Alternatively,he was revealed by the sound of a trumpet, where instead flinch,he grabbed a spear to repel the invaders. Beyond that it took little persuasion to go to Troy, accompanied by his cousin and best friend Patroclus and his teacher, Finikas(Phoenix) (this is the same Finikas that accompanied Odysseus in Skyros in a later version).

Death of Achilles


The main hero of the story,Achilles, is killed by Paris,when he shoots and arrow and hits the heel of Achilles. Thetis when plunged  Achilles into the waters of Styx to make him immortal was holding him by the heel which was not placed in the water and thus became the only vulnerable point of Achilles (the one that would kill him.)

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