Ames-Eden-Malinasky 1 Nick Ames, Rosie Eden, and Emma Malinasky Mr. Hill Greek I 14 November 2018 Achilles Study Guide Myth Summaries Early Life: Achilles was the son of Peleus and Thetis. His mother held him over a divine fire or, in some accounts, dipped him into the River Styx by his heel in order to make him immortal. Thetis, knowing that her son was fated to a glorious but short life, raised Achilles on Skyros, even in some accounts disguised as a girl. The Trojan War: Odysseus was sent on a mission to find Achilles and persuade him to participate in the war between the Greeks and Trojans. With Achilles s thirst for glory, the embassy was successful and Achilles, leaving behind his son Neoptolemus, sailed for Troy with his army of Myrmidons. The Achaean siege of Troy lasted for ten years, and during this time, Achilles excelled in battle and sacked cities in the surrounding area. The fortunes of the Greeks changed dramatically for the worse when Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and leader of the Greek forces, fought with his greatest warrior, causing Achilles to withdraw from the conflict. The Achaeans fortunes waned, and the Trojans took confidence in Achilles s absence. Agamemnon pleaded with Achilles but in vain. Even Achilles s friend Patroclus pleaded with the hero to re-enter the war or at least allow him to fight in his stead. Achilles agreed to the latter, and giving Patroclus his armor, made his friend promise only to engage in defensive action and not to pursue the Trojans back to Troy. When the Trojans saw the armored Patroclus, they thought that
Ames-Eden-Malinasky 2 Achilles had re-entered the battle, causing panic to ensue. Patroclus ignored his Achilles s advice and chased after the fleeing Trojans, ultimately reaching the walls of Troy. Apollo, the protector of the Trojans, struck the helmet and armor from his body and guided the spear of Euphorbus to strike him in the back. Hector delivered the final, fatal blow. A long battle then followed over possession of the body, with the Achaeans finally managing to take the fallen Patroclus back to their camp. The Rage of Achilles: When Achilles discovered that Patroclus had been killed, he resolved to return to the battle and seek vengeance for the death of his friend. Achilles, decked out in his divine armor and still livid with rage, took to the battlefield once more and routed the enemy. He then went after Hector, in spite of Apollo s efforts to protect the prince, the two finally met in single combat outside the walls of Troy. Achilles proceeded to kill Hector, and by tying him to his chariot, dragged the corpse in front of the walls of the city in full view of his grieving family and then back to the Achaean camp. Priam, King of Troy, traveled in secret to his enemy s camp to plead with Achilles to return the body of his son so that he might receive a proper burial. After a long and moving appeal and with some counsel from Athena, Achilles finally agreed to the old king s request. Death: As the war went on, and Achilles continued to dominate. Just as his mother had feared, Achilles was destined to be cut down in his prime. Apollo directed an arrow let loose by Paris into his vulnerable heel, and so Achilles was sent down to Hades. The hero Ajax managed to recover the body and took it back to the Achaean camp where funeral games were held in honor of the fallen warrior. His armor was given to Odysseus, whose ploy of the wooden horse would finally bring an end to the war and victory for the
Ames-Eden-Malinasky 3 Greeks. Relationships Thetis: Achilles s mother. She dipped him in the river of Styx by the ankle so that he could gain invincibility. Pelius: Achilles s father. He gave baby Achilles to Chiron to be raised on mount Pelion. Patroclus: Achilles s closest friend. His death caused Achilles to return to fighting in the Trojan War and kill Hector Agamemnon: Achilles s commander. He stole Briseis from Achilles and prompted him to refuse to fight Briseis: Was Achilles s concubine. Achilles loved her. Hector: Killed Patroclus. When Achilles finally killed Hector he tied his body to a chariot and dragged it around behind him. Paris: Killed Achilles. Priam: Was Hector s body. He snuck into the Greek camp and begged Achilles to return Hector s body. Deidamia: Had a child with Achilles. She was Lycomedes s daughter when Achilles was hiding on Skyros Neoptolemus: Achilles s son. He eventually killed king Priam Odysseus: Got Achilles s armor after Achilles died Great Ajax: Fought Odysseus for Achilles s armor. Was a sore loser and killed himself after he lost to Odysseus. Penthesilea: Was an Amazon warrior fighting for the Trojans. Achilles fell in love with her immediately after killing her, and some versions have him partaking in necrophilia
Ames-Eden-Malinasky 4 Locations Phthia: Achilles was born in Phthia to Peleus and Thetis. River Styx: Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx and submerged him in an endeavor to make him immortal. Scyros: Thetis disguised Achilles as a girl and left him to live in Scyros in an endeavor to make him immortal. Mt. Pelion: The marriage of Thetis and Peleus, Achilles s parents, took place on Mt. Pelion. Achilles was also taught archery, virtue, combat, and leadership by Cheiron on Mt. Pelion. Aulis: When Agamemnon and the Achaeans sought to fight at Troy, they could not leave Aulis until Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia. Achilles came to her defense, but eventually conceded, as almost all of the Achaeans were willing to go through with the sacrifice. Troy: Achilles was a key figure at Troy during the Trojan War. Fighting for Agamemnon and the Achaeans, he was ultimately killed by Paris when he shot him in the heel, his one weakness.
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Ames-Eden-Malinasky 6 Primary Sources The Iliad Posthomercia The Epic Cycle o o o The Cypria Aethipois The Little Iliad The Achilleid