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Achilles - Most famous heroes of

Greek mythology.

In Iliad, certain heroic characters play major roles in battles. The heroes are literally presented as
greater human beings than the ordinary warriors. Some warriors may have a divine or semi-
divine parent. In Homer’s epic, Achilles is the center character. He is the protagonist of this epic.
His name comes from achos-grief of the people. He is the son of the mortal king of Myrmidons,
Peleus and Thetis, a nereid1. Achilles was known as demigod-the offspring of a god and a
mortal. The reason he was a great warrior was because he was a demigod and being dipped in
river Styx by Thetis as a nine year old child, making him immortal and untrodden to weapons.
Achilles was a northerner, whereas most other Greeks at Troy were from south. He has a
different temperament. His people are called as Myrmidons. He was the leader of Myrmidons.
He commanded fifty ships which contain fifty Myrmidons each during the start of Trojan war.

Generally a hero have a four pillars or rules- always to best and bravest and distinguished from
others, to stand fast firmly, to be the speaker of words and doer of deeds, helping one’s friend,
while harming one’s enemy. Achilles, as a great hero of an epic follow these four pillars. He was
bravest and undefeatable warrior as he himself captured twenty-three towns in Trojan territory.
He was an eloquent speaker as he addressed his army to be focused and devoted to the war. He
also have a feeling of philos2 and loyal, as when Patroclus died in the war, Achilles was
overwhelmed with grief for his friend and rage for Hector. Moreover, Achilles was the strongest
and perhaps the most important Achaean fighter in Trojan war. As he is being many time
described as ‘godlike’, ‘feet’ and ‘strong’, this shows about Achilles strength in Iliad. The most
significant flaw in the personality of Achilles is his excessive pride. As when Agamemnon loses
his concubine, he lashes out at Achilles and claimed his concubine as his own. This brutal act of
Agamemnon made Achilles furious because he was dishonored as his jerous3 was taken away
and was retreated from battle. Achilles wrath at Agamemnon for taking his war prize, Briseis
forms the main subject of the Iliad. He possess superhuman strength and also has a close
relationship with gods. Throughout the Iliad, Achilles was seen as prideful, jealous and stubborn.

1) Nereid- a sea goddess

2) Philos- a friend
Achilles is characterized as what he says. His pride and stubbornness will not allow him to
forgive Agamemnon. Achilles anger and hatred was so overwhelming that even when Ajax and
Odysseus come to him with an offer of gifts from Agamemnon, he refuses to accept it and also
refuses to join the battle. Achilles has an immense importance in the war as when Hector says- ‘
Achilles, who in the day of battle is a tower of strength to the Achaeans’. Here, Nestor shows
Achilles usefulness to the fight and the Achaeans suffer great losses when he stays in his tent and
does not fight. He is a faster, sharper, brighter, bigger and also more important than other men.
Other men cannot even aspire to be like him. At his most resplendent, men cannot even look at
his eyes directly. He is just above and beyond.

Achilles can be termed as the man-breaker, who decked out in his divine armor which was
gleaming shield depicted all manner of scenes in gold, silver and enamel, the greaves were made
of shining tin and the helmet of gold. With the rage of killing Patroclus, he took to battlefield for
the revenge. Moreover, Achilles also depicts a character of cruelty in some instances, as when he
refused to perform any funeral rites for Hector’s body. Though he was a superhero but his
actions present him as being anti-hero, as he dragged Hector’s dead body with his chariot. He is
sulky, high-strung and pitiless who is actively enjoying the iron in his heart and also he can be
murderously cruel. He fought this battle not because of Helen but for aristeia and kleos.

The ‘aristeia’ shows the significance of one man among many. It shows the importance and
power of a hero within a troop of a men. Achilles aristeia is the largest in the Iliad. In book 18,
he came to know about Patroclus death and curses himself for letting him go. In book 19 and 20 ,
Achilles’s rage of killing Patroclus turns more dangerous as he kills everyone in his path until he
reaches to Hector and takes revenge. Achilles presents quite a formidable appearance and is also
been compared to Ares himself. This description portrays Achilles anger and determination to
kill as many trojans as he can. His rage constantly comes up when his feelings get hurt or
someone insults him and because of this Greeks suffered a lot. The fate of Achilles has also been
described. In Odyssey, the warrior returned to Troy after Hector funeral to take further revenge
for Patroclus death. However, Paris who was not a brave warrior, ambushed Achilles as he
entered Troy. Though, Achilles was immortal but at one place Achilles was vulnerable, his heel
where his mother’s hand had kept the water of Styx from touching skin. Achilles died on the
spot. The destiny or fate of Achilles was somehow astonishing and sad. This, Achilles heel, also
reveals his weakness over his powerful strength which lead to his downfall.

In conclusion, an individual of extraordinary ability, successful and likeable because of his flaws
that made him human and drew compassion from the reader or listener. Achilles was termed as
‘hero’ because of his honorable attitude for his loved ones, bravery in times of needy situations.
Achilles is been a popular subject in ancient Greek art. He is a sensitive and swift person in some
instance when he gave back the body of Hector for performing the funeral rites. This shows that
even though Achilles was a hot-tempered but he was able to show his softer side and slightly
1) Nereid- a sea goddess
2) Philos- a friend
transformed into a king person. Achilles in Greek philosophy been referred as swift-footed who
has the ability to have a rapid move. In Roman, there is been a highly negative view of Achilles.
With the point of view of Virgil, Achilles referred as a savage and a merciless butcher of men
while Horace portrays him as ruthlessly slaying men and women.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) PRIMARY SOURCES
A) Iliad by Homer
B) www.gutenberg.org

2) SECONDARY SOURCES
A)www.britannica.com
B)www.wikipedia.com
C)www.harvard.edu

1) Nereid- a sea goddess

2) Philos- a friend