Achilles
The Great Hero of the Trojan War
Achilles' Family
Achilles' father was Peleus, the mortal king of the Myrmidons. His mother was Thetis, a nereid (or a sea nymph). But, Thetis left Peleus soon after the birth of Achilles. His cousin and "inseparable companion" (Greene, 2013) was Patroclus. Also, he was the husband of Briseis and the father of Neoptolemus.
Achilles' Childhood
Achilles
Achilles at War
Achilles' Sword and Shield
Achilles' Life
When he was 9 years old, a seer predicted that Achilles would die heroically in battle against the Trojans. When Thetis heard about this, she disguised him as a girl and sent him to live on the Aegean island of Skyros. While he was there, Chiron (the gentle and wise Centaur) taught him the arts of riding and hunting, as well as of music and healing. Later, he left Skyros and joined the Greek army. "But before he went to battle, Thetis asked the divine blacksmith Hephaestus to make a sword and shield that would keep him safe," (Greene, 2013).
Achilles' Death
Works Cited
"Achilles." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia UP, 2014. 1. EBSCOhost. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. <http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=a92f783c-36de-4f43-8aa6-b249fbd2fe06%40sessionmgr4004&vid=0&hid=4207&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lfh&AN=39041819>.
"Achilles." History.com. A+E Networks, 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/achilles>.
Daly, Kathleen N. Greek Mythology and Roman Mythology A to Z. New York: Facts on File, 1992. Print.
Greene, Robert. "Achilles." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 4 Sept. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/3581/Achilles>.