How Did Achilles Die?
In Greek mythology, Achilles is known as the son of the mortal Peleus and as the king of the Myrmidons and the Nereid or Thetis. Achilles was considered the bravest and the greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War. His mother brought up Achilles at Phthia with his inseparable companion Patroclus. Some of the non-Homeric tales also suggest that Patroclus was Achilles’ relative or lover.
According to the Greek Myths, Achilles died a very horrible death. Some myths tell us that he died by being shot in the back of the heel with a poisoned arrow. Paris was the one who delivered the fatal blow. But it is always questioned why Paris targeted the back of the ankle.
Achilles was born mortal, unlike his immortal mother, and she could not accept the idea that she would eventually outlive her son. Thetis then took matters into her hands and dipped Achilles in the magical River Styx. She was aware that it would give him immortality and invulnerability. There was one small catch that Thetis didn’t realize.
The tiny part of the heel she held didn’t get touched by the water. Hence it became Achilles’ weak spot and ultimately the cause of his death.
Many stories tell us that Achilles died while fighting in the Trojan War. The battle of Troy was an excellent opportunity for Achilles to prove his might, but his parents didn’t want him to go. They had warned him that if he participated in the War, he would die, so they tried stopping him from taking part. His parents had disguised him as a girl to hide him on the Greek Island of Skyros among the daughters of King Lycomedes.
But Greek Kings tricked him into revealing himself. The kings laid down piles of jewelry and weapons on the floor. As Achilles was a natural warrior, he picked up a sword and had to participate in the war. It’s a very unusual and strange way to die for such a great warrior.
