Article by Flora
“Sing, O goddess, of the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus; he brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.”
Homer, Iliad, Book 1
Achilles is known as the greatest hero of the Trojan War. Yet, he owes his greatness to a trick that did not fully work as intended until the end.
Achilles is the son of the Nereid Thetis and a mortal man, King Peleus, also known as the Old Man of the Sea. Nereids are daughters of Poseidon; they are of divine descent and immortal beings. The Nereids are akin to the Gods; they can visit Olympus and stay very close to the gods. Yet, Peleus, Achilles’ father, was no god; he was a mortal man, so his son was mortal as well.