Achilles the Greek warrior
When Achilles, a prince from Greece that fought in the Trojan war, was a baby, his mother, Thetis, was very worried about him and wanted him to become immortal (which means he would never die). She went with him to the magical River Styx, whose water could protect people from being hurt. She held him by the foot and dunked him into the water, but because she covered his heel with her hand when she put him in the water, she left that part of his body unprotected.
Legend says, that towards the end of the war, Hector, the king of Troja shot an arrow into Achilles heel, the only spot on his body where he was vulnerable, and killed him.
Big Picture
Achilles, a hero in Greek mythology, is said to have been the bravest and strongest of the Greek warriors that fought in the Trojan war. Legend goes that the war started when the son of the Trojan king took the beautiful Helena, a Greek king's wife, home with him to marry her.
To take revenge and get his wife Helena back to Greece, King Menelaos was joined by other kings and brave warriors such as Achilles
The war lasted 10 years until finally the Greeks won over the Trojans with a trick. They pretended to retreat and packed up all their tents. Only a large wooden horse was left behind. The Trojans thought it was a gift and brought it behind the walls of their city. However, the Greek warriors were hidden in the (Trojan) horse and defeated the Trojans.
Up for discussion
The stories that Homer wrote down are about revenge, forgiveness and the cruelty of war. Why do you think they didn’t serve as a warning to the generations of people all over the world who read them?
What other saying comes from the legend of the Trojan war?
