ANSWERS: 3
  • Achilles is a chracter from Homer's writings of The Iliad. His powers came from him being held in the flames as a child to form a protective shield around him. However, in order that he shouldn't fall into the fire and die, he had to be held. The place where he was held was his heel which became known as an "Achilles heel" due to this being his weakness in as much as Samson's hair was his weakness. During a battle for Troy he was shot with an arrow in his heel and died after his enemy was told about his weakness by one of the gods. Later on the tendon near this site became known as the Achilles tendon after this Greek hero.
  • There is also a second story as to how Achilles became 'immortal'... Thetis held the young Achilles by the heel and dipped him in the river Styx; everything the sacred waters touched became invulnerable, but the heel remained dry and therefore unprotected. For more info, or a summary of the full story of Achilles, check out this site - http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/achilles.html Enjoy!
  • Achilles was a warrior of Troy. He had a quarell with the captain of the Greek forces (that story will be told at another time.) Anyway, this fight led to Achilles not wanting to participate in the war. This was bad as he was the best Greek warrior. He asked a god if he could put the Trojans in the lead, so when Achilles did start to fight again, he could show how great a soldier he was. Achilles mourned the death of his son by Trojan leader Hector. He killed Hector but then tied him to the end of his chariot and dragged him around. Everyone thought this was disgusting and disrespectful. Paris (who basically started the war; that is another story also) killed Achilles with an arrow, which got his only vulverable spot - his heel! Achilles was the son of Thetis who didn't want him to go to war. Achilles's golden armour was sought after many people, as it was specially forged by the Cyclopes, who make Zeus's thunderbolts. I think that is enough information for now.

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