Akhilleus

or Achilles is the swift-footed a central character in Homer's Iliad

Backgound

The Myrmidons were legendary people of Greek history. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Thessalian Phthia, who was the son of Zeus and "wide-ruling" Eurymedousa, a princess of Phthia. She was seduced by Zeus in the form of an ant.

Akhilleus is the son of Pelus and Thetis and was born in Mymidom. Both Zeus and Poseidon wooed Thetis until Prometheus prophesised that the son would be greater than the father. After he was born Thetis bathed him in the river Styx to make him immotal but his heel stayed out of the water. She then put in atop a fire to burn a way his mortal parts. He is killed during the battle for Troy when Paris shoots him in the heel

Character of Akhilleus

The Iliad is also known as the "Wrath of Akhilleus"

• Agamemnon takes Briseis leading him to refuse to fight
• Patroclus is killed when mistaken for Akhilleus by Hektor. He fights and kills Hektor

Criticisms of Akhilleus

• Dante has Akhilleus in the second circle for his lustful person. Dante did not know of Homer's version. He believes Akhilleus is tricked in to Apollo's temple to meet Trojan princess Polyxena
• Shakespeare has him as a lazy has been in Troilus and Cressida

Does Akhilleus possess Arete?

See also Arete

• Pheonix counsels Akilleus on the aristocratic ideal of Arete.

It requires both physical and intellectual excellence. Gods can possess Arete,but an ordinary man doesnt. A noble man who becomes a slave loses half his Arete