Category: Heroes

Achilles is a character from ancient Greek mythology, who is best known for his role in the epic poem the Iliad, written by the poet Homer. Achilles was the son of the mortal Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and the sea nymph Thetis. When Achilles was born, Thetis attempted to make him immortal by dipping him in the River Styx, the river that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld. However, she held him by his heel, which was not touched by the water and thus remained mortal, which is the basis for his famous vulnerability – the “Achilles’ heel”.

Achilles is portrayed as a great hero with unrivaled martial prowess, but he is also flawed in that he is subject to fits of rage and periods of inaction. His most famous action takes place during the Trojan War, a major conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and a coalition of Greek states. In the Iliad, Achilles’ anger and his withdrawal from battle are pivotal events. His close friend Patroclus is killed by Hector, the prince of Troy, while wearing Achilles’ armor, which drives Achilles to return to the battle and ultimately kill Hector in revenge.

The Iliad ends before the conclusion of the Trojan War, and it does not depict the death of Achilles. Later myths and plays suggest that Achilles was killed by an arrow to the heel, his only vulnerable spot, shot by Paris, Hector’s brother, and guided by the god Apollo.

Achilles’ life and death have been themes in various works of art, literature, and popular culture. His character represents the archetype of the tragic hero – powerful yet flawed and subject to an early death.

Peleus was a character from Greek mythology, most famously known as the father of the hero Achilles. Peleus was a king of the Myrmidons in the region of Thessaly in ancient Greece. He was the son of Aeacus, the king of the island of Aegina, and the nymph Endaïs.

One of the most well-known stories involving Peleus is his marriage to the sea-nymph Thetis. This was a significant event in Greek mythology because their wedding was attended by many of the gods, and it was at this event that the seeds of the Trojan War were sown. Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited to the wedding and in her anger, she threw a golden apple inscribed with “to the fairest” into the gathering, which led to a dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris, a prince of Troy, was chosen to decide who was the fairest, and his choice eventually led to the start of the Trojan War.

Peleus and Thetis had a son, Achilles, who would grow up to be one of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, most famously known for his role in the Trojan War. In an attempt to make Achilles immortal, Thetis dipped him in the River Styx, holding him by the heel. This heel became his only vulnerable spot and is the origin of the term “Achilles’ heel”.

Peleus himself was a great warrior and was one of the Argonauts, the heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. He also took part in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. Despite his heroism, Peleus’ life was marred by tragedy and strife, involving the killing of his brother and subsequent exile, conflict with his father-in-law, and the loss of his son in the Trojan War.

Atreus was a legendary figure from Greek mythology, known as the king of Mycenae and the father of two famous Greek heroes, Agamemnon and Menelaus. His story is one of the most tragic and bloody in all of ancient mythology, marked by deceit, treachery, and murder.

Atreus and his brother Thyestes were members of the House of Atreus, descendants of Tantalus, who was punished by the gods for his pride and disrespect. Atreus and Thyestes inherited this family curse, which led to a cycle of bloody revenge between the two.

Atreus’s wife, Aerope, had an affair with Thyestes, and when Atreus discovered this betrayal, he plotted a gruesome revenge. He killed Thyestes’ children and served them to Thyestes at a feast. When Thyestes realized what he had eaten, he cursed Atreus and fled.

The curse of the House of Atreus continued with the children of Atreus. His son Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces during the Trojan War, sacrificed his own daughter Iphigenia to ensure the Greeks’ safe passage to Troy. This act enraged Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, leading her to murder Agamemnon upon his return from the war.

Atreus’s other son, Menelaus, was also a key figure in the Trojan War. His wife, Helen, was the famed “Helen of Troy,” whose abduction by Paris triggered the conflict. After the war, unlike his brother, Menelaus returned safely to his kingdom, where he ruled in peace until his death.

The tragic tales of Atreus and his descendants have been the subject of numerous ancient plays, including those by the Greek tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The Roman playwright Seneca also wrote a tragedy, “Thyestes”, which vividly depicts the grisly feast at which Atreus served Thyestes his own children.