1. Medusa Mythology Exam 2013 Achilles
Mr. Vader

2. Achilles, Almost Immortal, Disguised as Girl, Destined
Son of Peleus, an Argonaut, and Thetis, a Sea-Nymph
Thetis aided many gods, including Zeus, himself
Thetis was fated to give birth to a song, greater than his father
Peleus, king of Phthia, Argonaut, and Participant in the Calydonian Boar Hunt
Dipped by Thetis in River Styx or Fire, to immortalize, but failed, after Peleus stopped her
Raised by Chiron, the wise centaur
Calchas prophesized that Troy could not be taken without him
Fearing his fate at Troy, Thetis took him to Scyros and disguised him as a girl among the king’s daughters
Had son, Pyrrhus or Neoptalemus with Deidamia (king’s daughter)
Found out by Odysseus, who blasted horn, the girls scared, he, not
Another prophecy stated that he could have long, boring life or be famous, but have a short life; he obviously chose the latter

3. Achilles, Preparing for War
Volunteered for war, unlike many others, who had to hold to the Oath of Tyndareus
Unknowingly used as bait to get Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, to be human-sacrifice
Killed King Tenes of Tenedos and thus was fated to die by the hand of Apollo
Achilles plunders much of the area, surrounding Troy – Tenedos, Lesbos, Thebe, et cetera

4. Achilles in the Iliad
Agamemnon took daughter of priest of Apollo as prize
This angers the priest and Apollo
Agamemnon finally agrees to give girl back, but claims Achilles’s prize in light of this (Briseis)
Achilles contemplated killing Agamemnon, but Athena stopped him
Achilles instead threatened to leave with his army
Patroclus, closest friend and cousin, and others convince Achilles to stay, but not fight
Thetis convinces Zeus to cause grief for Greeks due to Achilles’s mistreatment
Immortals allow Trojans, especially Hector, to push Greeks all the way back to the beaches
Seeing this, leaders convince Agamemnon that they need Achilles
Agamemnon offers Briseis and many other things, but Achilles refuses
Patroclus (with Achilles’s permission) returns to battle with Myrmidons
Patroclus killed with Achilles’s armor by Hector – Hector takes armor
Achilles in rage returns to battle with new armor made by Hephaestus himself, procured by Thetis
Achilles kills many Trojans and even fights the river, Simois, killing Hector
Achilles holds funeral games in honor of Patroclus and gives out great prizes
Whenever overwhelmed, Achilles would drag Hector’s body around the city (the gods protect the body)
Priam, king of Troy, sneaks into Greek camp and begs Achilles’s for the body back
Overwhelmed by a god, Achilles returns the body of Hector to Priam

5. Death of Achilles
Not long after death of Hector (who foretold Achilles’s own death), Achilles killed
Shot in “heel” with a quiver by Paris, aided by Apollo
Odysseus meets Achilles in Underworld, where he seems unhappy to be dead
May have married Helen or Iphigenia in the Underworld

6. Achilles, Names and Epithets
Breaker of Horses
Pyrrha (when disguised as girl)
Peleides (son of Peleus)