DID YOU KNOW: ACHILLES' HEEL
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Every now and then, when I reflect on heroes and legends, I can’t help but think about Achilles, the legendary warrior whose presence shaped the fate of the Trojans in their war against the Greeks.
Aside from Hercules, Achilles is known for his combat skills, bravery, and strength making him one of the greatest Greek heroes, whose courage and ambition carved his name in history. But besides his notorious victories, Achilles was also known for his weakness, the one part that threatened his immortality.
Any idea by now?
Achilles is the result of an unusual union, it is said, that his mother Thetis, was the object of desire of both Zeus and Poseidon, who wanted her hand for marriage. Soon, the rivals were repulsed from their loving quest by a prophecy stating, that the nymph Thetis would have a son destined to be greater than his father.
The two Gods decided then to forget about the nymph and secure their reign by arranging her marriage with a mortal man so that her child couldn't be divine and challenge their power. In other stories, it is declared that this marriage was forced by Zeus after that Thetis rejected him.
Anyway, the Nymph ended up marrying Peleus, king of Phthia. The story of Thetis and Peleus has many variations as some stated that Peleus loved Thetis and tricked her into marrying him. From their unexpected union, the two gave birth to Achilles.
As the myth goes, unsatisfied by the mortality of her son, Thetis decided to grant him immortality by dipping him in the river Styx. To do so, the nymph immersed her son in the underworld river while holding him from his heel. From that moment on, Achilles acquired divine powers making him invulnerable, powerful, and invincible, a hero prophesized to achieve greatness.
What marks the life of this hero, is the duality of his character, as some stories state that from an early age, a choice was handed to him by his mother, the one to choose between being remembered forever with the price of an early death or the one to live a happy fully life and being forgotten with time. Wanting glory and immortality Achilles made the choice to sacrifice his beauty and youth, as his blood in the Trojan War will inscribe his story for the rest of time.
Achilles was also known for being the Myrmidons's leader, valiant warriors who was said to be exceptionally fierce and loyal to him. His leadership of the Myrmidons made him a formidable force on the battlefield and accentuated his position at being a marvelous warrior and strategic leader, whose presence would alter the turn of events in any war, thus his requested presence in the Trojan War.
A war he entered knowing that it would, without a doubt, be his chance to grave his name forever along the legends, with the promise of an everlasting life as Elysium will be his final resting destination.
As I forgot to mention, that to be granted full immortality Achilles had to be completely immersed in the river, however, his mother didn’t dip his heel making it his weakest spot. And that’s exactly where Paris guided by the Gods, aimed his arrow at, when revenging his brother Hector in the Trojan War (a story to be told later). A fatal wound that caused the death of Achilles.
The dramatic side of Achilles's story, is always related to his injury in the Trojan war, how can such a small body part be the end of a great hero? A story that has to be always remembered as every one of us who thinks himself to be indestructible or divine, should always remember that he may have an Achilles' heel, that will cause his fall.
Truth to be told, Achilles achieved immortality, as his life, was and still be a true inspiration for so many people in this world, poets, writers, and even philosophers, all drawn by the mystery of his character, the duality of his personality, the numerous rumors surrounding his love life, the undeniable skills and unyielding will to be the immortal he was always destined to be.
But most importantly, Achilles’s story proves once again that greatness can never be achieved without sacrifice, and that every Achilles on this dear earth should be aware that his power can be easily crushed if his heel were to be exposed.
Meryem !