Akilles

Akilles, also known as Achilles, is a central figure in Greek mythology and a hero of the Trojan War. He is most famously depicted as the son of the mortal king Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis. According to legend, when Achilles was an infant, his mother Thetis dipped him in the waters of the river Styx to make him invulnerable. However, she held him by his heel, and this part of his body remained unprotected.

Achilles' destiny was foretold to be one of great glory but also of an early death. He is described as the greatest warrior of the Achaeans (Greeks) in the Trojan War. His prowess in battle was unparalleled, and he was known for his speed, strength, and skill with a spear.

The epic poem the Iliad, attributed to Homer, focuses on a period of the Trojan War and prominently features Achilles. The poem details his rage and withdrawal from battle after a dispute with Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaean forces, over a war prize named Briseis. This withdrawal has significant consequences for the Greek army.

Ultimately, Achilles returns to combat after his beloved companion Patroclus is killed by the Trojan hero Hector. Achilles then slays Hector in single combat. His own death occurs later in the war when he is shot in his vulnerable heel by an arrow, reportedly guided by the god Apollo, and fired by Paris, Hector's brother. The image of the "Achilles' heel" has since become a metaphor for a person's weakness.