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Achilles

third man girl

third man girl

New Member
"she held the young Achilles by the heel and dipped him in the river Styx"

Can anyone recommend a reference book of Greek and Roman mythology? Not something to wade through, just to dabble in from time to time.

And if anyone possesses such a book, or a decent memory, can you tell me which heel was the "Achilles' heel", i. e. right or left?

Thanks

Third Man Girl
 
Edith Hamilton's "mythology" is considered to be a classic reference on the subject.

It really depends on how in depth you want to go. Do you want a reference or more of a storybook? There are so many ways in which you can dabble in the Greek myths.

The copies I have of the Achilles myth all say this:
"Achilles was the son of the sea-nymph Thetis, and a mortal man Peleus. Thetis was wed to him by Zeus who, although attracted to the nymph, feared that the child born of their union would be his own downfall. Thetis dearly wished for her son to be immortal, and it was said that Peleus caught her trying to burn away the child's mortality over an open fire. When he tried to stop her, Thetis took Achilles and left the house of Peleus forever. She next tried to render her son invincible by dipping him in the River Styx, the waters of which would make him impervious to all weapons. However she had to hold on to the child by his heel, hence the legendary 'Achilles' heel', which was the one spot where the hero could be mortally wounded. From this point Achilles knew he was destined to live a short, glorious life. He was educated on the slopes of Mt. Pelion by the master centaur, Cheiron, who educated the greatest of the Greek heroes."

None actually lists which heel is the unprotected one in the literature I have on hand.
 
Originally posted by VTChEwbecca
Edith Hamilton's "mythology" is considered to be a classic reference on the subject.

It really depends on how in depth you want to go. Do you want a reference or more of a storybook? There are so many ways in which you can dabble in the Greek myths.
Click to expand...

Reference. It's mainly to help out when I'm reading other books, (Possession by AS Byatt, at the moment).

To be fair, the dictionary is probably adequate, but I like having books around :)

Thanks for the quick response

Third Man Girl
 
It is the right heel in most accounts.

In my opinion, don't place too much importance on the heel, In the Iliad it is not mentioned, the epic that takes place before the Illiad was lost, and Achilles needs armour in the epic. As to his being hit in in the hell by the divinely guided arrow of Paris, well so what? That is where he was hit, from behind and in an area which is unprotected by cuirass or grieves.
 
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