Achilles
Awards & Honours
0
Awards Won
4
Honours
1
Covers
2
Records
Achilles is the archetypal Greek hero, whose legend has endured for over 2,700 years. His story, immortalized in Homer's Iliad, established the template for the tragic hero: a figure of immense strength and pride brought low by a single flaw. The term "Achilles' heel" has entered the English language as a metaphor for a vulnerable point. The Achilles tendon, the largest tendon in the human body, is named after him. His cult was worshipped in ancient Greece, particularly in Sparta and on the Black Sea island of Leuke. No other mythological warrior has achieved such lasting fame or cultural penetration.
Honours & Distinctions
Achilles' Heel (Idiom)
The term derives from the myth of his vulnerable heel, popularized by Statius.
Achilles Tendon
The largest tendon in the human body, named after Achilles by anatomist Philip Verheyen.
588 Achilles (Asteroid)
The first known Trojan asteroid, named after the mythological hero.
Cult Hero Worship
Worshipped as a cult hero in Sparta and on the island of Leuke.
Magazine Covers
TIME Magazine
2004-05-10
The New Brad
Records & Feats
Greatest warrior in classical literature
Achilles is consistently ranked as the greatest warrior in ancient Greek epic poetry, particularly Homer's Iliad.
Origin of the term 'Achilles' heel'
The myth of his vulnerable heel gave rise to a common English idiom for a fatal weakness.