The person01–03
01·Who they are
Who is Achilles?
Achilles (Akhilleus) stands as the greatest of the Achaean warriors and serves as the emotional focus of the Iliad. Homer begins the epic by highlighting his mēnis—his wrath—and the devastation that unfolds from it. The son of the mortal Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis, he occupies a space between human and divine, yet lacks the immortality he might desire. He is aware, as he confides to his mother and later to the envoys in Book 9, that he is destined for a short, glorious life at Troy instead of a long, obscure existence at home. This understanding imbues his choices with a tragic significance that lesser characters do not experience. He is not merely proud or violent; he embodies extraordinary sensitivity—capable of playing the lyre in his tent during his withdrawal, capable of openly weeping with an enemy king—yet his gifts ultimately turn against him.
02·Arc & motivation
What is Achilles's arc and motivation?
Achilles' arc traverses three distinct phases, each propelled by a different manifestation of the same fundamental need: recognition of his supreme worth. In Books 1–9, his motivation stems from wounded honour (timē). When Agamemnon strips him of Briseis as public compensation for returning Chryseis, Achilles loses not only a woman but also the visible proof of his pre-eminence acknowledged by the army. His withdrawal, therefore, is not an act of cowardice; it is a conscious, agonizing defiance. By abstaining from the war, he compels the Greeks to endure suffering in his absence, making the impact of his absence apparent to all.
The second phase, Books 16–18, begins with his consent for Patroclus to fight in his armour and concludes with Patroclus dead on the battlefield. Here, grief supplants wounded pride as the driving force of his actions. His overwhelming guilt intertwines with his grief—having initially withheld Patroclus, then allowing him to go, resulting in irreversible consequences. His anguished cry upon receiving the news from Antilochus, so intense that Thetis hears it from the depths of the sea, signals a shift from the inward, political wrath of Book 1 to something more visceral.
The final phase, Books 19–24, depicts Achilles functioning almost beyond the bounds of ordinary human motivation. He kills Hector, drags the corpse, and starves himself—actions that transgress even the heroic code he ostensibly upholds. The encounter with Priam in Book 24 serves as the resolution of his arc: reminded of his father Peleus through Priam's aged vulnerability, he weeps, returns Hector's body, and grants a truce. Compassion, which had been largely suppressed throughout the poem, finally emerges and provides a measure of redemption.
03·Key moments
What are Achilles's key moments?
- Book 1, the quarrel: Achilles draws his sword against Agamemnon before Athena intervenes. His restraint is divinely prompted, yet his verbal fury is entirely his own, and he calls Agamemnon "heavy with wine, with the face of a dog and the heart of a deer."
- Book 9, the embassy: Odysseus delivers Agamemnon's lavish offers of restitution. Achilles rejects everything in a speech that becomes the Iliad's most profound philosophical statement, questioning whether kleos (glory) justifies death—a striking moment of disillusionment from the system's greatest champion.
- Book 18, the arming and the shield: Hephaestus forges Achilles new divine armour; the shield's engravings of everyday human life—weddings, harvests, dancing—surround the warrior whose existence will never include them.
- Book 22, the death of Hector: Achilles drags Hector around the walls of Troy before killing him in combat. Hector's dying plea for the return of his body is refused, marking the moment Achilles formally abandons heroic decorum.
- Book 24, Priam in the tent: The nighttime meeting in which two grieving men weep together. Achilles' line—"We men are wretched things, and the gods, who have no cares themselves, have woven sorrow into the very pattern of our lives"—is the poem's most clear articulation of the human condition.
The cast04–05
04·Relationships
What are Achilles's most important relationships?
Agamemnon serves as Achilles' foil in authority: Agamemnon commands by rank, while Achilles commands by merit. The Iliad explores which form of precedence should govern men. Their clash in Book 1 exposes all tensions within the Greek coalition, while their cold, pragmatic reconciliation in Book 19—far from genuine peace—demonstrates that neither has truly changed. Agamemnon embodies the institutional power that Achilles cannot accept yet cannot escape.
Patroclus stands as Achilles' emotional core and arguably represents his true humanity. When Achilles declines Agamemnon's embassy, he cannot dismiss Patroclus, who weeps on his behalf and implores him to act. Achilles' bond with Patroclus ultimately breaks his withdrawal; ironically, this attachment, the one feeling that could motivate him, leads to Patroclus' demise. His grief in Book 18 is so consuming that Thetis worries for his safety, and the funeral games of Book 23 serve as both an act of love and a ritual.
Hector acts as Achilles' mirror across enemy lines. Both are depicted as the foremost warriors of their respective sides, bound by duty to loved ones and aware of their impending death. Hector fights to protect a city and family—a motive that earns him the reader's sympathy—whereas Achilles fights for abstract glory and, subsequently, for revenge. Their duel in Book 22 serves as the Iliad's structural climax, but Achilles' dishonour towards Hector's corpse afterwards reveals how far grief has pushed him beyond the code he claims to uphold.
Priam appears in the poem's final book as the human who finally pierces Achilles' veil of rage. His bravery in entering the Greek camp alone is deemed extraordinary, and Achilles acknowledges it. The invocation of Peleus—Achilles' own aging, absent father—serves as the precise lever that opens Achilles to compassion. In weeping together, enemy king and warrior transcend the war for one night.
Odysseus, leading the Book 9 embassy, highlights Achilles' character through contrast. Odysseus pragmatically urges acceptance of the gifts and a return to glory. Achilles responds with existential honesty: gifts cannot restore a life, and he begins to question whether life for fame is worth the exchange. Their confrontation represents the Iliad's sharpest clash of heroic values.
Zeus, through Thetis's petition, supports Achilles' grievance by punishing the Greeks, rendering Achilles partly an instrument of divine will. This connection complicates moral judgement: some devastation caused by Achilles is sanctioned from Olympus, raising questions about human agency under divine governance.
05·Connected characters
How is Achilles connected to the other characters?
The evidence06
06·Key quotes
What are Achilles’s most famous quotes?
“Always be the best, my boy, the bravest, and hold your head up high above the others.”
Peleus (recalled by Achilles) · to Achilles · Book 11 (also echoed in Book 6) · Achilles recounts his father's parting words as he left for Troy
Why it matters
This line is spoken by Peleus, Achilles' father, as recalled by Achilles during a heated moment in Book 11 of Homer's Iliad. He reflects on the parting advice his father gave him when he headed to Troy — a summary of the Greek heroic code (aristeia): always aim to be the best (aristeuein) and outshine all rivals in bravery and glory (kleos). This advice highlights a key tension throughout the epic: Achilles is compelled by the need to excel, but the poem questions the price of that ambition. His quest for ultimate honor results in his withdrawal from battle, the death of Patroclus, and ultimately, his own tragic fate. By presenting this maxim as a father's guidance to his son, Homer connects the heroic ideal to family responsibilities and societal expectations, making it both personal and culturally significant. The quote is crucial thematically because it positions aristeia — individual excellence in combat — as the highest value in the Homeric world, while the story simultaneously shows how this very value can lead to the downfall of those who embody it most fully.
“Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.”
Achilles · Book 1 · Confrontation between Achilles and Agamemnon; Athena's intervention
Why it matters
This line is spoken by Achilles in Book 1 of Homer's Iliad, during a heated clash with Agamemnon over the captive Briseis. When Agamemnon threatens to take away Achilles' war prize, Achilles almost draws his sword, but the goddess Athena — unseen by everyone else — intervenes and holds him back. After taking her divine advice to heart, Achilles reflects on the bond between mortals and gods. This quote captures one of the Iliad's key themes: the gods do care about human actions, and showing piety — through obedience and respect — brings divine attention and favor. It also hints at the larger struggle in the epic between human pride (hubris) and divine authority. Achilles himself represents this contradiction: a hero of remarkable strength who is still bound by fate and the decisions of Olympus. The line acts as a moral guideline early in the poem, reminding both the characters and the audience that surrendering to divine order, no matter how challenging, holds its own form of strength and reciprocity.
“Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.”
Achilles · to Odysseus (and the embassy of Ajax and Phoenix) · Book 9 · The Embassy to Achilles — Achilles' tent
Why it matters
This line is spoken by Achilles in Book 9 of Homer's Iliad, during the Embassy scene when Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix come to his tent to convince him to return to battle. Achilles directs these words towards Odysseus, known for his persuasive skills, but the statement also serves as a broad moral declaration. After Agamemnon dishonored him, Achilles has stepped back from the war and embraced a fierce honesty. He rejects the gifts and flattery offered by the delegation, insisting he will speak plainly and expects the same honesty in return. Thematically, this quote highlights a key tension in the Iliad: the clash between heroic forthrightness and political manipulation. Achilles embodies a strict warrior code where words align with actions and personal truth, while Odysseus represents strategic communication and persuasion. Additionally, this line hints at Achilles' tragic isolation—his unwillingness to engage in the social compromises of war ultimately leads to Patroclus' death. It stands as one of the most powerful statements from antiquity on integrity and the moral implications of language.
“We men are wretched things, and the gods, who have no cares themselves, have woven sorrow into the very pattern of our lives.”
Achilles · to Priam · Book 24 · Achilles' tent in the Greek camp; Priam's supplication for Hector's body
Why it matters
This line is spoken by Achilles to Priam in Book 24 of Homer's Iliad, marking one of the most emotionally intense moments in the entire epic. Priam, under divine protection, has entered the Greek camp to plead for the return of his son Hector's body. In this moment, both enemies — each overwhelmed by grief — experience a profound sense of human connection. Achilles, who has just lost his dear friend Patroclus and knows that his own death is imminent, reflects on the shared fate of all mortals. This statement captures one of the Iliad's core themes: the vast, indifferent divide between gods and humans. The gods in Homer's world are immortal, carefree, and often cruel, while humans are marked by suffering, loss, and mortality. By recognizing their shared anguish, Achilles moves beyond his rage (menis) — the very force that started the epic — and finds compassion. The image of sorrow being "woven into the pattern" of human life also calls to mind the Fates and their loom, emphasizing that suffering is not random but an inherent part of mortal existence. This line stands as one of literature's earliest and most powerful reflections on the human condition.
Study07–08
07·Questions
Questions readers ask about Achilles
Why does Achilles withdraw from battle in the Iliad?
Achilles withdraws because Agamemnon strips him of Briseis, publicly undermining his worth (timē) in front of the army. This act signifies more than the loss of a woman; it is a humiliation that erases his status as the Greeks' greatest warrior. By refusing to fight, he compels the army to suffer in his absence, making the repercussions of his dishonor clear to all.
What is Achilles' most famous line in the Iliad?
Achilles' most famous line is in Book 24, when he tells Priam: "We men are wretched things, and the gods, who have no cares themselves, have woven sorrow into the very pattern of our lives." As he weeps with the father of the man he just killed, this line articulates the human condition—grief, mortality, and powerlessness beneath divine will—highlighting Achilles' deepest moment of compassion.
How does Achilles' relationship with Patroclus drive the plot?
Patroclus is the one person whose suffering penetrates Achilles' prideful withdrawal. Achilles allows him to fight in his armor to defend the Greeks, but Patroclus' death at Hector's hands converts Achilles' inward political rage into grief-fueled vengeance. His agonized cry is so powerful that Thetis hears him from the sea, and everything that follows in the epic's final third stems from this profound bond.
What does Achilles say when Odysseus offers him gifts to return to battle?
In Book 9, Achilles rejects Agamemnon's lavish offer with the statement, "Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another." He then delivers a philosophical speech questioning whether kleos (glory) justifies death—an impactful moment of disillusionment from the heroic system's greatest champion, leaving Odysseus and the other envoys in shock.
How does Achilles treat Hector's body after killing him, and why does it matter?
After killing Hector in Book 22, Achilles denies Hector's dying plea for his body and drags the corpse around Patroclus' funeral pyre—an action that contravenes the heroic code Achilles claims to uphold. This violation indicates a shift pushed by grief into something monstrous. It is rectified in Book 24 when Priam's visit and the ransom of the body restore Achilles' humanity.
Is Achilles aware that he will die at Troy?
Yes—Achilles knows and accepts his impending death throughout the poem. He confides in his mother Thetis and the envoys in Book 9 about his fate for a short, glorious life at Troy rather than a long, obscure one at home. This foreknowledge adds tragic weight to his choices: he pursues glory and revenge fully cognizant of the cost, transforming him into someone whose gifts ultimately become his downfall.
What changes Achilles' heart toward Priam in Book 24?
Priam touches Achilles by invoking his own aging father, Peleus—a man similar to Priam, waiting helplessly as his son fights far away. This emotional comparison dismantles Achilles' rage: both men share tears, bridging the gap of their enmity through grief. Reminded of Peleus' vulnerability by Priam's bravery in entering the Greek camp, Achilles returns Hector's body and agrees to a truce.
What does Achilles' relationship with Agamemnon reveal about power in the Iliad?
Their conflict highlights the Iliad's central tension between authority by rank and authority by merit: Agamemnon leads through his position, while Achilles commands because he is the best fighter. Homer uses their struggle to question the heroic code itself. Their cold reconciliation in Book 19—far from genuine peace—indicates that neither man has genuinely changed, and the devastation resulting from their quarrel cannot be undone.
08·Essay angles
Use this in your essay
Tool · Essay angles
The paradox of *mēnis*
Knowledge of death as a defining characteristic
The limits of the heroic code
Patroclus as Achilles' surrogate self
Book 24 as redemption or compromise