Achilles and the Trojan War – Achilles' Heel and the Iliad

Achilles is the bravest of the Greek warriors at Troy and the hero of Homer's "Iliad". He was almost immortal – he died from an arrow that struck his only weak spot: his heel. Hence the "Achilles' heel", and even the name of a tendon in our leg. Here is who Achilles was, how the Trojan War began, what the "Iliad" is about and what the famous shield of Achilles looked like – today recreated on silver coins.

Who was Achilles?

Achilles was the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and the sea goddess Thetis. According to later tradition, his mother dipped the infant in the waters of the Styx, the river of the underworld, to make him immortal. She held him by the heel – and only that spot remained vulnerable. He was raised by the wise centaur Chiron.

An oracle gave Achilles a choice: a long, quiet and forgotten life, or a short one full of glory. Thetis, hoping to keep her son out of the war, hid him on the island of Skyros disguised as a girl. He was unmasked by the cunning Odysseus: among gifts for the king's daughters he placed weapons – and only the "girl" Achilles reached for them. Achilles chose glory and sailed for Troy.

How did the Trojan War begin?

At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Eris, goddess of discord, threw a golden apple inscribed "for the fairest". Hera, Athena and Aphrodite quarrelled over it, and the Trojan prince Paris was to settle the dispute. He chose Aphrodite, who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world – Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. When Paris carried Helen off to Troy, the Greeks, led by Menelaus's brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, went to war. The siege lasted ten years.

The Iliad – a summary

Homer's "Iliad" does not describe the whole war, only a few weeks in its tenth year. Its theme is the wrath of Achilles:

• Agamemnon takes the captive Briseis from Achilles. Offended, Achilles withdraws from battle – and the Greeks begin to lose,
• Achilles's friend Patroclus goes into battle wearing his armour to frighten the Trojans. He is killed by Hector, the bravest of the Trojans and son of King Priam,
• grief-stricken, Achilles returns to the fight. Hephaestus forges him new armour and the famous shield,
• Achilles kills Hector in a duel beneath the walls of Troy and drags his body behind his chariot,
• at night old Priam comes to Achilles's tent and begs for his son's body. Moved, Achilles gives it back – the "Iliad" ends with Hector's funeral.

Achilles' heel – the hero's death

The death of Achilles is not told in the "Iliad" but in later myths. Paris shot an arrow that the god Apollo guided straight into Achilles's heel – the only place where the hero was mortal. Today an "Achilles' heel" means someone's weak point. In the 17th century the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, was also named after the hero.

The war was finally ended by Odysseus's trick – the Trojan horse. Read more in Odysseus – the Trojan Horse and the Odyssey.

The shield of Achilles

In Book 18 of the "Iliad", Homer describes the shield that Hephaestus forged for Achilles. The smith god depicted the whole world on it: the earth, sky and sea, the sun, moon and stars, a city at peace – with a wedding and a trial – and a city under siege, the harvest, the grape-picking, herdsmen and dancing youths, all encircled by the stream of Oceanus. It is one of the most famous descriptions of a work of art in literature.

The Mint of Poland has recreated this shield in silver: the Shield of Achilles 4 oz is a concave 90 mm shield fully covered in 24-carat gold, with concentric rings of scenes struck in ultra-high relief and a chariot at the centre.

Did Troy really exist?

Yes – the ruins of Troy lie on the hill of Hisarlik in present-day Turkey. They were excavated in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann, who later found at Mycenae a gold funeral mask he named the Mask of Agamemnon. We now know it is older than the legendary king, but the name stuck. Achilles's story reached a wide audience again in the 2004 film "Troy", with Brad Pitt as Achilles.

Achilles and the Trojan War on coins

• Shield of Achilles 4 oz – Mint of Poland (Cameroon 2026) – a concave 90 mm shield covered in 24-carat gold, with concentric rings of scenes in ultra-high relief,
• Shield of Achilles 2 oz (Samoa 2026) – 70 mm, high relief, scenes of life, work, war and peace,
• from earlier issues: Achilles – Demigods 2 oz, Mask of Agamemnon 3 oz (Mint of Poland), Helen of Troy, Trojan Horse 2 oz,
• the Amazons, who fought for Troy – their queen Penthesilea was defeated by Achilles: Amazons 2 oz and Amazon – Femina Bellator,
• the end of the war: Trojan Horse 5 oz (available) and Odysseus – Homer's Odyssey.

You will find more coins with heroes in the Greek Mythology category, and the gods who fought on both sides at Troy are described in Greek Gods – List, Symbols and Key Myths.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Achilles' heel his weak spot?

According to myth, his mother Thetis dipped him in the Styx while holding him by the heel – only that spot was left unprotected.

Who killed Achilles?

Paris, with an arrow that the god Apollo guided into his heel.

Who killed Hector?

Achilles, in a duel beneath the walls of Troy – in revenge for the death of Patroclus.

What is the Iliad about?

The wrath of Achilles in the tenth year of the Trojan War: from his quarrel with Agamemnon, through the deaths of Patroclus and Hector, to Hector's funeral.

Why is it called the Achilles tendon?

After Achilles' mythical heel – a Flemish anatomist gave it the name in the 17th century.

Summary

Achilles is a symbol of courage, glory and the human weakness hidden even in the greatest hero. If you would like his legend in silver, see the Shield of Achilles 4 oz by the Mint of Poland or the Shield of Achilles 2 oz, or contact us – we will help you choose.