Student Question
In the Iliad, is Achilles aware of his invincibility except for his heel?
Quick answer:
In the legends surrounding Achilles, including those not directly from Homer's The Iliad, there are varying accounts of his invincibility. The most famous story involves his mother, Thetis, dipping him into the River Styx, leaving his heel vulnerable. However, The Iliad suggests Achilles was wounded in battle, indicating he wasn't entirely invincible. There is no mention of Thetis informing Achilles of any special condition, and his battle prowess seems driven by boldness rather than knowledge of invulnerability.
The various legends concerning Achilles' invulnerability are wildly contradictory. The most famous relates to his mother, Thetis, dipping him into the River Styx but failing to fully submerge the heel by which she held him--thus, the Achilles heel legend. Other tales relate that Thetis bathed her son in ambrosia and then burned him with fire--also creating an invulnerable state. Other stories, including Homer's The Iliad, mention that Achilles was wounded more than once in battle, which would seem to rebuke the invulnerability aspect entirely. In any case, there seems to be no mention that Thetis told her son of this special condition, and Achilles' ferocity in battle appears to be due to his boldness--not because of a knowledge of his own invulnerability.
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