One of the most iconic figures in all of Greek mythology is, of course, Achilles—they fierce warrior whose body was completely invulnerable except for his heel. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had one vulnerability–his “Achilles heel.” Homer’s epic poem The Iliad tells the story of his adventures during the last year of the Trojan War. Achilles’ mother Thetis abandons her husband and son to return to live with the sea nymphs when Achilles is still young. Achilles was the son of Peleus, king of Phthia, and Thetis, a sea nymph.
One story tells how Thetis disguised Achilles as a girl in the court of king of Skyros in order to keep him from war. The problem of Achilles with his heel. She wanted to find out if her son was mortal. According to legend, Achilles' mother dipped him in the river Styx, which made him invulnerable except for the spot his mother held him by — his heel. The Greek story of Achilles’ heel is the one Homer tells in the long poem called “The Iliad.” Here is how the story goes. It is hard to say at what point the story of Paris shooting Achilles specifically in the heel (or, more strictly, the ankle) arose. ABOVE: Thetis Immerses Her Son Achilles in the Waters of the River Styx, painted by Antoine Borel (lived 1743 – 1810) The origin of the story of Paris shooting Achilles in the heel. Wilson, speaking with the San Diego Tribune, described the area of the virus as a "possible Achilles' heel." That, of course, is only one version of the story.
This myth seems to have some truth to it since humans are vulnerable to Achilles' heel damage. 1 When such tendinopathy occurs 2 to 6 cm proximal to the calcaneal insertion, it is classified as midportion Achilles tendinosis. The pain associated with Achilles tendinitis typically begins as a mild ache in the back of the leg or above the heel after running or other sports activity. The story you probably learned in school goes like this: When Achilles was a baby, his mother Thetis dipped him in the river Styx to make him immortal and impervious to all wounds—except she held him by his heel, meaning his heel was the only part of him that was vulnerable.
Achilles tendinosis is a chronic condition characterized by diffuse thickening of the tendon, without histologic evidence of inflammation, which is caused by increased demand on the tendon. One element with lots of variety is what Thetis had in mind when she dipped her son in whatever she dipped him in. The secret is found, once again, in Greek mythology.
When Achilles was a baby his mother bathed him in the river Styx.
On this occasion we tell the story of Achilles, a Greek hero who participated in the Trojan War and who is known for his heel. Achilles was one of the most famous Greek heroes. Now a town 8000km away is being asked to solve the problem. When Achilles was born, Thetis, wanting to protect him from all harm, held him by his left heel and dipped him in the river Styx. Australia has a huge national security “Achilles’ heel” that could see our economy tank within 30 days.
Scholars have identified many different versions of the Achilles Heel story, as is true for most ancient history myths. This may indicate that the ‘Achilles heel’ story is a later addition to the myth.