Bulfinch’s Mythology · Character

Achilles

The mightiest Greek at Troy, son of the sea-goddess Thetis, whose blazing wrath shapes the war's final turns.

supporting

Also known as Thetis, Achilles by Thetis

As a supporting figure in Bulfinch’s Mythology, Achilles is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Daughter of Nereus and Doris, mother of Achilles, sought by Jupiter but wed to a mortal.

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Achilles stands at the head of the Greek host before Troy, a warrior whose skill in battle is matched only by the fury that governs him. His quarrel with Agamemnon over honor and plunder drives a wedge through the Greek camp, and his refusal to fight costs his comrades dearly. Bulfinch presents him as the archetype of heroic pride, a man whose anger is as dangerous to his own side as to the enemy.

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Character Web

40 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Greek and Trojan Heroes

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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In the story

Achilles appears across 17 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Rural Deities—Erisichthon—Rhoecus—The Water Deities—Camenae—Winds
Daughter of Nereus and Doris, mother of Achilles, sought by Jupiter but wed to a mortal.
The Rural Deities—Erisichthon—Rhoecus—The Water Deities—Camenae—Winds
Son of Thetis and Peleus, renowned hero of the Trojan War.
Nereus and Doris
Son of Thetis, one of the Nereids
Thetis
Son of Thetis and Peleus, destined to become a great hero.
Thetis
Daughter of Nereus and Doris, destined to marry a mortal and mother of Achilles.
Aurora and Tithonus
Greek hero who defeats and kills Memnon in battle.
XXVII: The Trojan War
Central Greek hero; quarrels with Agamemnon, withdraws from battle, returns after Patroclus's death, and confronts Hector.
XXVII: The Trojan War
Sea-nymph mother of Achilles; secures divine armor from Vulcan for her son.
The Iliad
Central Greek hero who withdraws from battle after a quarrel with Agamemnon, later returns to avenge Patroclus's death, slays Hector, and eventually yields Hector's body to Priam.
The Iliad
Mother of Achilles; appeals to Jupiter to aid the Trojans after Achilles is wronged, and later comforts Achilles after Patroclus's death.
The Fall of Troy—Return of the Greeks—Orestes and Electra
Slain by Paris with a poisoned arrow guided by Apollo, striking his vulnerable heel.
The Fall of Troy
Slays Penthesilea but regrets it; killed by Paris with a poisoned arrow to his heel.
Menelaus and Helen
Mentioned as father of Neoptolemus, who marries Hermione.
Cuchulain, Champion of Ireland
Compared to Cuchulain as the 'Irish Achilles' for their similar reckless courage and sense of personal merit.
A
Mentioned as the hero of the Iliad, son of Peleus and Thetis, slain by Paris.
N
Father of Neoptolemus.
Endnotes
Noted for the story of his invulnerability and its inconsistency with Homer.

Chapter companion notes

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