Birth, Life, and Death
Achilles was born in Greek. He was a descendant of the Myrmidons, people who were known for their exceptional skills in battles. He was a son to Peleus, who served as a king of the Myrmidons. His mother was a Nereid named Thetis. After Achilles' birth, his mother dipped him in River Styx while holding him by the heel. She did this believing that it would make Achilles immortal (Brett, 2020). This would, later on, make him strong but left him weaker and exposed at the left heel where she held Achilles as she dipped him in River Styx. Growing up, he became a fearless warrior with strength and courage that were unmatched. His father put him under the care of Chiron the Centaur, who resided on Mount Pelion. Thetis had prophesied that her son would either be famous and heroic but die young or he will lead a long life without any achievements. Achilles chose to gain glory and die young. His bravery and strength were exceptional during the Trojan War as he fought many great warriors including Priam and Hector. Achilles' death was brought about by Paris, Hector's brother. It is believed that he shot an arrow at Achilles, as directed by Apollo, to the most vulnerable part of his body, his left heel.
Accomplishments
Achilles was not an extraordinary person but was known for his compassion, honor, and respect. In the eyes of the Greeks, he was a war hero due to his partial immortality. He took part in the Battle of Troy, where he was put in charge of 50 ships. Each ship had approximately 50 Myrmidons who were at his command (Mili, 2012). He fought valiantly in the war. Even when not fighting, he asked his mother Thetis to convince Zeus to help the Trojans. He also slew Hector, a hero of the Trojans. This helped the Greek secure victory.
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Final Speech
It is known that Achilles' last words came after a confrontation between him and Hector. This was after he had slain Troilus for turning down his advances. Just before slaying him, he told him, “I would rather have all of you but if I have only your beautiful head, I can take kisses as and when I want to” (Puchner et al., 2019). After that, he beheaded him at the shrine of Apollo. Hector and Aeneas arrived at the shrine and witnessed what Achilles had done. Then Hector, in bitter grief told Achilles, “You are a dead man, Achilles" (Puchner et al., 2019). In his last word, he replied, “Catch!” and threw over Troilus' head to Hector (Puchner et al., 2019).
Charity Donation in Lieu of Flowers
Achilles was a soldier who believed in unwavering service to his country. He fought for them and led them to victory. He died while fighting against the Trojans. As such, a charity aimed at assisting families of soldiers who die in the line of duty would be the most appropriate one to donate to. This way, soldiers’ input in peace-making initiatives would be appreciated.
References
Brett, M. (2020, September 8). Hector and Achilles: Two paths to manliness . The Art of Manliness. https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/hector-achilles-two-paths-manliness/
Mili, M. (2012, October 26). Achilles . Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah17003
Puchner, M., Akbari, A. C., Denecke, W., Dharwadker, V., Levine, C., Fuchs, B., Lewis, P., & Wilson, E. (2019). The Norton anthology of world literature (4th ed.). W. W. Norton.
