Mythologis
Achilles: The Complete Story of the Greatest Warrior of the Trojan War

Greek Mythology

Achilles: The Complete Story of the Greatest Warrior of the Trojan War

The Rage of Achilles, the Heel and the Fall of Troy

The complete story of Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. The goddess mother and the vulnerable heel, the choice between long life and eternal fame, the rage that drives the Iliad, and the arrow that fulfilled the prophecy of his birth.

180 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • From Homer's Iliad to the later legends
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Son of a Goddess and a Mortal King
  2. 02Dipped in the Styx: The Invulnerable Child
  3. 03Hidden Among the Women of Skyros
  4. 04The Prophecy: Long Life or Eternal Glory
  5. 05The Quarrel with Agamemnon
  6. 06The Wrath of Achilles
  7. 07Patroclus and the Armour of the Hero
  8. 08The Death of Hector
  9. 09The Ransom of the Body
  10. 10The Arrow and the Heel
  11. 11The Shade of Achilles and the Price of Glory

About this book

About this Greek mythology guide

Offered a long quiet life or eternal glory, he chose glory. The complete story of Achilles, from the heel his mother missed to the fall of Troy.

His mother was a goddess who tried to make him immortal, and very nearly succeeded. Achilles was the greatest warrior of the age, and he knew from the start the bargain of his life: if he went to Troy he would win undying glory and die young, and he went anyway.

This is the complete story of Achilles. The sea-goddess Thetis and the dipping in the Styx; the boy hidden among the women of Skyros to cheat his fate; the embassy that drew him to Troy; the quarrel with Agamemnon and the famous rage that opens the Iliad; the death of Patroclus and the terrible vengeance on Hector; the ransom of the body that ends Homer's poem; and the arrow, guided to the one place he could be hurt, that killed him.

The book follows Achilles through Homer, the cyclic epics, Statius and Ovid, separating the Achilles of the Iliad from the later legend of the heel. Every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • The goddess mother who dipped him in the Styx, and the heel she missed
  • How Achilles hid among women to escape the war that would kill him
  • The choice the gods offered: a long quiet life or eternal glory
  • The quarrel with Agamemnon and the rage that drives the Iliad
  • Patroclus, the borrowed armour and the killing of Hector
  • The arrow to the heel and the death foretold from birth

Greek mythology book at a glance

TraditionGreek mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length180 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Greek mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is the story of the heel in Homer?

No, and the book explains this. Homer never mentions the invulnerable heel; that detail comes from later sources, and the chapters show how the legend grew.

Does it cover the whole Trojan War?

It covers the war through the life of Achilles: the quarrel, the rage, the death of Patroclus and Hector, and his own death before the city fell.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 180 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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