How the consciousness of Achilles split into two After this attacks of madness began to recur with Achilles. Sometimes Achilles ran away from home, ran through the fields and hid in the forest. There he was found in a state of extreme fear. Often he would sneak into a cemetery and sleep on some grave.

The Greeks had been besieging Troy for nine years. The tenth year of the great controversy has arrived. At the beginning of this year, the priest of the arrow-bearer Apollo Chris arrived in the camp of the Greeks. He begged all the Greeks, and above all their leaders, to return his daughter Chryseis to him for a rich ransom. After listening to Chris, everyone agreed to take a rich ransom for Chryseis and give it to her father. But the mighty king Agamemnon was angry and said to Chris:

- Old man, go away and never dare to show yourself here, by our ships, otherwise the fact that you are a priest of the god Apollo will not save you. I will not return the Chryseids to you. No, all her life she will languish in captivity. Beware of angering me if you want to return home unscathed.

In fear, Chris left the camp of the Greeks and went sorrowful to the seashore. There, raising his hands to the sky, he prayed to the great son of Latona, the god Apollo:

- Oh, silver-eyed god, heed me, your faithful servant! Avenge the Greeks with your arrows for my grief and insult.

Apollo heard the complaint of his priest Chris. He quickly rushed from the bright Olympus with a bow and a quiver over his shoulders. Golden arrows thundered menacingly in the quiver. Apollo rushed to the camp of the Greeks, blazing with anger; his face was darker than the night. Rushing to the camp of the Achaeans, he took an arrow from the quiver and sent it into the camp. Apollo's bow sounded menacingly. For the first arrow, Apollo sent the second, the third, - arrows fell in a hail into the camp of the Greeks, bringing death with them. A terrible pestilence struck the Greeks. Many Greeks died. Funeral pyres blazed everywhere. It seemed that the hour of death had come for the Greeks.

For nine days the pestilence raged. On the tenth day, on the advice given by the Hero, the great hero Achilles summoned all the Greeks to a national meeting to decide how to be him, how to appease the gods. When all the warriors gathered, Achilles was the first to address Agamemnon:

“We’ll have to sail back to our homeland, son of Atreus,” said Achilles, “you see that soldiers are dying both in battles and from pestilence. But maybe we first ask the fortune-tellers: they will tell us why we angered the silver-faced Apollo, for which he sent a disastrous pestilence to our army.

As soon as Achilles said this, the soothsayer Calchas rose, who had already revealed the will of the gods to the Greeks many times. He said that he was ready to reveal what the far-shattering god was angry about, but he would only reveal it if Achilles protected him from the wrath of King Agamemnon. Achilles promised his protection to Calchas and swore this by Apollo. Then only Calchas said:

- The great son of Latona is angry because King Agamemnon dishonored his priest Chris, drove him out of the camp, not accepting from him a rich ransom for his daughter. We can appease God only by returning the black-eyed Chryseis to our father and sacrificing one hundred calves to God.

Hearing what Calchas said, he inflamed with terrible anger at him and Achilles Agamemnon, but seeing that he still had to return Chryseis to his father, he finally agreed, but demanded only himself a reward for her return. Achilles reproached Agamemnon for greed. This made Agamemnon even more angry. He began to threaten that with his power he would take for himself a reward for Chryseis from what went to the lot of Achilles, or Ajax, or Odysseus.

- Shameless, insidious greedy man! - cried Achilles, - you threaten us that you will take our awards from us, although none of us has ever had an equal share in the awards with you. But we didn’t come to fight for our cause; we came here to help Menelaus and you. You want to take away from me a part of the booty that I got for the great deeds accomplished by me. So it is better for me to go back to my native Phthia, I do not want to increase your loot and treasures.

- Well, run to Fthia! - shouted in response to Achilles Agamemnon, - more than all kings I hate you! You are the only one who starts strife. Your anger is not terrible to me. I'll tell you what! I will return Chryseis to my father, since such is the desire of the god Apollo, but for this I will take the captive Briseis from you. You will find out how much more power I have! Let everyone be afraid to consider himself equal in power to me!

Achilles seized a terrible anger when he heard this threat from Agamemnon. Thetis's son grabbed his sword; he had already pulled it half out of its scabbard and was about to throw himself at Agamemnon. Suddenly Achilles felt a light touch on his hair. He turned and staggered back in horror. Before him, invisible to others, stood the great daughter of the Thunderer, Athena-Pallas. Hera sent Athena. The wife of Zeus did not want the death of either one or the other of the heroes, both of them - Achilles and Agamemnon - were equally dear to her. Achilles asked the goddess Athena with trepidation:

- Oh, daughter of the thunderer Zeus, why did you descend from the high Olympus? Have you come here to see how Agamemnon is raging? Oh, he will soon destroy himself with his pride!

- No, mighty Achilles, - answered the light-eyed Pallas, - I did not come for that. I came to tame your anger, if only you obey the will of the Olympian gods. Do not draw your sword, content yourself with words, whip Agamemnon with them. Believe me! Soon here, in the same place, they will pay you for the offense with gifts that will be many times richer. Humble yourself and submit to the will of the immortal gods.

Achilles obeyed the will of the gods: he sheathed his sword, and Athena again ascended to the bright Olympus in the host of the gods.

Achilles also said many angry words to Agamemnon, calling him a devourer of the people, a drunkard, a coward, a dog. Achilles threw his scepter on the ground and swore to them that the time would come when his help would be needed against the Trojans, but Agamemnon would pray in vain for her, since he had insulted him so grievously. In vain was the wise king of Pylos, the elder Nestor, trying to reconcile the warring parties. Agamemnon did not obey Nestor, neither did Achilles. The angry great son of Peleus left with his friend Patroclus and the brave Myrmidons to their tents. Anger at Agamemnon, who had insulted him, raged furiously in his chest.

Meanwhile, King Agamemnon ordered to lower a fast ship to the sea, to carry sacrifices to the god Apollo and take the beautiful daughter of the priest Chris. This ship was to sail under the command of the cunning Odysseus to Thebes, the city of Estion, and the Greeks in the camp, at the behest of Agamemnon, had to bring rich sacrifices to Apollo in order to appease him.

The ship sent by Agamemnon was speeding along the waves of the boundless sea. Finally, the ship entered the harbor of Thebes. The Greeks lowered the sails and moored to the pier. Odysseus disembarked from the ship at the head of a detachment of warriors, took the beautiful Chryseis to his father and addressed him with the following greeting:

- Oh, servant of Apollo! I came here at the behest of Agamemnon to return your daughter. We also brought a hundred bulls to propitiate with these sacrifices the great god Apollo, who sent a grave calamity to the Greeks.

Elder Chris was overjoyed at the return of his daughter and tenderly embraced her. They immediately began to sacrifice to Apollo. Chris prayed to the arrow god:

- O silver-eyed god! Hear me! And before you listened to my pleas. Hear me now! Avert the great calamity from the Greeks, stop the disastrous pestilence!

The god Apollo heard the prayer of Chris and stopped the pestilence in the camp of the Greeks. When Chris made sacrifices to Apollo, a sumptuous feast was arranged. The Greeks feasted merrily in Thebes. The youths carried wine, filling them to the top with the cups of the feasting. The majestic sounds of the Apollo hymn, sung by the Greek youth, were loudly heard. The feast continued until sunset, and in the morning, refreshed by sleep, Odysseus and his squad set off on their way back to the vast camp. Apollo sent them a fair wind. Like a seagull, the ship rushed along the waves of the sea. The ship quickly reached the camp. The swimmers pulled him ashore and went to their tents.

While Odysseus sailed to Thebes, Agamemnon fulfilled what he threatened Achilles with. He summoned the heralds Talfibius and Eurybatus and sent them for Briseis. The messengers of Agamemnon walked reluctantly to the tent of Achilles. They found him sitting in deep thought by the tent. The ambassadors approached the mighty hero, but in embarrassment they could not utter a word. Then the son of Peleus said to them:

- Greetings to you, heralds. I know that you are innocent, only Agamemnon is guilty. You have come for Briseis. My friend Patroclus, give them Briseis. But let them themselves be witnesses that the hour will come when I will be needed to save the Greeks from death. Then Agamemnon, who has lost his mind, will not be able to save the Greeks!

Shedding bitter tears, Achilles left his friends, went to the deserted shore, stretched out his hands to the sea and loudly called on his mother, the goddess Thetis:

- My mother, if you have already given birth to me doomed to a short life, why then the thunderer Zeus deprives me of glory! No, he did not give me glory! King Agamemnon dishonored me by taking away my reward for my deeds. My mother, hear me!

The goddess Thetis heard the call of Achilles. She left the abyss of the sea and the wondrous palace of the god Nereus. Quickly, like a light cloud, she surfaced from the sea, foaming waves. Thetis went ashore and, sitting down beside her dearly beloved son, hugged him.

- Why are you crying so bitterly, my son? She asked. - Tell me your grief.

Achilles told his mother how much Agamemnon had insulted him. He began to ask his mother to ascend to light Olympus and there he prayed to Zeus to punish Agamemnon. Let Zeus help the Trojans, let them drive the Greeks to the very ships. Let Agamemnon understand how foolishly he acted, insulting the bravest of the Greeks. Achilles assured his mother that Zeus would not refuse her request. After all, she has only to remind Zeus how she once helped him when the gods of Olympus planned to overthrow Zeus by shackling him. Then Thetis called upon the aid of Zeus the one-handed giant Briareus; seeing him, all the gods were embarrassed and did not dare to raise their hands to Zeus. Let Thetis remind the great Zeus the Thunderer of this, and he will not deny her her request. So Achilles prayed to his mother Thetis.

- Oh, my, beloved son, - exclaimed, crying bitterly, Thetis, - why did I give birth to you for so many disasters! Yes, your life will not last long, your end is near. And now you are both short-lived, and the most unfortunate of all! Oh no, do not grieve so! I will ascend to the light Olympus, there I will pray to the Thunderer Zeus to help me. Stay in your tent and do not take part in the battles anymore. Now Zeus left Olympus, he went with all the immortals to a feast to the Ethiopians. But when Zeus returns in twelve days, then I will fall at his feet and hopefully beg him!

Thetis left the sad son, and he went to the tents of his brave myrmidons. From that day on, Achilles did not participate either in the meetings of the leaders or in the battles. Sad he sat in his tent, although he longed for military glory.

Eleven days passed. On the twelfth day, early in the morning, together with the gray fog, the goddess Thetis ascended from the depths of the sea to the bright Olympus. There she fell at the feet of Zeus, hugged his knees and with a supplication stretched out her arms to him, touching his beard.

- Oh, our father! - pleaded Thetis, - I beg you, help me avenge my son! Do my request if I ever did you a favor. Send victory to the Trojans until then, until the Greeks beg my son to help them, until they pay him great honors.

For a long time, the cloud-chaser Zeus Thetis did not answer. But Thetis begged him relentlessly. Finally, with a deep sigh, the Thunderer said:

- Know, Thetis! By your request, you evoke the anger of Hera, she will be angry with me. Already, she constantly reproaches me for helping the Trojans in battles. But now you have gone from high Olympus so that Hera does not see you. I promise to fulfill your request. Here's a sign for you that I will keep my promise.

Having said this, Zeus frowned menacingly, the hair on his head rose, and the whole Olympus shuddered. Thetis calmed down. She quickly rushed from high Olympus and plunged into the depths of the sea.

Zeus went to a feast attended by the gods. They all stood up to meet Zeus, none of them dared to greet him while sitting. When the king of gods and people sat on his golden throne, Hera turned to him. She saw that Thetis came to Zeus.

- Tell me, insidious, - Hera said to Zeus, - with whom of the immortals did you have a secret council? You always hide your thoughts and thoughts from me.

- Hera, - Zeus answered her, - you do not expect that you will ever know everything I think about. What you can know, you will know before all the gods, but do not try to find out all my secrets and do not ask about them.

- Oh, the cloud-killer, - Hera answered, - you know that I never tried to find out your secrets. You always decide everything without me. But I am afraid that today Thetis persuaded you to avenge her son Achilles and destroy many Greeks. I know that you promised to fulfill her request.

Zeus looked menacingly at Hera, he was angry with his wife for always watching everything that he does. Zeus angrily told her to sit silently and obey him if she did not want him to punish her. Hera was frightened by the wrath of Zeus. She sat silently on her golden throne. The gods were also frightened by this quarrel between Zeus and the Hero. Then the lame god Hephaestus arose; he rebuked the gods for starting quarrels over mortals.

“After all, if we quarrel over mortals, we will always be deprived of the fun of the feast of the gods,” said the god Hephaestus and prayed to his mother Hera to submit to the power of Zeus, since he is formidable in anger and can overthrow all the Olympian gods from the thrones.

Hephaestus reminded Hera of how Zeus had thrown him to the ground for the fact that he hastened to help his mother, when Zeus, throwing lightning at her, was angry at her. Hephaestus took the goblet and, filling it with nectar, presented it to Hera. Hera smiled. Hephaestus, limping, began to scoop nectar from the cup with a goblet and carry it to the gods. All the gods laughed, seeing how the lame Hephaestus waddled around the banquet hall. Once again, merriment reigned at the feast of the gods, and they serenely feasted until sunset to the sound of Apollo's golden cithara and to the singing of the muses. When the feast ended, the gods dispersed to their chambers, and all Olympus fell into a restful sleep.

Based on Homer's poem "Iliad"

The Greeks had been besieging Troy for nine years. The tenth year of the great controversy has arrived. At the beginning of this year, the priest of the arrow-bearer Apollo Chris arrived in the camp of the Greeks. He begged all the Greeks, and above all their leaders, to return his daughter Chryseis to him for a rich ransom. After listening to Chris, everyone agreed to take a rich ransom for Chryseis and give it to her father. But the mighty king Agamemnon was angry and said to Chris:

Old man, go away and never dare to show yourself here, by our ships, otherwise the fact that you are a priest of the god Apollo will not save you. I will not return the Chryseids to you. No, all her life she will languish in captivity. Beware of angering me if you want to return home unscathed.

In fear, Chris left the camp of the Greeks and went sorrowful to the seashore. There, raising his hands to the sky, he prayed to the great son of Latona, the god Apollo:

Oh, silver-eyed god, heed me, your faithful servant! Avenge the Greeks with your arrows for my grief and insult.

Apollo heard the complaint of his priest Chris. He quickly rushed from the bright Olympus with a bow and a quiver over his shoulders. Golden arrows thundered menacingly in the quiver. Apollo rushed to the camp of the Greeks, blazing with anger; his face was darker than the night. Rushing to the camp of the Achaeans, he took an arrow from the quiver and sent it into the camp. Apollo's bow sounded menacingly. For the first arrow, Apollo sent the second, the third, - arrows fell in a hail into the camp of the Greeks, bringing death with them. A terrible pestilence struck the Greeks. Many Greeks died. Funeral pyres blazed everywhere. It seemed the hour of death had come for the Greeks.

For nine days the pestilence raged. On the tenth day, on the advice given by the Hero, the great hero Achilles summoned all the Greeks to a national meeting to decide how to be him, how to appease the gods. When all the warriors gathered, Achilles was the first to address Agamemnon:

We'll have to sail back to our homeland, son of Atreus, - said Achilles, - you see that soldiers are dying both in battles and from pestilence. But maybe we first ask the fortune-tellers: they will tell us why we angered the silver-flying Apollo, for which he sent a disastrous pestilence to our army.

As soon as Achilles said this, the soothsayer Calchas rose, who had already revealed the will of the gods to the Greeks many times. He said that he was ready to reveal what the far-shattering god was angry about, but he would only reveal it if Achilles protected him from the wrath of King Agamemnon. Achilles promised his protection to Calchas and swore this by Apollo. Then only Calchas said:

The great son of Latona is angry because the king Agamemnon dishonored his priest Chris, drove him out of the camp, not accepting from him a rich ransom for his daughter. We can appease God only by returning the black-eyed Chryseis to our father and sacrificing one hundred calves to God.

Hearing what Calchas said, he inflamed with terrible anger at him and Achilles Agamemnon, but seeing that he still had to return Chryseis to his father, he finally agreed, but demanded only himself a reward for her return. Achilles reproached Agamemnon for greed. This made Agamemnon even more angry. He began to threaten that with his power he would take for himself a reward for Chryseis from what went to the lot of Achilles, or Ajax, or Odysseus.

Shameless, insidious greedy man! - cried Achilles, - you threaten us that you will take our awards from us, although none of us has ever had an equal share in the awards with you. But we didn’t come to fight for our cause; we came here to help Menelaus and you. You want to take away from me a part of the booty that I got for the great deeds accomplished by me. So it is better for me to go back to my native Phthia, I do not want to increase your loot and treasures.

Well, run to Fthia! - shouted in response to Achilles Agamemnon, - more than all kings I hate you! You are the only one who starts strife. Your anger is not terrible to me. I'll tell you what! I will return Chryseis to my father, since such is the desire of the god Apollo, but for this I will take the captive Briseis from you. You will find out how much more power I have! Let everyone be afraid to consider himself equal in power to me!

Achilles seized a terrible anger when he heard this threat from Agamemnon. Thetis's son grabbed his sword; he had already pulled it half out of its scabbard and was about to throw himself at Agamemnon. Suddenly Achilles felt a light touch on his hair. He turned and staggered back in horror. Before him, invisible to others, stood the great daughter of the Thunderer, Athena-Pallas. Hera sent Athena. The wife of Zeus did not want the death of either one or the other of the heroes, both of them - Achilles and Agamemnon - were equally dear to her. Achilles asked the goddess Athena with trepidation:

0, daughter of the thunderer Zeus, why did you descend from the high Olympus? Have you come here to see how Agamemnon is raging? Oh, he will soon destroy himself with his pride!

No, mighty Achilles, - answered the light-eyed Pallas, - I did not come for that. I came to tame your anger, if only you obey the will of the Olympian gods. Do not draw your sword, content yourself with words, whip Agamemnon with them. Believe me! Soon here, in the same place, they will pay you for the offense with gifts that will be many times richer. Humble yourself and submit to the will of the immortal gods. Achilles obeyed the will of the gods: he sheathed his sword, and Athena again ascended to the bright Olympus in the host of the gods.

Achilles also said many angry words to Agamemnon, calling him a devourer of the people, a drunkard, a coward, a dog. Achilles threw his scepter on the ground and swore to them that the time would come when his help would be needed against the Trojans, but Agamemnon would pray in vain for her, since he had insulted him so grievously. In vain was the wise king of Pylos, the elder Nestor, trying to reconcile the warring parties. Agamemnon did not obey Nestor, neither did Achilles. The angry great son of Peleus left with his friend Patroclus and the brave Myrmidons to their tents. Anger at Agamemnon, who had insulted him, raged furiously in his chest. Meanwhile, King Agamemnon ordered to lower a fast ship to the sea, to carry sacrifices to the god Apollo and take the beautiful daughter of the priest Chris. This ship was to sail under the command of the cunning Odysseus to Thebes, the city of Estion, and the Greeks in the camp, at the behest of Agamemnon, had to bring rich sacrifices to Apollo in order to appease him.

The ship sent by Agamemnon was speeding along the waves of the boundless sea. Finally, the ship entered the harbor of Thebes. The Greeks lowered the sails and moored to the pier. Odysseus disembarked from the ship at the head of a detachment of warriors, took the beautiful Chryseis to his father and addressed him with the following greeting:

O servant of Apollo! I came here at the behest of Agamemnon to return your daughter. We also brought a hundred bulls to propitiate with these sacrifices the great god Apollo, who sent a grave calamity to the Greeks.

Elder Chris was overjoyed at the return of his daughter and tenderly embraced her. They immediately began to sacrifice to Apollo. Chris prayed to the arrow god:

O silver-eyed god! Hear me! And before you listened to my pleas. Hear me now! Avert the great calamity from the Greeks, stop the disastrous pestilence!

The god Apollo heard the prayer of Chris and stopped the pestilence in the camp of the Greeks. When Chris made sacrifices to Apollo, a sumptuous feast was arranged. The Greeks feasted merrily in Thebes. The youths carried wine, filling them to the top with the cups of the feasting. The majestic sounds of the anthem in honor of Apollo, sung by the Greek youth, were loudly heard. The feast continued until sunset, and in the morning, refreshed by sleep, Odysseus and his squad set off on their way back to the vast camp. Apollo sent them a fair wind. Like a seagull, the ship rushed along the waves of the sea. The ship quickly reached the camp. The swimmers pulled him ashore and went to their tents.

While Odysseus sailed to Thebes, Agamemnon fulfilled what he threatened Achilles with. He summoned the heralds Talfibius and Eurybatus and sent them for Briseis. The messengers of Agamemnon walked reluctantly to the tent of Achilles. They found him sitting in deep thought by the tent. The ambassadors approached the mighty hero, but in embarrassment they could not utter a word. Then the son of Peleus said to them:

Greetings to you heralds. I know that you are innocent, only Agamemnon is guilty. You have come for Briseis. My friend Patroclus, give them Briseis. But let me be
They themselves are witnesses that the hour will come when I will be needed to save the Greeks from death. Then Agamemnon, who has lost his mind, will not be able to save the Greeks!

Shedding bitter tears, Achilles left his friends, went to the deserted shore, stretched out his hands to the sea and loudly called on his mother, the goddess Thetis:

My mother, if you have already given birth to me doomed to a short life, why then is the thunderer Zeus depriving me of glory! No, he did not give me glory! King Agamemnon dishonored me by taking away my reward for my deeds. My mother, hear me!

The goddess Thetis heard the call of Achilles. She left the abyss of the sea and the wondrous palace of the god Nereus. Quickly, like a light cloud, she surfaced from the sea, foaming waves. Thetis went ashore and, sitting down beside her dearly beloved son, hugged him.

Why are you crying so bitterly, my son? she asked. - Tell me your grief.

Achilles told his mother how much Agamemnon had insulted him. He began to ask his mother to ascend to light Olympus and there he prayed to Zeus to punish Agamemnon. Let Zeus help the Trojans, let them drive the Greeks to the very ships. Let Agamemnon understand how foolishly he acted, insulting the bravest of the Greeks. Achilles assured his mother that Zeus would not refuse her request. After all, she has only to remind Zeus how she once helped him when the gods of Olympus planned to overthrow Zeus by shackling him. Then Thetis called upon the aid of Zeus the one-handed giant Briareus; seeing him, all the gods were embarrassed and did not dare to raise their hands to Zeus. Let Thetis remind the great Zeus the Thunderer of this, and he will not deny her her request. So Achilles prayed to his mother Thetis.

Oh, my, beloved son, - exclaimed, crying bitterly, Thetis, - why did I give birth to you for so many calamities! Yes, your life will not last long, your end is near. And now you are both short-lived, and the most unfortunate of all! Oh no, do not grieve so! I will ascend to the light Olympus, there I will pray to the Thunderer Zeus to help me. Stay in your tent and do not take part in the battles anymore. Now Zeus left Olympus, he went with all the immortals to a feast to the Ethiopians. But when Zeus returns in twelve days, then I will fall at his feet and hopefully beg him!

Thetis left the sad son, and he went to the tents of his brave myrmidons. From that day on, Achilles did not participate either in the meetings of the leaders or in the battles. Sad he sat in his tent, although he longed for military glory.

Eleven days passed. On the twelfth day, early in the morning, together with the gray fog, the goddess Thetis ascended from the depths of the sea to the bright Olympus. There she fell at the feet of Zeus, hugged his knees and with a supplication stretched out her arms to him, touching his beard.

Oh, our father! - pleaded Thetis, - I beg you, help me avenge my son! Do my request if I ever did you a favor. Send victory to the Trojans until then, until the Greeks beg my son to help them, until they pay him great honors.

For a long time, the cloud-chaser Zeus Thetis did not answer. But Thetis begged him relentlessly. Finally, with a deep sigh, the Thunderer said:

Know, Thetis! By your request, you evoke the anger of Hera, she will be angry with me. Already, she constantly reproaches me for helping the Trojans in battles. But now you have gone from high Olympus so that Hera does not see you. I promise to fulfill your request. Here's a sign for you that I will keep my promise.

Having said this, Zeus frowned menacingly, the hair on his head rose, and the whole Olympus shuddered. Thetis calmed down. She quickly rushed from high Olympus and plunged into the depths of the sea.

Zeus went to a feast attended by the gods. They all stood up to meet Zeus, none of them dared to greet him while sitting. When the king of gods and people sat on his golden throne, Hera turned to him. She saw that Thetis came to Zeus.

Tell me, insidious, - said Hera to Zeus, - with whom of the immortals did you have a secret council? You always hide your thoughts and thoughts from me,

Hera, - Zeus answered her, - you do not expect that you will ever know everything I think about. What you can know, you will know before all the gods, but do not try to find out all my secrets and do not ask about them.

Oh, cloud-killer, - Hera answered, - you know that I never tried to find out your secrets. You always decide everything without me. But I am afraid that today Thetis persuaded you to avenge her son Achilles and destroy many Greeks. I know that you promised to fulfill her request.

Zeus looked menacingly at Hera, he was angry with his wife for always watching everything that he does. Zeus angrily told her to sit silently and obey him if she did not want him to punish her. Hera was frightened by the wrath of Zeus. She sat silently on her golden throne. The gods were also frightened by this quarrel between Zeus and the Hero. Then the lame god Hephaestus arose; he rebuked the gods for starting quarrels over mortals.

After all, if we quarrel over mortals, we will always be deprived of the fun of the feast of the gods, - so God Hephaestus said and prayed to his mother Hera to submit to the power of Zeus, since he is formidable in anger and can overthrow all the Olympian gods from the thrones.

Hephaestus reminded Hera of how Zeus had thrown him to the ground for the fact that he hastened to help his mother, when Zeus, throwing lightning at her, was angry at her. Hephaestus took the goblet and, filling it with nectar, presented it to Hera. Hera smiled. Hephaestus, limping, began to scoop nectar from the cup with a goblet and carry it to the gods. All the gods laughed, seeing how the lame Hephaestus waddled around the banquet hall. Once again, merriment reigned at the feast of the gods, and they serenely feasted until sunset to the sound of Apollo's golden cithara and to the singing of the muses. When the feast ended, the gods dispersed to their chambers, and all Olympus fell into a restful sleep.

Achilles is a hero of ancient Greek mythology, best known for the episode of participation in Homer wrote about this character in his "Iliad". And although "Iliad" is considered an epic describing the war against Troy, in fact, this is a story about the quarrel between Achilles and it was she who led to the events that decided the outcome of the ten-year siege of the city.

The origin of Achilles

Achilles was a hero. And initially not even thanks to their actions. Just the heroic fate of Achilles was predetermined already at birth. Indeed, according to Greek myths, the offspring, who appeared as a result of the connection of the immortal gods with mortal people, became a hero. He himself did not possess immortality, however, he could count on the patronage of heavenly relatives and, as a rule, possessed outstanding abilities, mainly combat.

The mother of Achilles was the sea nymph Thetis, and the father was Peleus, who reigned over the Myrmidons. Therefore, in the Iliad, the hero is often called Pelid (which means the son of Peleus). The unusual marriage between an earthly man and an immortal nymph is also explained in myths. Thetis was raised by Hera, and when Zeus tried to seduce a young nymph, she, in gratitude for the care that his lawful wife showed to her, refused the voluptuous Olympian. As punishment, Zeus gave Thetis to a mortal.

Achilles' heel

As time went on, Thetis and Peleus had children. To check whether they are immortal or not, Thetis dipped the newborn into a cauldron of boiling water. The first six sons died in this way. The seventh was Achilles. It was his father who saved him from the unenviable fate of his brothers, taking his son away from his wife in time. After that, Thetis leaves her husband and returns to live at the bottom of the sea. But she continues to keep a close eye on her son's life.

According to another myth, Thetis lowered the little Achilles into the waters of the sacred Styx, flowing in the kingdom of Hades. This gave the child invincibility. Only the heel, the place where his mother held him tightly, remained vulnerable. From here comes stable expression"Achilles' heel", which conveys the idea of ​​a person's weak point.

After the departure of his wife, Peleus sends his little son to be raised by the centaur Chiron. He feeds him with animal bone marrow instead of mother's milk. The boy grows up and diligently comprehends the science of wielding weapons. And according to some reports, and the art of healing.

Visiting Lycomed

Chiron, who, among other things, possessed the gift of a fortuneteller, informs Thetis that if her son avoids participation in the upcoming Trojan war, he will have a long life. If he goes there, the Greeks will win, but Achilles will die. This prompts Thetis to send his son to another island - Skyros, and hide him between the daughters of King Lycomedes. For greater safety, Achilles lives there disguised in women's clothing.

This behavior seems somewhat unusual for a hero hungry for immortal glory. However, it is worth remembering that at that time the young man was barely fifteen years old. It was by the time Homer described in the Iliad that Achilles had become a mature, accomplished warrior. After all, the siege of the impregnable city lasted twenty years. And all this time the Greeks did not sit idle on the spot. They attacked and ravaged nearby cities. Until then, it was a young man. Brave but obedient to the direction of his divine mother.

Meeting with Odysseus

Meanwhile, a chain of events leads to the gathering of troops for the war against Troy. Priest Kalhant announces that if the son of Peleus does not participate in the campaign, the Greeks will face a crushing defeat. Then the Achaean leaders hastily equip Odysseus and send him to the island of Skyros after Achilles.

Realizing that going against the immortal inhabitants of heaven with brute force is more expensive for himself, Odysseus resorts to cunning. He introduces himself as an ordinary itinerant merchant and enters Lycomedes' palace. Having laid out his goods in front of the king's daughters, Odysseus places richly decorated weapons among the jewels.

At the appointed moment, the people of Odysseus, on his orders, gave an alarm. All the girls rushed scatteringly, only Achilles was not at a loss. This gave him away. The young man grabbed a weapon and ran towards the imaginary enemies. Declassified by Odysseus, Achilles agrees to join the military campaign and takes with him his beloved friend Patroclus, with whom they grew up together.

Sacrifice to Iphigenia

And so the huge Greek fleet, which now includes a detachment of Myrmidons on fifty warships led by Achilles, moves to Troy. The immortal inhabitants of Olympus are also involved in all unfolding events. Moreover, some of them support the Trojans, and some are on the side of the Greeks. Due to the next trick of the gods supporting the defenders of Troy, the Greek fleet, immobilized by the absence of a favorable wind, stands off the coast of the island of Aulis.

Kalhant utters another prediction: a tailwind will blow only if Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek army, who embarked on a campaign against Troy, sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia. Father was not embarrassed by this. The only problem he saw was how to get the girl to the island? Therefore, messengers are sent to Iphigenia with the message that she was given to Achilles as wife and that she must come to Aulis for the wedding. The description of the portrait of Achilles, the hero of ancient Greek mythology, does not leave her indifferent and the girl arrives on the island for a wedding. Instead, she goes straight to the altar.

One version of this story claims that Achilles himself did not know anything about the insidious plan. And when he found out, then with arms in hand, he rushed to defend the deceived princess. But earlier myths tell that the son of Peleus did not show any sentimentality, because he himself was eager to quickly sail to Troy. And if the gods demand sacrifices, who will argue with them? In fairness, it should be noted that Iphigenia was still saved. True, not a hero, but the one who replaced the girl with a deer.

Meeting with the Amazon

But be that as it may, the sacrifice was credited, and the Greeks arrived safely at Troy. Thus began the long siege of the impregnable city. As already mentioned, Achilles did not sit idly by. He became famous already at the very beginning of the war, winning one after another glorious victories over the cities surrounding Troy and the nearby islands. According to the son of Priam, who was later killed by Achilles, during this time did not meet with the impudent and successful invader. And Achilles continued to hone his skill with weapons.

In one of the next raids, Achilles enters into a battle with the queen of the Amazons, Pentiselia, who at that time was hiding on the mainland from the revenge of her fellow tribesmen. After a hard struggle, the hero kills the queen and, with the end of his spear, the helmet, which hid everything upper part face, throws it off the woman. Struck by her beauty, the hero falls in love with her.

Nearby is one of the Greek warriors - Tersit. According to Homer's unflattering descriptions, a very unpleasant subject. He accuses Achilles of lusting for the dead and gouges her eyes out with a spear. Without thinking twice, Achilles turns around and kills Thersit with one blow to the jaw.

Briseis and Chryseis

In another campaign, the Greeks capture Briseis, which Achilles keeps as a concubine. In mythology, it is described that a young woman is not at all burdened by her position. On the contrary, she is always loving and gentle.

During this time, Agamemnon also enjoys the fruits of the raids. Among other things, he is presented with the beautiful girl Chryseis as a share of the spoil. But her father comes to the camp, begging to allow her daughter to be redeemed. Agamemnon taunts him and drives him out in disgrace. Then the inconsolable father prayed for help to Apollo and he sends an epidemic to the Greeks. All the same soothsayer Kalhant explains the cause of the misfortune and says that the girl must be released. Achilles strongly supports him. But Agamemnon does not want to give in. Passions run high.

Discord with Agamemnon

In the end, Chryseis is still released. However, the vengeful Agamemnon, holding a grudge, decides to take revenge on Achilles. Therefore, as compensation, he takes Briseis from him. The enraged hero refuses to continue to take part in the war. From this moment, events begin to develop rapidly, as the Iliad describes it. The duel between Achilles and Hector is inexorably approaching. As well as the tragic denouement to which it will lead.

Achilles inaction

The Greeks are suffering defeat after defeat. But the offended Achilles, does not give in to anyone's persuasion and continues to be inactive. But one day the defenders of Troy pushed the opponents back to the very shore. Then, heeding the persuasion of his friend Patroclus, Achilles agrees to lead the Myrmidons into battle. Patroclus asks permission to take his friend's armor and receives it. In the ensuing battle, Hector, a Trojan prince, mistaking Patroclus in the armor of Achilles for a famous hero, kills him. This provokes a duel between Achilles and Hector.

Duel with Hector

Upon learning of the death of Patroclus, a grief-stricken Achilles intends to take cruel revenge. He rushes into battle and sweeps away one by one all the mighty warriors. The characterization of Achilles, which Homer gives him in this episode, is the apogee of the hero's whole life. It was the moment of immortal glory he had dreamed of so much. Alone, he turns enemies back and drives them to the very walls of Troy.

Terrified, the Trojans hide behind the strong walls of the city. All but one. Noble Hector is the only one who decides to fight back the son of Peleus. But even this battle-hardened warrior is horrified at the approach of his frantic enemy and turns to flight. They circled Achilles and Hector Troy three times before meeting in a mortal battle. The prince could not resist and fell, pierced by the spear of Achilles. Having tied the corpse to his chariot, he dragged the body of Hector to his camp Achilles. And only the genuine sorrow and humility of Hector's inconsolable father, King Priam, who came to his camp unarmed, softened the victor's heart, and he agreed to return the body. However, Achilles accepted the ransom - gold as much as the prince of Troy Hector weighed.

Death of a hero

Achilles himself dies during the capture of Troy. And here it is not complete without the intervention of the gods. Apollo, who is sickened by the disrespect to him of a mere mortal, invisibly directs an arrow shot by Paris, the younger brother of Hector. The arrow pierces the hero's heel - his only weakness- and turns out to be fatal. But even as he dies, many more Trojans continue to infect Achilles. His body is carried out of the thick of the battle by Ajax. Achilles was buried with all the honors, and his bones were put in a golden urn along with the bones of Patroclus.