An Achilles' heel (or Achilles heel) is a weakness despite overall strength, which can lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.

The classical myth

Although the death of

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...

was predicted by Hector in

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

's ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

'', it does not actually occur in the ''Iliad,'' but was described in later Greek and Roman poetry and drama concerning events after the ''Iliad'', later in the

Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...

. In the myths surrounding the war, Achilles was said to have died from a wound to his heel, ankle, or torso, which was the result of an arrow—possibly poisoned—shot by

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The ''Iliad'' may have purposefully suppressed the myth to emphasise Achilles' human mortality and the stark chasm between gods and heroes. Some later Hellenistic-era myths record Thetis trying to make her son immortal by anointing him with

ambrosia In the ancient Greek mythology, Greek myths, ambrosia (, ) is the food or drink of the Greek gods, and is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Mount Olympus, Olympus by do ...

and burning away his mortality in the hearth fire, but Peleus, his father, discovered the treatment and was alarmed to see Thetis holding the baby in the flames, which disrupted the ritual and thus made Thetis leave the treatment incomplete. According to a myth arising later, his mother had dipped the infant Achilles in the river Styx, holding onto him by his heel, and he became invulnerable where the waters touched him—that is, everywhere except the areas of his heel that were covered by her thumb and forefinger.

As expression

As an expression meaning "area of weakness, vulnerable spot", the use of "Achilles' heel" dates only to 1840, with implied use in

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...

's "Ireland, that vulnerable heel of the British Achilles!" from 1810 (''Oxford English Dictionary'').

Anatomy

The large and prominent tendon of the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles of the calf is called the ''tendo achilleus'' or

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

. This is commonly associated with the site of Achilles's death wound. The oldest-known written record of the name is in 1693 by the Flemish/Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyen. In his widely used text ''Corporis Humani Anatomia'' he described the tendon's location and said that it was commonly called "the cord of Achilles". Tendons are avascular, so such an injury would be unlikely to be fatal if the arrow were not poisoned.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Achilles' Heel Idioms Achilles Words and phrases derived from Greek mythology

The classical myth

As expression

Anatomy

See also

References