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Achilles' death on the battlefield

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by NewsBot, Feb 22, 2013.

  1. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1

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    Achilles' death: Anatomical considerations regarding the most famous trauma of the Trojan War.
    Anagnostopoulou S, Mavridis I.
    J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2013 Mar;74(3):946-7.
     
  2. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

    Achilles

    In Greek mythology, Achilles (/əˈkɪlz/ ə-KIL-eez) or Achilleus (Greek: Ἀχιλλεύς, translit. Achilleús) was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. A central character in Homer's Iliad, he was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, king of Phthia and famous Argonaut. Achilles was raised in Phthia along with his childhood companion Patroclus and received his education by the centaur Chiron. In the Iliad, he is presented as the commander of the mythical tribe of the Myrmidons.

    Achilles' most notable feat during the Trojan War was the slaying of the Trojan prince Hector outside the gates of Troy. Although the death of Achilles is not presented in the Iliad, other sources concur that he was killed near the end of the Trojan War by Paris, who shot him with an arrow. Later legends (beginning with Statius' unfinished epic Achilleid, written in the 1st century AD) state that Achilles was invulnerable in all of his body except for one heel. According to that myth, when his mother Thetis dipped him in the river Styx as an infant, she held him by one of his heels leaving it untouched by the waters and thus his only vulnerable body part.

    Alluding to these legends, the term "Achilles' heel" has come to mean a point of weakness which can lead to downfall, especially in someone or something with an otherwise strong constitution. The Achilles tendon is named after him following the same legend.

     
  3. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

    Achilles' heel

    Statue of Achilleas Thniskon (Dying Achilles) at the Corfu Achilleion.

    An Achilles' heel[1] (or Achilles heel[2][3]) is a weakness in spite of 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.

    1. ^ "Achilles' heel | Merriam-Webster".
    2. ^ "Achilles heel | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
    3. ^ "Achilles heel | Definition of Achilles heel by Lexico". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
     
  4. stevewells

    stevewells Active Member

    no offense but what on earth is the point of this posting?
     
  5. W J Liggins

    W J Liggins Well-Known Member


    Good question, particularly in view of the posting being pure speculation, and probably ill considered at that.

    Leaving aside the fact that Homer was not a true historian but rather a 'historical novelist' the main assumption can be shown to be incorrect. I have no real knowledge of the Greek recurved bow, but have used English longbows and modern recurved bows quite widely. It is reasonable to assume that the ancient Greeks would have had a form of the broadheaded arrow similar to that used in the 100 years war between England and France. One of those, even in bronze would have been more than capable of severing the TA. Obviously, with the posterior group of muscles inoperative, a warrior would have been rendered hors de combat and could have been easily killed by his enemies.

    There is really no reason to speculate on 'poisoned arrows' and so forth.

    Bill Liggins
     
  6. stevewells

    stevewells Active Member

    sorry it was late when i made my post - I did'nt word my post very well - I wasn't questioning the post rather the paper itself - just seemed a bit pointless to me
     
  7. daisyboi

    daisyboi Active Member

    Oh, I found it a light hearted and welcome distraction. But then I am reading it at work!
     
  8. Dr. Steven King

    Dr. Steven King Well-Known Member

    Aloha,

    Perhaps if Achilles would have been wearing more puncture resistant footwear this would not have happened.

    Every soldier knows that the first piece of equipment that you maintain is your boots (and feet).

    Why was Peter the Great so Great?? His troops had the best footwear that could cover more ground each day during their long marching campaign.

    And as Lt. Dan told Forest Gump, " I only have two rules in this platoon, 1. Take Care of your Feet. 2. Don't do anything Stupid..."

    A Hui Hou,
    Steve

    Prior US Army Officer and Podiatrist
     
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  10. Dr. Steven King

    Dr. Steven King Well-Known Member

  11. Attached Files:

  12. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    The Greek hero Achilles and his mysterious death: transdisciplinary analysis of the gouty hypothesis
    E. Armocida
    Clinical Rheumatology
     
  13. Dr. Steven King

    Dr. Steven King Well-Known Member

    Aloha,
    Well that makes sense.

    I have had more than a few patients claiming that their Gout is Killing them...
     
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