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Achilles; a great warrior Painting of a scene from the Iliad
Some of the greatest thinkers of the ancient world emerged from Greece
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Ancient Greece Home
Greece Timeline
Section 1.1
Section 1.2
Section 1.3
Section 1.4
Section 1.5
Section 1.6
Section 1.7
Section 1.8
Section 1.9
Section 1.10
Section 1.11
Section 1.12
Section 1.13
Section 1.14
Section 1.15
Politics
The City States
Government
The Tyrants
Section 2.4
Section 2.5
Section 2.6
Section 2.7
Section 2.8
Section 2.9
Section 2.10
Section 2.11
Section 2.12
Section 2.13
Section 2.14
Section 2.15
Gods and Heroes
Zeus
Apollo
Athena
Aphrodite
Heracles
Achilles
Theseus
Perseus
Section 3.9
Section 3.10
Section 3.11
Section 3.12
Section 3.13
Section 3.14
Section 3.15
Greek Expansion
Philip, King of Macedonia
Alexander The Great
Section 4.3
Section 4.4
Section 4.5
Section 4.6
Section 4.7
Section 4.8
Section 4.9
Section 4.10
Section 4.11
Section 4.12
Section 4.13
Section 4.14
Section 4.15
War and Conflict
The Trojan War
The Persian War
The Peloponnesian War
Section 5.4
Section 5.5
Section 5.6
Section 5.7
Section 5.8
Section 5.9
Section 5.10
Section 5.11
Section 5.12
Section 5.13
Section 5.14
Section 5.15
Language
Section 6.1
Section 6.2
Section 6.3
Section 6.4
Section 6.5
Section 6.6
Section 6.7
Section 6.8
Section 6.9
Section 6.10
Section 6.11
Section 6.12
Section 6.13
Section 6.14
Section 6.15
Education
Section 7.1
Section 7.2
Section 7.3
Section 7.4
Section 7.5
Section 7.6
Section 7.7
Section 7.8
Section 7.9
Section 7.10
Section 7.11
Section 7.12
Section 7.13
Section 7.14
Section 7.15
Science and Medicine
Section 8.1
Section 8.2
Section 8.3
Section 8.4
Section 8.5
Section 8.6
Section 8.7
Section 8.8
Section 8.9
Section 8.10
Section 8.11
Section 8.12
Section 8.13
Section 8.14
Section 8.15
Philosophy
Section 9.1
Section 9.2
Section 9.3
Section 9.4
Section 9.5
Section 9.6
Section 9.7
Section 9.8
Section 9.9
Section 9.10
Section 9.11
Section 9.12
Section 9.13
Section 9.14
Section 9.15
Art and Architecture
Architecture
Pottery
Sculpture
Section 10.4
Section 10.5
Section 10.6
Section 10.7
Section 10.8
Section 10.9
Section 10.10
Section 10.11
Section 10.12
Section 10.13
Section 10.14
Section 10.15
Entertainment
Storytelling
Theatre
Section 11.3
Section 11.4
Section 11.5
Section 11.6
Section 11.7
Section 11.8
Section 11.9
Section 11.10
Section 11.11
Section 11.12
Section 11.13
Section 11.14
Section 11.15
Becoming Alexander
King or Villain?
History Meets Hollywood
A Great Transformation
Preparation for the Role
Section 12.5
Section 12.6
Section 12.7
Section 12.8
Section 12.9
Section 12.10
Section 12.11
Section 12.12
Section 12.13
Section 12.14
Section 12.15
The Olympic Games
The Origins
Olympia
Events
Development
Olympics 2004
Section 13.6
Section 13.7
Section 13.8
Section 13.9
Section 13.10
Section 13.11
Section 13.12
Section 13.13
Section 13.14
Section 13.15
Play : Olympic Challenge
Section 14.1
Section 14.2
Section 14.3
Section 14.4
Section 14.5
Section 14.6
Section 14.7
Section 14.8
Section 14.9
Section 14.10
Section 14.11
Section 14.12
Section 14.13
Section 14.14
Section 14.15
Play : Alexander's Army
Section 15.1
Section 15.2
Section 15.3
Section 15.4
Section 15.5
Section 15.6
Section 15.7
Section 15.8
Section 15.9
Section 15.10
Section 15.11
Section 15.12
Section 15.13
Section 15.14
Section 15.15
Play : Trojan Horse Quiz
Section 16.1
Section 16.2
Section 16.3
Section 16.4
Section 16.5
Section 16.6
Section 16.7
Section 16.8
Section 16.9
Section 16.10
Section 16.11
Section 16.12
Section 16.13
Section 16.14
Section 16.15
Section 17
Section 17.1
Section 17.2
Section 17.3
Section 17.4
Section 17.5
Section 17.6
Section 17.7
Section 17.8
Section 17.9
Section 17.10
Section 17.11
Section 17.12
Section 17.13
Section 17.14
Section 17.15
Section 18
Section 18.1
Section 18.2
Section 18.3
Section 18.4
Section 18.5
Section 18.6
Section 18.7
Section 18.8
Section 18.9
Section 18.10
Section 18.11
Section 18.12
Section 18.13
Section 18.14
Section 18.15
Section 19
Section 19.1
Section 19.2
Section 19.3
Section 19.4
Section 19.5
Section 19.6
Section 19.7
Section 19.8
Section 19.9
Section 19.10
Section 19.11
Section 19.12
Section 19.13
Section 19.14
Section 19.15
Section 20
Section 20.1
Section 20.2
Section 20.3
Section 20.4
Section 20.5
Section 20.6
Section 20.7
Section 20.8
Section 20.9
Section 20.10
Section 20.11
Section 20.12
Section 20.13
Section 20.14
Section 20.15
Gods and heroes
Achilles
The hero Achilles stars in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, which tells of his exploits in the Trojan War. A great warrior, he was also a flawed man. Anger and injured pride made him refuse to lead his men into battle; his friend Patroclus took his place and was killed. In grief and revenge, Achilles slew the Trojan warrior Hector, knowing this was pre-ordained to trigger Achilles’ own death. Achilles was killed when Paris’ poison arrow, guided by Apollo, hit him in his vulnerable heel – the only part of him not immersed when his mother dipped him in the River Styx as a baby to make him immortal. To the Greeks, Achilles embodied the heroic code, choosing glory over long life.
Photos: Ancient Art and Architecture Library