Thetis in Iliad

Literature is defined as written works that connect creative ideas through the written word. It is
humanity's major source of knowledge and one of the most powerful influences in defining our
worldview. They have a long history and remain important in our culture.

Ancient literature has had a huge influence on present-day society. Each work is a unique artistic
creation that speaks to the people of its time period. Nonetheless, texts written thousands years ago
continue to have an impact on us now. For example, Homer's “Iliad” was a key book for the western
canon and taught Greek mythology and history to early Greek audiences. Several creative minds
throughout history have reinterpreted, remade, and redrawn stories from this work. The influence
these stories had on the past has lead us to where we are now - a civilization impacted by these
fundamental literature.

Each new generation must interpret previous generations' works in order to fully understand them and
pass them on to the next. Without it, we would lose a significant amount of our knowledge. Every work
also teaches us new facts about history, people, and places, as well as other aspects of human
existence that we would not have learned otherwise. Numerous ancient writings teach us about
philosophy, mythology, history, and other subjects in order to broaden our view of the world.

One of the most significant lessons taught by this type of writing is independent thinking. All works are
designed and arranged in such a method that readers may learn how to understand them in their own
unique style. Each text's structure and arrangement shows its readers how to think about information
provided by someone else as an important skill for interacting effectively with others. This is especially
important for young brains who are still building their world views, educating them how to think
independently from an early age will help them navigate life effectively.

Among the most well-known texts stand a writer - Homer, the Greek poet, whose is best known for his
epic poem “Iliad”. Yet, many individuals know little about his work. The text, based on ancient Greek
oral tradition, describes the tale of the Trojan War. The book's characters are either gods or individuals
from the Greek mainland.

The siege and battle of Troy are the work's major subject. The war is caused by a disagreement
between Paris, the son of a beautiful Trojan lady, and Helen, queen of Sparta. Although being married
to another woman, Paris' love for Helen drives him to discreetly back her freedom. This causes a war
between Greece and Troy, engulfing both nations in bloodshed and hatred. Both sides commit crimes
against one another during this terrible struggle.

Ultimately, “Iliad” by Homer depicts a violent perspective of battle that values patriotism and military
courage above all else. Finally, Homer's work demonstrates how particular conditions, such as war, can
drive people beyond their limits when dealing with emotions and fury.

The creator of “Iliad” is Homer, the oldest Greek author whose works have survived to this day. He was
not just a poet, but also an important person in ancient Greek society. His compositions are written in
the form of epic poetry, including “Iliad” and “Odyssey”, two of the most famous ancient Greek stories.

In addition, Homer is one of the few authors whose writings are still extensively read today. His writings
are epic poetry written in a version of the dactylic hexameter verse form. “Iliad” and “Odyssey”
originate from the 8th century BC and are among the first pieces of literature in any language - ever
since they were able to write down words and phrases. This signifies that Homer's writings have
influenced future authors and artists. Moreover, because Homer is one of the oldest known authors
of Greek literature, he is sometimes considered as the father of Greek literature.
Several writers have drawn inspiration from Homer's works over the years. They have based their own
compositions on his works. For example Virgil – classical Roman was one such person who was
influenced by Homer. He created “Aeneid”, which has many references to his work.

Although much has been said about Homer, nothing is known for definite about him or his work. Few
details of his life are still unknown due to gaps in our historical records created by successive editions,
and even embellishments by ancient authors on older sources. What we do know about Homer comes
from oral tradition as well as his huge epics “Iliad”, which describe crucial events in the trojan w ar,
and “Odyssey”.

It is worth noting that Homer's “Iliad” contains a large amount of myths. They're filled with gods,
goddesses, demigods and interesting stories. The nymphs, on the other hand, were one of the most
famous legendary beings of the ancient world. They were supernatural creatures who lived in various
places of the planet. They were frequently portrayed as gorgeous young ladies with extraordinary
abilities. Thetis, a member of the Nereid family of sea nymphs, is one of the most well-known of them.

She was a sea goddess and her parents were Nereus, the sea deity, and the Doris who was an Oceanid.
Despite the fact that both of her parents were divine, Thetis is frequently represented as a sea nymph
rather than a deity. She was thought to be one of the most significant, so perhaps that's why her name
is recognized now.

Thetis was not lucky, if we are talking about her love life. She had a romantic relationships that lead to
marriage with Zeus, the king of the Gods, and Poseidon, the god of the sea at various periods. Both
fell in love with Thetis, but were turned off by a prophecy regarding her son. They were promised that
any son born to Thetis would one day outshine their father in greatness. These two gods were scared
by the possibility of being eclipsed by their own children, so they gave up marrying her.

After being rejected by her two previous admirers, Thetis finally married Peleus, king of the Myrmidons
of Thessaly and a mortal. Zeus organized their union, aiming for Thetis to marry a mortal man rather
than a deity in order for her to birth a mortal son. He thought that if her kid was not immortal, it would
prevent him from becoming as strong as the fate promised. However, the prophecy was fulfilled
anyway: Thetis and Peleus had a son called Achilles, who grew up to be an awesome and nearly
indestructible battle hero, despite the fact that he was mortal. All of this demonstrates that nobody
can't meddle with fate, even Zeus, the king of the gods.

Regrettably, Thetis and Peleus' wedding did not proceed as planned. They invited a large number of
gods and goddesses to a magnificent celebration, but left out the problematic Eris, goddess of discord.
Eris, furious at being left out, decided to create as much chaos as she could. She tossed a golden apple
with the inscription "for the fairest." The goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite rushed after the
treasure, igniting a chain of events that would culminate in the trojan war.

Ultimately, we arrive to Thetis' most well-known role – the Achilles’ mother. Her mortal son, would
grow on to become the greatest warrior of the trojan war. Thetis was disappointed to find out that her
young boy was a mortal. She sank Achilles in the river Styx while holding him by the heel in an attempt
to make immortal like her. Achilles became partially invulnerable, except for a little bit of his heel that
was unaffected by water, and it was this that would eventually lead to his demise.

Before the events of “Iliad”, legends of Thetis depict her discovering Achilles' inevitable fate in
prophesy and her attempts to make him immortal. She is shown as a kind and dedicated mother who
must bear the weight of knowing her son's fate while urgently attempting to preserve his life and
change his fate.
Thetis tries unsuccessfully to keep Achilles out of the Trojan War by sheltering him on the island of
Skyros. Another prophesy tells that the Greeks want Achilles to win the war, so Kings Odysseus and
Diomedes go searching for him. Achilles demonstrates that he is a skilled warrior and one of the best
Greek fighters.

The Iliad begins when Agamemnon kidnapping Achilles' sweetheart Briseis. He becomes furious,
refuses to fight, and orders the withdrawal of his forces. He begs his mother Thetis to convince Zeus
to punish Agamemnon for his treachery. Zeus ultimately agrees and charms Agamemnon with a dream
that promises triumph if he attacks Troy fully.

As the Greeks suffer defeat in battle, Agamemnon attempts to persuade Achilles to resume the fight,
but he declines. Instead, Achilles’ close friend Patroclus went into combat, armed with his own armor.
Then trojan prince Hector kills Patroclus in combat. After that Achilles is furious and vows revenge.
Thetis comforts her son and tells him of the prophecy: if he goes back to war to face Hector, he will die
shortly. In Book XVIII of “Iliad”, she cries:

"My child, your own death will swiftly be upon you if Hector dies, for your own doom must inexorably
follow."

Achilles is still motivated to revenge Patroclus and reunite with Agamemnon so that he might battle
for the Greeks. Then Thetis asks Hephaestus, the god of the forge, to create a better suit of armor in
the hopes of saving her son from his predicted fate. Book XVIII goes into considerable detail about
Achilles' new shield and armor:

“a breastplate for Achilles that shone brighter than flame: a massive helmet to fit his head, a fine one
cleverly embossed with a crest of gold and greaves of pliable tin."

Thetis is a loving and devoted mother who assists Achilles whenever he needs her throughout “Iliad”.
She knows what his future holds, but she still does everything she can to help his cause and protect
him. Thetis' stories were utilized by the ancient Greeks to teach kids how to become responsible adults.
Individuals must ultimately be able to make their own decisions.

Achilles is aware of the prophecy predicting his death at Troy, yet he still feels obligated to revenge his
close buddy. After slaying Hector in battle, Achilles breaks protocol by refusing to turn over the body
to the Trojans for appropriate burial. He carries the body behind his chariot for nine days.

"Lady Thetis you come, I know, bearing the burden of sorrowful thought, yet I must tell you why I
summoned you. The immortals have been quarreling these nine days about how Hector's corpse is
treated by Achilles, sacker of cities. They would like Hermes to spirit the body away, but I would rather
honor Achilles, and keep your love and respect in time to come. So dart down to his camp and tell him
what I say, that he has angered the gods, and I above all am filled with wrath, because he holds Hector's
corpse by the beaked ships, instead of restoring it to Troy. Hopefully, in fear of me, he will return the
body, but I will send Iris to brave Priam, and tell him to go to the Greek ships and offer a ransom for
his son, gifts that will thaw the heart of Achilles."

Thetis successfully persuades Achilles to deliver Hector's body to Priam, despite the fact that her son
will die shortly after. Achilles and Priam hold a friendly meeting to lament the deaths of Patroclus and
Hector. The Iliad concludes with Hector's burial and restoration of glory.

As explained previously, Achilles' heel was vulnerable. During the battle, an arrow launched by Paris,
the prince of Troy, and directed by the god Apollo pierced Achilles' sensitive spot, killing him. Thetis
took her son's body and ashes in an urn after his death. She then began memorial events in his
memory.

Thetis is a sea goddess who appears in Homer's epic poem “Iliad” as a supporting character. She is the
mother of Achilles, one of the most iconic heroes of Greek mythology. Many times the book, Thetis
shows her love and support for Achilles by coming to his help. Despite the fact that prophesies reveal
to her that he would die as a young hero in the trojan war, Thetis attempts to influence and change his
fate. Keeping him out of the fight entirely fails when another prophesy states that Achilles would aid
the Greeks in their victory.

She a perfect mother and really cared about her son – Achilles. She even tried to make him immortal.
It means that love of the mother can be very strong. She was always glad to help him. Although she
could not save him from his fate.

Bibliography:

Homer “Illiad”, Translated by Alexander Pope, with notes by the rev. Theodore Alois Buckley, M.A.,
F.S.A. and Flaxman's Designs, 1899

Graves R. “The Greek Myths”, Penguin Books, London, 1955

M. Slatkin L. “The Power of Thetis”, University of California Press, London, 1991

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