Achilles the Godlike

Achilles: A God Among Men
Achilles plays a major part in Homer's The Iliad. He is one of the bravest Greek soldiers and the best fighter they have. The epic revolves around his role in the Trojan War and his rage. Achilles has been referred to as "godlike" a number of times and it is deeper than the fact that he has an immortal mother. Being "godlike" seems to be the highest compliment that anyone could receive, but to the ancient Greeks it was more of a back-handed compliment than anything. Literally speaking, Achilles was given the gift of immortality as a baby and this has propelled him to be on an equal level as the gods. Giving him the ability to strike down any man on the field of battle. However his "godliness" not only refers to his immortality but also his mind state. The Gods of ancient Greece were chaotic and whimsical, acting out on impulse before thinking of the consequences of their actions. To combat this humans would have to use reason and rationality to keep their own emotions in check. Achilles' immortality, paired with his stubbornness and reckless-abandon is what makes him so "godlike". Throughout the epic Achilles exhibits a poor thought process and the inability to see into the future and comprehend the consequences of his words. The other Greek soldiers and kings do not fail to recognize Achilles' splendor on the battle field. He is often referred to as the best fighter by men like Agamemnon, Odysseus and Ajax. Achilles' military prowess, however, does not make up for his strong head and immense ego. In book one Achilles and Agamemnon get into an argument about the treasures that have been claimed during the fighting. Tempers flare about whose prize shall be stripped and Agamemnon, wisely, tries to stop the argument by postponing it. Achilles has already become enraged and he will not drop the topic. "How could any Argive soldier obey your orders… and now you threaten to strip me of my prize in person." Agamemnon knows that it isn't