ACHILLES THE HERO

With a new introduction, this life of the warrior leader Achilles focuses on the ten-year siege of Troy, but also gathers accounts of the early life of Achilles as portrayed by authors from classical times through to late Antiquity and the modern era. It features the epic events of the Trojan wars: the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles; the adventures of the noble Hector; the games and impersonations played by the gods of Ancient Greece who use humankind as shadow puppets in their own conflicts; the death of Patroclus; the final reconciliation of Achilles and Agamemnon; the death of Hector and the touching final scenes with aged King Priam, who seeks to recover the body of Hector, his son, the ideal warrior.