History Literature / TheAchilleid

Despite being short, incomplete, and rarely remembered, the ''Achilleid'' has had a [[AudienceColoringAdaptation profound effect]] on later depictions of Achilles and Greek heroes in general. Statius appears to be the inventor of Achilles' famous invulnerability, the role of the River Styx in Achilles' OriginStory, and the idea that his heel was, well, an AchillesHeel in the forms that we understand them today. Like most of Statius' works, it was incredibly popular in the Medieval Europe and scholars of the time considered him an equal of Creator/{{Virgil}} and Creator/{{Ovid}}. Its influence is particularly pronounced on later examples of epic poetry like ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' and ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene''.

* TheWorfEffect: Centaurs are well-known in Myth/ClassicalMythology for ripping up hills and trees with their bare-hands, so the audience knows Achilles isn't the helpless child Thetis remembers when Chiron tells her about how he's single-handedly robbed and routed centaurs all over the countryside.

Despite being short, incomplete, and rarely remembered, the ''Achilleid'' has had a profound effect on later depictions of Achilles and Greek heroes in general. Statius appears to be the inventor of Achilles' famous invulnerability, the role of the River Styx in Achilles' OriginStory, and the idea that his heel was, well, an AchillesHeel in the forms that we understand them today. Like most of Statius' works, it was incredibly popular in the Medieval Europe and scholars of the time considered him an equal of Creator/{{Virgil}} and Creator/{{Ovid}}. Its influence is particularly pronounced on later examples of epic poetry like ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' and ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene''.

* UnwillinglyGirlyTomboy: Thetis presents Achilles to Lycomedes as one of these. According to Thetis, Girl!Achilles is her daughter and needs to be taught to be marriageable instead of hunting like an Amazon. By selling the demigod as a tomboy, Thetis deftly convinces Lycomedes to rationalize Achilles' obvious masculinity and to keep him away from the soldiers and armories Thetis knows will drive him to join the Trojan War.

Despite being short, incomplete, and rarely remembered, the ''Achilleid'' has had a profound effect on later depictions of Achilles and Greek heroes in general. Statius appears to be the inventor of Achilles' famous invulnerability, the role of the River Styx in Achilles' OriginStory, and the idea that his heel was, well, an Achilles Heel in the forms that we understand them today. Like most of Statius' works, it was incredibly popular in the Medieval Europe and scholars of the time considered him an equal of Creator/{{Virgil}} and Creator/{{Ovid}}. Its influence is particularly pronounced on later examples of epic poetry like ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' and ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene''.

Despite being short, incomplete, and rarely remembered, the ''Achilleid'' has had a profound effect on later depictions of Achilles and Greek heroes in general. Statius appears to be the inventor of Achilles' famous invulnerability, the role of the River Styx in Achilles' OriginStory, and the idea that his heel was, well, an AchillesHeel. Like most of Statius' works, it was incredibly popular in the Medieval Europe and scholars of the time considered him an equal of Creator/{{Virgil}} and Creator/{{Ovid}}. Its influence is particularly pronounced on later examples of epic poetry like ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' and ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene''.

* AdultFear: The driving force of the story is Thetis' terror at the idea of her only child dying. She essentially goes through all the stages of grief, entering into denial and bargaining with strange forces to save his life all while worrying like a momma bird desperately searching for a safe place to nest her kids.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Deidamia is as beautiful as Athena, so long as Athena got rid of the war-helmet, gorgon-shield, and [[PerpetualFrowner ferocious gaze]] that keeps her from being a sight to behold.

[[caption-width-right:350:Meet Achilles, the fancy gal with the rapier.]]

* TheMakeover: Since Achilles is too embarrassed to dress himself as a woman, Thetis steps up and gives him a dress, does his hair, gives him some jewelry, and teaches him how to act like a modest maid to complete his transformation into a full-blown babe.

* HeroicDolphin: Thetis has a team of dolphins bred by a titan that she asks to aid in her quest to save her son's life instead of a variety of gods that she could approach. The poem even takes a second after this to wax poetic about how dolphins are the most beautiful and human animals in the ocean.

* CrushBlush: Achilles cheeks turn red when he sees Deidamia and experiences LoveAtFirstSight. The narrator puts a lot of time describing it with a weird metaphor about blooding spilling into milk.

* ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction: As soon as a war-trumpet blares, Achilles changes out of his dress in an instant and dons a shield and armor before anyone notices what he's doing, including, himself.
* CrushBlush: Achilles cheeks turn red like milk being darkened by blood when he sees Deidamia and experiences LoveAtFirstSight for the first time.

* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: Achilles tearfully vows to Deidamia that he will never take a Trojan wife or have a child by any of them. The line immediately after his promise tells us that his travels will eventually lead him to breaking his vow.

* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: Achilles tearfully vows to Deidamia that he will never take a Trojan wife or have a child by any of them, but the line immediately after his promise tells us that his travels will eventually lead him to breaking his vow.

Despite being short, incomplete, and rarely remembered, the ''Achilleid'' has had a profound effect on later depictions of Achilles and Greek heroes in general. Statius appears to be the inventor of Achilles' famous invulnerability, his origin of being dunked in the River Styx as a child, and the fact that his heel was, well, an AchillesHeel. Like most of Statius' works, it was incredibly popular in the Medieval Europe and scholars of the time considered him an equal of Creator/{{Virgil}} and Creator/{{Ovid}}. Its influence is particularly pronounced on later examples of epic poetry like ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' and ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene''.

* SuperToughness: According to the narrator, Achilles' limbs can't be pierced by steel thanks to being dipped in the River Styx. Since the book ends before Achilles can get into a fight, this remains an InformedAttribute.

* LockAndLoadMontage: Before the story switches to Ulysses perspective, the narrator describes how each Greek city-state is preparing for the Trojan War. Highlights include mentions of the peaceful {{Arcadia}} shearing all their sheep to provide soldiers with clothing and the legendary Mount Othrys being stripped for it's steel and stone.

* FaintingSeer: The second after Calchas divines Achilles' location in a fit of divine madness, he collapses.

!!''The Achlleid'' provides examples of:

Despite being short, incomplete, and rarely remembered, the ''Achilleid'' has had a profound effect on later depictions of Achilles and Greek heroes in general. Statius appears to be the inventor of Achilles' famous invulnerability, his origin of being dunked in the River Styx as a child, and the fact that his heel was, well, an AchillesHeel. Like most of Statius' works, it was incredibly popular in the Medieval Europe and he was considered an equal to the likes of Creator/{{Virgil}} and Creator/{{Ovid}}. It's influence is particularly pronounced on later examples of epic poetry like ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' and ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene''.

* AchillesHeel: When Thetis mentions dipping Achilles in the River Styx, she laments that she couldn't engulf his entire body in the river, implying that the reason for his death by a single arrow came about because that one part of his body was not made invincible by the enchantment of the river.

* AdultFear: The driving force of the whole story is Thetis' terror at the idea of her only child dying. She essentially goes through all the stages of grief, entering into denial and bargaining with strange forces to save his life all while worrying like a momma bird desperately searching for a safe place to nest her kids.

* DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu: When Thetis finds Neptune relaxing, a school of sea monsters are by his side saluting him and peacefully swimming alongside a bunch of dolphins and a choir of [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent tritons]]. Thetis doesn't so much as bat an eye at this and the horrible monsters of the deep cause her no trouble as she politely chats with Neptune.

* DraggedIntoDrag: The ferocity with which Achilles rejects the idea of dressing as a woman is compared to the force of young, wild horse trying to throw off the first person to mount it. Even when he's convinced to go along with the plan for a chance to be around a beautiful woman, he can't bring himself to actually put on a dress and makes his mother put it on for him.

* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: Amphibious people called "tritons" are seen following Neptune as he rides through the ocean, managing to cheerfully sing underwater despite lacking air and being surrounded on all sides by horrifying {{Sea Monster}}s.

* ProngsOfPoseidon: Neptune is introduced wielding what else but a trident, although he oddly uses it to urge forward the sea monsters and dolphins in his service rather than as a weapon.

* {{Seers}}: Calchas returns from ''Literature/TheIliad'' to commune with the gods in order to tell the Greeks where Achilles is hidden. His method of divination is a combination of augury, burning offerings, and spreading incense, all of which manifests in him undergoing a series of muscle spasms as the gods overtake his mind.
* SheCleansUpNicely: Deidamia is said to be as beautiful as Athena, so long as Athena got rid of the war-helmet, gorgon-shield, and [[PerpetualFrowner ferocious gaze]] that keeps her from being a sight to behold.

* TextileWorkIsFeminine: Thetis speaks about Hercules' time sewing and working with wool as if doing so was just as feminine as Achilles pretending to be a woman or Jupiter [[GenderBender literally turning into a woman]].
* TokenHeroicOrc: Chiron is described as lacking everything awful about other centaurs. His home has no blood-soaked spears, broken trees, or signs of [[CainAndAbel familial in-infighting]] like all other centaurs have, and instead serves as a place of healing and rest.

* UnwillinglyGirlyTomboy: Thetis presents Achilles to Lycomedes as one of these. According to Thetis, Girl!Achilles is a daughter of hers who needs to be taught to carry baskets and look forward to marriage rather than hunt like an Amazon. By selling the demigod as a tomboy who needs to be taught to act femininely, Thetis deftly convinces Lycomedes to rationalize Achilles' obvious masculinity and to keep him away from the soldiers and armories Thetis knows will drive him to join the Trojan War.
* WakingUpElsewhere: In Book I, Achilles goes to sleep in a cave under a mountain and wakes up in bright daylight with waves crashing right next to him as an unfamiliar woman looms over him. He's frightened at first and it takes a second for him to realize the woman is his MissingMom, who explains how she adducted him in the night.

* SuperSpeed: As a daughter of the ocean, Thetis is able to swim massive distances in seconds. In just three breaststrokes, she travels from the bottom of the ocean just outside Troy to the shallows of Thessaly, which in real life are over one hundred and fifty miles away on opposite ends of the Aegean Sea.