Why did Polyxena want Achilles killed?
Why did Polyxena want Achilles killed?
Achilles’ ghost had come back to the Greeks to demand the human sacrifice of Polyxena so as to appease the wind needed to set sail back to Hellas. She was to be killed at the foot of Achilles’ grave. Hecuba, Polyxena’s mother, expressed despair at the death of another of her daughters.
Who is Achilles in Trojan War?
In Greek mythology, Achilles was the strongest warrior and hero in the Greek army during the Trojan War. He was the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and Thetis, a sea nymph. The story of Achilles appears in Homer’s Iliad and elsewhere.
What happened to Polyxena after the Trojan War?
Polyxena, in Greek mythology, a daughter of Priam, king of Troy, and his wife, Hecuba. After the fall of Troy, she was claimed by the ghost of Achilles, the greatest of the Greek warriors, as his share of the spoils and was therefore put to death at his tomb.
How was Polyxena sacrificed?
Polyxena was the youngest daughter of Priam, King of Troy. According to a Greek tragedy by Euripides (ca. 480–406 B.C.), she was sacrificed on an altar over the grave of Achilles, whose death she had caused.
What does the name Polyxena mean?
Hospitable To
The name Polyxena is primarily a female name of German origin that means Hospitable To Many Guests. In Greek mythology Polyxena was beloved by Achilles but sacrificed by his son.
Who was Achilles mentor?
centaur Chiron
Achilles was trained by the centaur Chiron, who also taught the Greek hero Jason and Achilles’ father Peleus.
Who murdered Polyxena?
When Polyxena told Achilles to meet her at the temple of Apollo, he trusted her, and there, he was ambushed by Paris and Deiphobus. They shot a poisoned arrow, which, guided by Apollo, found Achilles on his heel and resulted in his death.
Who is sacrificed on Achilles grave?
Polyxena
At Polyxena’s request, Achilles came to make a sacrifice to Apollo , but he was ambushed by Paris , Polyxena’s brother, as he knelt at the altar. Paris shot a fatal arrow into Achilles’ heel, his one vulnerable spot. Before he died, Achilles vengefully proclaimed that the treacherous Polyxena be sacrificed at his tomb.
How did Achilles fall in love with Polyxena?
According to Greek legend, Achilles fell in love with the Trojan princess Polyxena, the daughter of the king of Troy. He was offered her hand in marriage if he agreed to end the war between the Greeks and the Trojans.
Who is Polyxena in the Iliad?
Polyxena was the youngest daughter of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba. Polyxena is Iphigenia’s Trojan counterpart. Iphigenia was sacrificed for the Greeks, signifying the beginning of the Trojan War and the launching of Greek ships.
Who was Achilles in the Trojan War?
Achilles was the greatest of the warriors famed for his swiftness on the Greek (Achaean) side during the Trojan War, directly competing with Troy’s warrior hero Hector.
How did Polyxena die in Greek mythology?
According to Euripides, however, in his plays The Trojan Women and Hecuba, Polyxena’s famous death was caused at the end of the Trojan War. Achilles’ ghost had come back to the Greeks to demand the human sacrifice of Polyxena so as to appease the wind needed to set sail back to Hellas.
