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An Achilles' heel [1] (or Achilles heel [2] [3]) is a weakness despite overall strength, which can lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.
What's the origin of the phrase 'Achilles' heel'? The term ‘Achilles’ heel’ comes from the myth of Achilles, who was said to have been dipped into the river Styx by his mother Thetis in order to make him invulnerable.
The story you probably learned in school goes like this: When Achilles was a baby, his mother Thetis dipped him in the river Styx to make him immortal and impervious to all wounds—except she held him by his heel, meaning his heel was the only part of him that was vulnerable.
We’ve doubtless all heard the phrase ‘Achilles heel’. It is used to refer to an otherwise strong person’s one weak spot, and references a story from Greek mythology concerning the great hero Achilles. Here’s a brief summary of the Achilles story: The goddess Thetis conceived Achilles with Peleus, King of Phthia.
Scholars have identified many different versions of the Achilles Heel story, as is true for most ancient history myths. One element with lots of variety is what Thetis had in mind when she dipped her son in whatever she dipped him in.
When the hero Achilles was an infant, his sea-nymph mother dipped him into the river Styx to make him immortal. But since she held him by one heel, this spot did not touch the water and so remained mortal and vulnerable, and it was here that Achilles was eventually mortally wounded.
According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had one vulnerability–his “Achilles heel.” Homer’s epic poem the Iliad tells the story of his ...
A fatal weakness in an otherwise strong person or thing. Examples. JFK’s Achilles heel was his inability to ignore the charms of a long-legged blonde. Where did it originate?
Achilles heel. A well-known figurative expression to denote a point of weakness or vulnerability but not necessarily fatal as in the classical myth of Achilles. As told in Homer’s Iliad during the siege of Troy, Achilles killed Hector in a famous duel outside the walls of the city.
Origin. The phrase has its origins in the legend of the Greek hero Achilles. According to the legend, Achilles was dipped into the river Styx by his mother Thetis to him invulnerable. The only portion of his body not immersed into the water was his heels, by which his mother held him.