The question of who killed Achilles in Troy cuts to the heart of the Iliad’s tragic vision. While the epic focuses on the wrath of Achilles, the narrative concludes with the inevitability of his death, orchestrated by a combination of divine will and human action. The answer is not a single warrior but a sequence of events set in motion by the gods, culminating in the precise strike of Paris, guided by the god Apollo.
The Prophecy and the Weakness
Long before the Trojan War concluded, prophecies foretold that Achilles would die young. His mother, the sea nymph Thetis, aware of this fate, attempted to make him immortal by dipping him in the River Styx. However, she held him by the heel, leaving that one spot vulnerable. This known weakness, his "Achilles' heel," became the focal point of his destiny. The war itself was prophesied to last ten years, with Troy falling in the tenth, a timeline that hinged on the death of its greatest defender.
The Role of Apollo
In the final duel, the intervention of the god Apollo was the decisive factor. As Paris loosed his arrow, Apollo guided it to the exact spot of Achilles' vulnerability. The Iliad makes it clear that the weapon was not just a simple arrow, but a divine instrument fulfilling the will of the gods. Apollo, who had been a frequent adversary of Achilles throughout the epic, ensured that the prophecy was fulfilled at the last possible moment, turning the tide of the war.
The Human Agent: Paris of Troy
While divine will set the stage, the physical act was carried out by Paris, the prince of Troy and the man who started the war by abducting Helen. Known for his cowardice and lack of martial prowess compared to his brother Hector, Paris was not a warrior of repute. Yet, in this moment, he was the instrument of the greatest Greek hero's demise. He drew his bow, loosed the arrow guided by Apollo, and pierced the heel of Achilles, delivering the lethal blow that ended the threat to Troy.
The Context of the Iliad’s Ending
The death of Achilles serves a crucial narrative purpose in Homer's Iliad. It shifts the focus from the Greek hero to the tragic fall of Troy. Achilles, the unstoppable force, is removed, allowing the Trojans a moment of hope and allowing the story to move toward its inevitable conclusion. His death underscores the theme of fate, demonstrating that even the greatest heroes are subject to the whims of the gods and the unchangeable threads of destiny. The grief his death causes becomes a catalyst for the final acts of the war.
