Achilles: The Mortal with Immortal Rage | The Strange History Podcast

Before Achilles became the unstoppable warrior of the Trojan War, he was a baby dunked in the River Styx, a student of the centaur Chiron, and a reluctant fighter disguised as a girl on the island of Skyros. In Part One of our two-part epic, Amy takes you through the strange childhood, divine prophecies, and early adventures of Achilles. From doomed weddings to awkward disguises, this is the story of how a boy became destiny’s greatest hero. We unpack the rage that shook the Trojan War, the heartbreaking death of Patroclus, the legendary duel with Hector, and the fateful arrow to the heel that sealed his destiny. From sulking in his tent to dragging Hector’s body in fury, Achilles became both a symbol of unstoppable strength and human fragility. Discover how his ghost haunted Odysseus, and why Achilles remains one of the most enduring figures in myth and history.

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This episode of The Strange History Podcast was lovingly crafted with the help of ElevenLabs.io — the magical technology that gives Amy her time to sleep, eat, work and spend time with her dog Jack. While some might say she sounds too good to be true, we assure you, Amy is absolutely a real person… who just happens to have access to studio-grade AI vocal cords and an unnatural ability to pronounce “necromancy” without flinching. Any resemblance to an AI is purely coincidental — and mildly flattering. Dan the announcers name is really Bill and Patrick, the fake ad guy who thinks he is funny? well he is questionable at best. So yes, AI was used but the people are real and the shinanigans are.... well.... shinanigans.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back, dear listeners to the Strange History Podcast, where
myths strut in like they own the place and history
just rolls its eyes. Today we're talking about Achilles. Yes,
that Achilles, the hero whose heel is more famous than
his spear. But before he became the most feared warrior
at Troy, he was just a boy with a prophecy,

(00:22):
a complicated family, and one very stressed out mother.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
The wedding that broke the world We.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Started a wedding Pelias, a mortal king, and Thetis, a
goddess of the sea. It should have been a fairy tale,
except the gods are terrible wedding guests. Heiress, the goddess
of Discord, was not invited. Rookie mistake. She crashed the
party with a golden apple labeled for the fairest Hara,
Athena and Aphrodite fought over it. This fruit fight set

(00:53):
in motion the Trojan War. Imagine mean girls but with
divine powers. And yes, a Kille hadn't even been born yet,
but Destiny was already sharpening its spear.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
The baby dunk and the heel problem.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
When Achilles was born, Thetis was determined to make him immortal.
She dipped him into the River Styx, holding him by
the heel. One heel left unwashed, one Achilles doomed. Some
versions say she also tried burning the mortal bits off
him in the fire while smearing him with ambrosia, until
her husband walked in and ruined the process. Honestly, Greek

(01:31):
myths make cps look like amateurs. Either way, the heel
stayed human and that heel will come back with a vengeance.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
This episode is sponsored by stick Spa and resort Want
that immortal glow Take a dip today. Disclaimer We are
not responsible for misst spots, heel related vulnerabilities, or arrows
guided by angry gods.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Achilles goes to Camp Chirron's hero school.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Achilles was handed off to Chiron, the centaur, half horse,
half hero maker. Under Chirn, Achilles mastered everything archery, healing,
spear throwing, lyre playing and probably horse stable cleaning part
of the tuition package. This wasn't just training, it was
grooming the boy to become Destiny's golden child.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Skyross Achilles in drag.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
But fate always tricky. When the Trojan war broke out,
Thetis panicked, She disguised Achilles as a girl and hid
him on the island of Skyros. Achilles renamed Pira, mingled
among the king's daughters in dresses and jewelry, enter Odysseus.
He laid out gifts for the women, fabric, perfume, trinkets,

(02:48):
and slipped a sword among them. The women cooed over jewelry,
but one girl lunged for the blade. Surprise, it was Achilles,
back in boy mode. Disguise over war awaited.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Brought to you by Greek Disguises Incorporated. Need to hide
your son from Prophecy. Try our patented oops all dresses collection,
just don't leave weapons lying around to Troy.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
With Odysseus's trick, achilles fate was sealed. He would go
to Troy, where songs of glory and doom awaited. Once
at Troy, Achilles became the Greek's MVP, but then Agamemnon,
commander of the Greeks, insulted him by stealing his prize Brisis.
Achilles raged and quit fighting. He sulked in his tent,

(03:36):
strumming his lyre and glaring at the ocean. The Greeks
were losing, but Achilles refused to lift a finger.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Today's episode is brought to you by tent assaults, because
sometimes the best way to win a war is to
sit out dramatically and make everyone else suffer.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Patroclus and the breaking point.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Then came Petroclus, Achilles' closest companion, perhaps lover desperate, he
wore achilles armor and led the Greeks, but Hector killed him.
Achilles was consumed with grief. He snapped. His wrath was
so terrifying that the Iliad itself is basically subtitled Achilles
Bad Mood. He slaughtered Trojans, hunted down Hector, and killed

(04:20):
him in a duel so legendary it still echoes. Then
he tied Hector's body to his chariot and dragged it
around Troy. Even the gods muttered, okay, too far the
heel and the arrow, But destiny never forgets. Paris, guided
by Apollo, shot an arrow straight into achilles one weak

(04:42):
spot his heel. The mighty fell. The Greeks won the war,
but their greatest warrior lay dead, undone by a spot
no bigger than a coin, the ghost of Achilles. Even
in death, Achilles wasn't finished. His ghost appeared to a
disse during the underworld journey. When Odysseus praised his glory,

(05:04):
Achilles replied, I'd rather be a living servant than a
dead hero. Chilling words from the man who chose short
glory over long obscurity.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
This tragic ending is sponsored by heel Guard Sandals. Don't
let one tiny weak spot ruin your day. Heal Guard,
battle tested, God approved legacy.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Achilles name lives on, Doctors named our weakest tendon after him,
Poets keep him alive in song, and every athlete with
a bum ankle gets compared to him. He is rage, glory, grief,
and fragility rolled into one, our eternal reminder that even
the strongest among us can fall, And that, dear listeners,

(05:46):
is the saga of Achilles, from fire dunked baby to
drag Queen on Skyros to unstoppable Warrior and tragic ghost.
He lived short, he died young, but he truly left
a beautiful corpse, at least until they burned it on
a pyre. Thank you for joining me here at the
Strange History Podcast. Subscribe on spreaker, Spotify or Apple or

(06:10):
wherever you get your podcasts, and remember check your heels,
both literal and metaphorical.