In Greek mythology, Paris fatally wounds Achilles during the later tradition of the Trojan War. Paris is the Trojan prince whose judgment of the goddesses leads to his relationship with Helen and the conflict between Troy and the Greek coalition. Unlike the Iliad, which ends before Achilles’ death, later epic traditions describe Paris shooting Achilles with an arrow.
Several versions connect the shot with divine assistance. Apollo is often said to guide the arrow, and some accounts specify that it strikes Achilles in his heel, the vulnerable place associated with his name in modern language. Other ancient versions simply describe Achilles being killed at the Scaean Gate or in Apollo’s temple.
Paris is better known as an archer than as a hand-to-hand fighter. He had already fought Menelaus in single combat in the Iliad, but Aphrodite rescued him when the duel went against him. The detail of the heel became especially influential in later retellings.