The tendon joining the calf muscles to the heel bone is named after Achilles, the legendary Greek hero of the Trojan War. The anatomical structure is called the Achilles tendon, or calcaneal tendon.
The tendon connects the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles—and, in many anatomical descriptions, the plantaris—to the calcaneus, the heel bone. When these calf muscles contract, the tendon helps point the foot downward, a movement called plantar flexion. Walking, running, jumping, and climbing stairs all rely on this connection.
The name comes from the myth of Achilles, who was said to be invulnerable except at his heel. In later versions of the story, his mother Thetis held him by the heel while immersing him in the River Styx, leaving that spot unprotected. The tendon’s name reflects this legend, not a claim that Achilles had a uniquely vulnerable tendon.
The eponym was recorded in 1693 by Flemish anatomist Philip Verheyen. Earlier anatomical writers used descriptive terms such as tendo magnus, meaning “great tendon.” Today, calcaneal tendon is the more strictly descriptive alternative.