Who was the mother of Achilles?

Thetis was the mother of Achilles. She is a sea deity, often described as a Nereid, and she is the daughter of the ancient sea god Nereus. Achilles’ father was the mortal hero Peleus, making Achilles part divine and part human.

Thetis plays an important emotional and supernatural role in the Iliad. When Achilles withdraws from battle after his dispute with Agamemnon, he appeals to her. She then asks Zeus to help the Trojans temporarily, so the Greeks will realize how much they depend on Achilles. Later, she brings Achilles new armor forged by Hephaestus after Patroclus dies.

A common misconception comes from later retellings that show Thetis dipping Achilles in the River Styx and making him invulnerable except for his heel. That episode is not told in Homer’s Iliad. In the poem, Achilles is a powerful but mortal warrior whose short life is shaped by a choice between a long obscure existence and brief, undying fame. Thetis’s divine status cannot prevent his death.