Thetis

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Thetis was a powerful sea goddess in Greek mythology, revered as one of the Nereids, the fifty daughters of Nereus, the ancient god of the sea, and Doris, the daughter of the Titan Oceanus. Thetis’ beauty, strength, and divine nature made her one of the most prominent figures in Greek myth, and she played a significant role in several key myths, most notably in the Trojan War.

The most famous aspect of Thetis’ mythology is her marriage to the mortal king Peleus, which was the subject of an elaborate and fateful event. According to the myth, Zeus and Poseidon both desired Thetis, but they refrained from pursuing her because it was prophesied that her son would be greater than his father. To avoid this potential threat, they arranged her marriage to Peleus, a mortal hero. The wedding of Thetis and Peleus was a grand affair, attended by many gods and goddesses, but it also sparked a pivotal moment in Greek mythology. During the celebration, Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited. In retaliation, she threw a golden apple inscribed with “to the fairest” among the guests, leading to the famous dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. This dispute ultimately led to the Trojan War, as Paris of Troy was asked to judge which goddess was the fairest, choosing Aphrodite and setting the stage for the war.

Thetis’ role in the Trojan War was also central to the narrative of her son, Achilles. When Achilles was a young child, Thetis sought to make him immortal. She dipped him into the River Styx, which was said to grant invulnerability, but she held him by the heel, leaving that part of his body vulnerable. This moment would later contribute to Achilles’ tragic fate, as he was eventually killed by an arrow to his heel during the Trojan War, leading to the phrase “Achilles’ heel” to describe a single, fatal vulnerability. Throughout the war, Thetis was fiercely protective of her son and played an instrumental role in his success, including providing him with divine armor forged by Hephaestus after his own armor was taken by Hector.