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Jar, made in Athens about 470 BC
The Trojan War
Armour for Achilles
Without Achilles things went badly for the Greeks, so badly that Achilles' best friend Patroklos persuaded Achilles to let him lead his troops himself. Achilles agreed and even lent Patroklos his armour. Patroklos fought brilliantly but he was killed by Hector, the Trojan champion, one of Paris' brothers.
Achilles was full of sorrow and rage. Now he wanted to rejoin the battle to avenge his friend's death, but he had no armour. He begged his mother, the sea-goddess Thetis, to get him some new armour made by the smith god. In this picture two of Thetis' sisters hold the pieces of new armour while Thetis hugs Achilles. She is sad because she knows that after he kills Hector he will die himself.