Achilles and Penthesilea
The Amazon queen Penthesilea comes to defend Troy after Hector's death and meets Achilles in one of the great episodes of the lost Trojan epic tradition.
The Story
Hector's death did not immediately end Trojan resistance.
New allies continued to arrive.
Among them was Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons.
She came to fight for Troy.
Penthesilea entered battle as a formidable warrior and became one of the most famous opponents Achilles faced after Hector.
Eventually Achilles killed her.
Later traditions developed a tragic dimension to the encounter.
In a famous version, Achilles saw Penthesilea after delivering the fatal blow and was overcome by grief or admiration for the woman he had just killed.
The episode became one of the best-known stories from the lost epic material surrounding the Iliad.
Penthesilea's arrival also reminds us that Homer's Iliad tells only a small part of the Trojan War.
The fighting continued after Hector's funeral, bringing new warriors and new tragedies before Troy finally fell.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
Penthesilea expands the Trojan War beyond the Iliad and connects the Amazon tradition directly with Achilles and Troy.
Traditions & Variations
The story belonged prominently to the lost Aethiopis. Later authors and artists developed the idea that Achilles fell in love with, admired or mourned Penthesilea at the moment of her death.