Source-groundedThe Iliad
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Item · Individual

spear of noble Achilles

Published entity metadata

Read-only identity and editorial metadata.

Canonical name
spear of noble Achilles
Disambiguator
None
Kind
Item
Scope
Individual
Editorial note
The uniquely tracked ashen spear from Mount Pelion.

Aliases

2

ashen spear from Mount Pelion

Descriptive reference · Direct

spear of Pelian ash

Descriptive reference · Direct

Location presence

Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.

5
Xanthus4 observations
·Direct

Achilles leaves his spear on the bank of Xanthus.

See evidence text
“the hero left his spear upon the bank, leaning it against a tamarisk bush”
·Direct

Achilles’s Pelian spear is in his hand at Xanthus as he attacks Asteropaeus.

See evidence text
“Meanwhile the son of Peleus, spear in hand, sprang upon Asteropaeus son of Pelegon to kill him. He was son to the broad river Axius and Periboea eldest daughter of Acessamenus; for the river had lain with her. Asteropaeus stood up out of the water to face him with a spear in either hand, and Xanthus filled him with courage, being angry for the death of the youths whom Achilles was slaying ruthlessly within his waters.”
·Direct

Achilles’s spear is embedded in the bank of Xanthus.

See evidence text
“struck the steep bank of the river, driving the spear half its length into the earth”
·Direct

Achilles’s spear is drawn from the bank of Xanthus.

See evidence text
“With this he drew his bronze spear out of the bank”
wall of Ilius1 observation
·Direct

Achilles carried and brandished his Pelian-ash spear as he pursued Hector under the Trojan wall.

See evidence text
“From his right shoulder he brandished his terrible spear of Pelian ash, and the bronze gleamed around him like flashing fire or the rays of the rising sun. Fear fell upon Hector as he beheld him, and he dared not stay longer where he was but fled in dismay from before the gates, while Achilles darted after him at his utmost speed. As a mountain falcon, swiftest of all birds, swoops down upon some cowering dove—the dove flies before him but the falcon with a shrill scream follows close after, resolved to have her—even so did Achilles make straight for Hector with all his might, while Hector fled under the Trojan wall as fast as his limbs could take him”

Claims

9
·Direct

Achilles’ stout ashen spear from Mount Pelion cannot be wielded by any other Achaean; Chiron cut it on a mountain top and gave it to Peleus for dealing death among heroes.

See evidence text
“but he did not take the spear of noble Achilles, so stout and strong, for none other of the Achaeans could wield it, though Achilles could do so easily. This was the ashen spear from Mount Pelion, which Chiron had cut upon a mountain top and had given to Peleus, wherewith to deal out death among heroes.”
·Direct

Achilles’s spear is great, heavy, and strong; no other Achaean can wield it. It is Pelian ash from Pelion, given by Chiron to Peleus and fraught with heroes’ deaths.

See evidence text
“drew his father’s spear out of the spear-stand, a spear so great and heavy and strong that none of the Achaeans save only Achilles had strength to wield it; this was the spear of Pelian ash from the topmost ridges of Mt. Pelion, which Chiron had once given to Peleus, fraught with the death of heroes”
·Direct

Achilles’s Pelian-ash spear pierces both circles of Aeneas’s shield and sticks quivering in the ground.

See evidence text
“the spear of Pelian ash went clean through, and the shield rang under the blow; Aeneas was afraid, and crouched backwards, holding the shield away from him; the spear, however, flew over his back, and stuck quivering in the ground”
·Direct

Neptune draws Achilles’s ashen spear from Aeneas’s shield and lays it at Achilles’s feet.

See evidence text
“drew the bronze-headed ashen spear from the shield of Aeneas, and laid it at the feet of Achilles”
·Direct

Achilles’s spear passes over crouching Lycaon, sticks in the ground, and is clutched by the suppliant.

See evidence text
“the spear passed over his back, and stuck in the ground, hungering though it was for blood. With one hand he caught Achilles’ knees as he besought him, and with the other he clutched the spear and would not let it go.”
·Direct

Achilles’s spear drives halfway into the riverbank; Asteropaeus cannot pull it free despite three mighty attempts and on the fourth tries to bend and break it.

See evidence text
“hurled his spear at Asteropaeus, but failed to hit him and struck the steep bank of the river, driving the spear half its length into the earth. The son of Peleus then drew his sword and sprang furiously upon him. Asteropaeus vainly tried to draw Achilles’ spear out of the bank by main force; thrice did he tug at it, trying with all his might to draw it out, and thrice he had to leave off trying; the fourth time he tried to bend and break it”
·Direct

Achilles brandishes his terrible Pelian-ash spear as bronze flashes around him like fire or sunrise.

See evidence text
“From his right shoulder he brandished his terrible spear of Pelian ash, and the bronze gleamed around him like flashing fire or the rays of the rising sun”
·Direct

Achilles’ spear flies over crouching Hector, sticks beyond him, and is retrieved and returned by Minerva.

See evidence text
“He poised his spear as he spoke and hurled it. Hector saw it coming and avoided it; he watched it and crouched down so that it flew over his head and stuck in the ground beyond; Minerva then snatched it up and gave it back to Achilles”
·Direct

Poised in Achilles’ right hand, his spear gleams like the evening star before its point passes through the fleshy part of Hector’s neck.

See evidence text
“as the evening star that shines brighter than all others through the stillness of night, even such was the gleam of the spear which Achilles poised in his right hand, fraught with the death of noble Hector. He eyed his fair flesh over and over to see where he could best wound it, but all was protected by the goodly armour of which Hector had spoiled Patroclus after he had slain him, save only the throat where the collar-bones divide the neck from the shoulders, and this is a most deadly place: here then did Achilles strike him as he was coming on towards him, and the point of his spear went right through the fleshy part of the neck”

Additional evidence

Evidence records not already represented by a claim.

6
·Direct
“the spear of noble Achilles, so stout and strong”
·Direct
“his father’s spear out of the spear-stand”
·Direct
“the spear of Pelian ash”
·Direct
“Achilles raised his spear of Pelian ash”
·Direct
“his terrible spear of Pelian ash”
·Direct
“Minerva then snatched it up and gave it back to Achilles”

Passage preview

Book 16 · Passage 7

As he spoke Patroclus put on his armour. First he greaved his legs with greaves of good make, and fitted with ancleclasps of silver; after this he donned the cuirass of the son of Aeacus, richly inlaid and studded. He hung his silverstudded sword of bronze about his shoulders, and then his mighty shield. On his comely head he set his helmet, well wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly above it. He grasped two redoubtable spears that suited his hands, but he did not take the spear of noble Achilles, so stout and strong, for none other of the Achaeans could wield it, though Achilles could do so easily. This was the ashen spear from Mount Pelion, which Chiron had cut upon a mountain top and had given to Peleus, wherewith to deal out death among heroes. He bade Automedon yoke his horses with all speed, for he was the man whom he held in honour next after Achilles, and on whose support in battle he could rely most firmly. Automedon therefore yoked the fleet horses Xanthus and Balius, steeds that could fly like the wind: these were they whom the harpy Podarge bore to the west wind, as she was grazing in a meadow by the waters of the river Oceanus. In the side traces he set the noble horse Pedasus, whom Achilles had brought away with him when he sacked the city of Eetion, and who, mortal steed though he was, could take his place along with those that were immortal.