When E. was describing the hotheaded nature and all-consuming rage of Achilles, I wondered whether he could have become the hero of the Trojan War or the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad had he dialed it down even a few notches. Probably not.
Achilles may have been destined for a storied warrior life, but like any good soldier, he had to prepare for battle. The centaur, Chiron, is often depicted training the young
Achilles in bowmanship and the lyre.
Jean-Baptiste Regnault, The Education of Achilles (1782)
Eugene Ferdinand Victor Delacroix, The Education of Achilles
John Singer Sargent, Sketch for Chiron and Achilles (1922)
Giuseppe Maria Crespi,
The Centaur Chiron Teaches the Young Achilles Archery (1695-1700)
James Barry, The Education of Achilles (1772)
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