Achilles’s ankle
This Etruscan engraving on carnelian (red quartz) shows the legendary Achilles – though the arrow isn’t in his heel. | Photo: The Trustees of the British Museum
The heel is commonly considered to have been the only vulnerable spot of the Greek hero Achilles. But that’s just not true, says Barbara Carè of the University of Lausanne. It was the talus bone in his ankle. This misconception stems from mediaeval and Renaissance reinterpretations of the Latin term ‘talus’, which gradually shifted its meaning from the ankle bone to the heel in many Romance languages. This is confirmed by Classical depictions of Achilles, such as the engraving shown here. Anatomically, it makes more sense to identify the talus bone as a weak spot. Without it, a warrior would lose his stable footing as well as his speed and agility.
