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According to legend, when the mythical Greek hero Achilles was a baby his mother dipped him in the waters of the River Styx. This made him invulnerable to all weapons, except at the spot where she held him on the heel. Achilles went on to be the greatest hero and champion of the Greeks during the Trojan War. However after many victories he was shot by an arrow on the heel, and died of his wound.

Therefore an "Achilles Heel" is a weak spot that can ruin the success of the best of efforts.

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Q: What is the origin of the idiom Achilles' heel?
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Achilles was a hero in Ancient Greek mythology. His mother, the nymph Thetis, attempted to make Achilles immortal by dipping him into the river Styx. She held him by the ankles, so they did not receive invulnerability from the river. Achilles was killed because Paris, in the Trojan War, shot him with an arrow in Achilles' heel - Achilles' one weak spot. This is why the term "achilles heel" became an idiom for a person's one weakness.


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