Editing Thetis (section)

===Iliad and the Trojan War===
[[File:Hydria Achilles weapons Louvre E869.jpg|thumb|Thetis and attendants bring armor she had prepared for him to [[Achilles]], an Attic black-figure hydria, c. 575–550 BC, [[Louvre]]|left]]
Thetis played a key part in the events of the Trojan War. Beyond the fact that the [[Judgement of Paris]], which kicked off the war, occurred at her wedding to [[Peleus]], Thetis consistently influenced the actions of the [[Twelve Olympians]] and her son, [[Achilles]].[[File:Júpiter y Tetis, por Dominique Ingres.jpg|thumb|''[[Jupiter and Thetis]]'', [[Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres|Ingres]]: "She sank to the ground beside him, put her left arm round his knees, raised her right hand to touch his chin, and so made her petition to the [[Zeus|Royal Son of Cronos]]" (''[[Iliad]]'', I)]]

Nine years after the beginning of the Trojan War, Homer's ''[[Iliad]]'' starts with [[Agamemnon]] (king of Mycenae and the commander of the [[Achaeans (Homer)|Achaeans]]) and Achilles (son of Thetis) arguing over [[Briseis]], a woman married to [[Mynes (mythology)|Mynes]] (son of the king of [[Lyrnessus]]). She was kidnapped and enslaved by Achilles. After initially refusing, Achilles relents and gives Briseis to Agamemnon. However, Achilles feels disrespect for having to hand over Briseis and prays to Thetis, his mother, for restitution of his lost honor.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Iliad of Homer|last = Lattimore|first = Richmond|publisher = University Of Chicago Press|year = 2011|isbn = 978-0226470498|location = Chicago, IL|pages = 59–70}}</ref> She urges Achilles to wait until she speaks with [[Zeus]] to rejoin the fighting, and Achilles listens.<ref>{{cite book|last1=introduction|first1=Homer; translated by Robert Fagles|last2=Knox|first2=notes by Bernard|title=The Iliad|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=0140275363|page=[https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/91 91]|edition=[Repr. with revisions].|url=https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/91}}</ref> When she finally speaks to Zeus, Thetis convinces him to do as she bids, and he seals his agreement with her by bowing his head, the strongest oath that he can make.<ref>{{cite book|last1=introduction|first1=Homer; translated by Robert Fagles|last2=Knox|first2=notes by Bernard|title=The Iliad|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=0140275363|page=[https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/95 95]|edition=[Repr. with revisions].|url=https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/95}}</ref>

Following the death of Patroclus, who wore Achilles's armor in the fighting, Thetis comes to Achilles to console him in his grief. She vows to return to him with armor forged by [[Hephaestus]], the blacksmith of the gods, and tells him not to arm himself for battle until he sees her coming back. While Thetis is gone, Achilles is visited by [[Iris (mythology)|Iris]], the messenger of the gods, sent by [[Hera]], who tells him to rejoin the fighting. He refuses, however, citing his mother's words and his promise to her to wait for her return.<ref>{{cite book|last1=introduction|first1=Homer; translated by Robert Fagles|last2=Knox|first2=notes by Bernard|title=The Iliad|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=0140275363|pages=[https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/472 472–474]|edition=[Repr. with revisions].|url=https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/472}}</ref> Thetis, meanwhile, speaks with Hephaestus and begs him to make Achilles armor, which he does. First, he makes for Achilles a splendid [[Shield of Achilles|shield]], and having finished it, makes a breastplate, a helmet, and greaves.<ref>{{cite book|last1=introduction|first1=Homer; translated by Robert Fagles|last2=Knox|first2=notes by Bernard|title=The Iliad|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=0140275363|pages=[https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/480 480–487]|edition=[Repr. with revisions].|url=https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/480}}</ref> When Thetis goes back to Achilles to deliver his new armor, she finds him still upset over Patroclus. Achilles fears that while he is off fighting the Trojans, Patroclus' body will decay and rot. Thetis, however, reassures him and places ambrosia and nectar in Patroclus' nose in order to protect his body against decay.<ref>{{cite book|last1=introduction|first1=Homer; translated by Robert Fagles|last2=Knox|first2=notes by Bernard|title=The Iliad|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=0140275363|page=[https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/489 489]|edition=[Repr. with revisions].|url=https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/489}}</ref>

After Achilles uses his new armor to defeat [[Hector]] in battle, he keeps Hector's body to mutilate and humiliate. However, after nine days, the gods call Thetis to Olympus and tell her that she must go to Achilles and pass him a message, that the gods are angry that Hector's body has not been returned. She does as she is bid, and convinces Achilles to return the body for ransom, thus avoiding the wrath of the gods.<ref>{{cite book|last1=introduction|first1=Homer; translated by Robert Fagles|last2=Knox|first2=notes by Bernard|title=The Iliad|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=0140275363|pages=[https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/592 592–593]|edition=[Repr. with revisions].|url=https://archive.org/details/iliad00home_3/page/592}}</ref>