Remarks

Achilles, loved of heaven, you bid me tell you about the anger of King Apollo, I will therefore do so; but consider first and swear that you will stand by me heartily in word and deed; for I know that I shall offend one who rules the Argives with might, to whom all the Achaeans are in subjection. A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallow his displeasure now, will yet nurse revenge till he has wreaked it. Consider, therefore, whether or no you will protect me. (Homer I. 74-79) 

The great hero Achilles was, above all, a man of war. This is neither praise nor criticism but simply fact. In Homer’s Iliad, Achilles is depicted as an almost divine figure of battle: swift of foot, skilled beyond measure, strong, fearless, and inspiring fear in others. He was also nearly invulnerable. According to legend, his mother, the sea goddess Thetis, dipped him in the River Styx, rendering his body impervious to harm—except for the heel by which she held him. This single vulnerability, left unprotected, would later lead to his undoing. During the siege of Troy, an arrow shot by Paris struck Achilles in the heel, ultimately causing his death. From this, we inherit the phrase “Achilles’ heel,” signifying a critical vulnerability.

Yet it is not Achilles’ heel that concerns me today, despite the fascination of myths that tell of gods, heroes, and titans. Instead, my focus is on the quotation that opens this essay. It is found at the very beginning of Homer’s epic, where the Mycenaean Greeks—often referred to as “Achaeans”—prepare to lay siege to the city of Troy. Their cause is the abduction of Helen, wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, by the Trojan prince Paris. In retaliation, Menelaus enlists his brother Agamemnon and the combined forces of Greece to wage war against Troy.

The quoted exchange occurs between Calchas, a prophet, and Achilles. Calchas, having received an oracle predicting that the war will last a decade, fears Agamemnon’s wrath for delivering this unwelcome news. He asks Achilles for assurance—not merely in words, but in both word and deed—that he will defend him. Achilles swears to protect Calchas, setting the stage for the epic events of the Iliad.

The phrase “by word and deed” resonates deeply. In the Greek text, ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν translates literally as “by word and by hand.” Words alone, Calchas recognizes, are insufficient; action is required. Who better to provide such protection than the mighty Achilles?

This concept of “word and deed” will also serve as the context for this discussion. Homer’s Iliad, composed around the 8th century BCE, recounts events that occurred some 400 years earlier. Today, the Trojan War lies over 3,000 years in the past, yet the themes of the epic remain strikingly relevant. The Iliad is not merely a story of conflict between two peoples; it is a profound reflection on the human condition, exploring love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, victory and defeat, mercy and vengeance, life and death.

To live by word and deed means to align our actions with our professed beliefs. At first glance, this may seem trivial. In everyday life, we often match our words to our deeds: we say we will go to the store or take out the trash, and then we do so. But the true test comes in moments of crisis—when the “storm hits.”

Storms strike unexpectedly. A cancer diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, or a profound betrayal—such events shake us to our core. In these moments, maintaining composure is a test of character. While it is natural to feel anxiety and grief, succumbing to despair compounds the suffering. To endure misfortune with strength is to live “by word and deed.”

However, good fortune also tests us. Wealth, health, fame, or power—these can reveal as much about character as hardship does. Consider the young heir who squanders a vast inheritance. While few of us face such extremes, the principle remains: how we use the gifts of life, particularly time, determines whether we live wisely or foolishly.

Time is life’s greatest gift, and it is finite. To labor ceaselessly without living fully is to squander this precious resource. Labor is necessary for survival and for achieving life’s goods, but it is not an end in itself. As Aristotle observed, human flourishing—eudaimonia—requires more than mere survival. We desire to live meaningfully, abundantly, and joyfully.

Living by word and deed means reaping the consequences of our choices. Each decision we make is like planting a seed. Some seeds will flourish and bear fruit; others will wither among weeds. Success requires sowing wisely, but how can we know which seeds to plant?

Life’s uncertainties often force us to choose between paths without knowing the outcome. Sometimes, the options are equally desirable, such as deciding between two fulfilling careers. Other times, the conflict lies in balancing competing goods—work and family, for instance. The key is finding the proper measure, giving each choice its due portion.

To live by word and deed requires thoughtful consideration of our goals and values. Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) is helpful but insufficient without understanding why we pursue them. If we chase goals without reflection, we risk achieving what we thought we wanted only to realize, too late, that it was not what we truly desired.

The most important question, then, is not merely what we want to achieve but why. Time is limited, and the way we spend it shapes the quality of our lives. To live fully is to align our choices with our deepest values, ensuring that our words and deeds are in harmony.

In the end, as Achilles swore to defend Calchas in both word and deed, so too ought we commit to living authentically. The storms of life will come, but by planting seeds of wisdom, cultivating good choices, and measuring our actions wisely, we can reap a harvest of meaning and fulfillment.

In essence, to live by “word and deed” is to align our actions with our professed values, not only in the mundane tasks of daily life but especially in the face of life’s storms and blessings. This alignment demands clarity about what we truly desire, thoughtful choices that sow seeds of flourishing, and the wisdom to balance competing priorities, ensuring each receives its due measure. Life’s greatest good—time—requires us to labor not merely for survival but for a meaningful, abundant existence that harmonizes our responsibilities with our deepest joys. Ultimately, it is this harmony, born of intentional living and purposeful action, that allows us to cultivate a life of true fulfillment.