Theocritus' Idyll XXIX, a love poem from a man to a boy, includes a phrase addressing their future: 'ἀλλάλοισι πελώμεθ' Ἀχιλλέιοι φίλοι' ( alláloisi pelómeth' Achilléioi fíloi). After Homer's iteration, the relationship between the men was depicted as a love affair. In Homer's Iliad, Achilles described Patroclus as being the 'man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life.' Their relationship plays a crucial part in the story. In relation to sexuality, Achilles had a relationship with another character, Patroclus, which is said to have romantic connotations. Community HistoryĪchilles himself is a famous figure in Greek mythology. Its 21st century use to describe sexualities is modelled after the term ' sapphic', which is used to describe all women who are attracted to women.

The term 'achillean' refers to the Greek hero Achilles.