What does achates mean?
Achates is chiefly remembered as the faithful Trojan companion of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid. His unwavering loyalty made his name a traditional shorthand for a friend or ally who remains committed through danger and hardship. The name is therefore normally capitalized and is often encountered in the established phrase “faithful Achates.” Less commonly, achates is used figuratively for any exceptionally loyal companion. The word also has an archaic homographic sense: a form of the word agate, the banded semiprecious stone. Modern usage is concentrated in literary, historical, and mythological contexts, so the name can sound elevated or old-fashioned in ordinary conversation. Although its most recognizable referent is a person from classical literature, achates has a broader cultural presence through retelling of the Aeneid and through its longstanding association with constancy in friendship.
nounAchates is the name of a Trojan warrior celebrated as the loyal companion of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid. By extension, the name can denote a faithful friend or ally; the lower-case form also survives archaically as a variant spelling of agate.
- The Trojan warrior who accompanied Aeneas and was distinguished for his loyalty.
- A faithful friend, companion, or ally, especially one whose loyalty is unquestioned.
- Archaically, a precious stone also called agate.
"In every campaign, Aeneas had one dependable companion: his faithful Achates."
"Whatever else the journey took from him, Aeneas could still rely on faithful Achates."
"In the difficult years of the company, she proved an achates in the fullest sense."
The rare common noun is normally singular; when pluralized, it takes the unchanged form achates. The mythological proper name Achates is not normally pluralized.
"Few rulers in the stories were fortunate enough to have such achates."
In Virgil's Aeneid, Achates proves that the best heroes are sometimes the friends who stay when the going gets hard.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does achates come from?
Achates is the Latinized form of Ancient Greek Akhates, the name of the Trojan companion of Aeneas known from Greek tradition and Virgil's Aeneid. English took over the name as a symbol of unwavering loyalty, producing the figurative sense “faithful friend.” Latin achates also denoted agate, and the lower-case English form survives archaically as a variant of that mineral name.
How achates is actually used
The mythological name is normally capitalized as Achates. Its figurative use for a loyal friend is literary and comparatively rare, while the lower-case sense meaning agate is obsolete.
Easily confused with achates
Agate is the usual modern name for the banded variety of chalcedony, whereas achates survives chiefly as the name of Aeneas's companion and archaically as a spelling of agate.