Cuchullin and Achilles become heroes long before they become men. There are stories mentioned above from when Cuchullin was just seven years old, fighting off fierce attackers while guarding Ulster's borders. Achilles also becomes a fierce fighter, notably in Homer's Illiad when Phoenix recalls him as a child, as he goes to war to fight alongside the Greek army. Even if the perception of the two characters is essentially the same, it is interesting to note the honor of Cuchullin in relation to that of Achilles. While Cuchullin's sense of heroism is to some extent nobler than that of Achilles, in the sense that Achilles' fury and fighting are the result of his need for revenge for the death of his cousin Patroklos, while Cuchullin fights for his land as well as for his parents. Although undoubtedly a much more honorable cause for going into battle, Cuchullinus somehow appears to be much more barbaric than Achilles, who, thanks to Homer, is able to maintain a stronger sense of civility. Even in the way their two deaths are announced, we find a remarkable parallel. Although much more is known about the death of Cuchullin, the same cannot be said about the death of Achilles. The similarities lie in how the prediction of their deaths occurred; The death of Cuchullin being prefigured by the Gray of Macha, as the death of Achilles was prefigured by Xanthos of the Gaze.