The Trojan War

The Birth of Paris

340

When Paris was born, a prophecy predicted that he would be the ruin of Troy. He was sent away to save Troy by his father, King Priam of Troy. The King left Paris on Mount Ida where sheperds raise Paris. While Paris was living there, he married the nymph Oeone, and lives as a shepherd; oblivious of his royal back ground.

Eris interupts the celebration and throws the apple, "For the Fairest"

340

A celebration was held for the wedding of King Peleus and the nymohm, Thetis. Eris, the goddess of discord was not invited; seeking vengence she rolled a golden apple inscribed with the words, "For the Fairest". Three goddesses were chosen, Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. They argued who would get the golden apple, and when Zeus denies judging them, they are sent to Mt. Ida for Paris to decide.

The Judging

341

The three goddesses arrived at Mt. Ida, and tried bribing Paris to chose one of them. Hera, promised Paris would be Lord of Europe and Asia. Athena, promised Paris would lead the Trojans to victory against Greece and lay Grece in ruins. Aphrodite, promised Paris would have the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris made his decision and ended up giving the golden apple to Aphrodite.This, leaded to the start of TheTrojan War.

Helen and Paris

342

Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world. She married Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, who made him King of Sparta. Aphrodite then led Paris to Sparta, where Menelaus and Helen accepted Paris graciously as their guest. Guest and host relationships were very strong, and was boung to helo and never harm each other. Menelaus left Paris in his home and left for Crete but when he returned, Helen was gone.

Odysseus

342

Menelaus called upon all of Greece, including the chieftains, to travel across the sea and burn Troy for taking his Helen. They asked Odysseus to fight, because he didn't want to he pretended to act crazy. But, when Thetis took his little son and placed him in front of a plow threatening to kill him, Odysseus snapped out of his "craziness" and agreed to fight.

Odysseus finds Achilles

343

Achilles emerged as the mightiest warrior (along with Hector, prince of Troy and Odysseus) and was the son of Peleus and Thetis. His mother dipped him in the Styx River when he was a baby to make him invincible, but was not on his heel, where Thetis was dipping him into the river. Peleus knew Achilles would die young so he hid him away desguised as a princess. Odysseus went and tricked Achilles by showing treasures to all of the princesses, while Achilles picked up the sword.

Setting Sail

344

The Kings of Greece rally and form an army together led by Agamemnon. The goddes, Artemis, beclams the Greek ships and blows their ship away from Troy. Without the proper wind, they could not continue onward to Troy. The gods asked of the Greeks for the life of Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigena, in exchange for fair wind. Agamemnon does so and slays Iphigenia upon the alter of Apollo.

Landing on Troy

344

An oracle had said the he who landed first would be the first to die. Protesilaus, a Greek soldier was the first to step foot on Troy. When he died from a spear of the Trojans, he was treated with great honor amoung the Greeks and even the gods greatly distinguished him.

Paris and Menelaus

344

Paris and Menelaus agreed to fight it out alone. If Menelaus won he could take Helen back if Greeks left too. If Paris won, then the Greeks would have to leave and Helen would belong to Paris. Menelaus was going to win, until Aphrodite helped save Paris. Because no one won, the war would end up lasting for nine long years.

Ajax and Diomedes

344

On the Greek side, they were the two greatest champions besides Achilles. Hector was almost killed by Diomedes but luckily was saved when Aphrodite hastened down to the battlefield in an attempt to save him. She helped Hector not be killed but Diomedes leaped toward her and wounded her hand. She then fled back to Olympus

Prayer to Athena

344

Hector rushed to his mother, Queen Hecuba, and told her to offer Goddess Athena her most beautiful robe to answer their prayer. Their prayer was to spare the wives of Troy, the city, and the children, but Athena denied the prayer.

The fight between Hector and "Achilles" (Patroclus)

350

Patroclus, a beloved distint cousin of Achilles, dressed in the armor that all Trojans knew and feared, Achilles'. He led the army, but everyone thought it was Achilles. Hector killed Partroclus thinking it wa Achilles too, but then took the armor and put it on himself, thinking it would give him Achilles' strength and would make it so no man of the Greeks could stand before him.

End of the Illiad

350

King Priam of Troy rides over to the Greek camp with the best treasures in Troy to be in the presence of the man who killed and maltreated his son. He asks to give his son a proper funeral. Achilles then washes and wraps the body of Hector for his father. They agree the battle would pause of nine days for Troy to mourn.

Achilles kills Hector

350

Achilles rejoins the battle to advenge Patroclus. He is aided by Athena and goes to the walls of Troy to fight Hector. Achilles kills him and drags Hector's dead body by his chariot back to the Greek camps.

The end of Achilles

351

Achilles knew that now that Hector was dead, he would die shortly after as his mother had told him. Apollo gave Paris a arrow and helped guide it to hit Achilles in the heel; the only place he is was not immortal. Achilles died, and Ajax carried his body out of the battle. Once he was burned, it is said that his ashes were placed in the same urn that held Patroclus's.

End of Paris

351

Odysseus searched to find Heracles' bows and arrows, and once he did he shot Paris with them. As Paris fell, he begged to be brought to Mt. Ida to see Oenone, his old nymth wife that he left for Helen, because she had a magic drug that could save him. He asked her for his life, and she refused. She watched him die, then went off and killed herself too.

Odysseus's Plan

353

Odysseus knew a skillful worker in wood that could make a huge wooden horse so hollow and big that it could hold a number of men. His plan was to have the Greek army sail away so without investigating, the Trojans would draw the horse into the city thinking it was a gift from the gods, and that the Greeks surrendered. Then the Greeks inside would climb out and open the walls for the rest of the Greek army that would have sailed back by then and been waiting.

The Fall ofTroy

353

As night came, the Greeks leaped out of the wooden horse and opened the fates for the Greek army. By the time the Trojans awoke and put their armor on, Troy was burning, and the Greek soldiers were waiting to strike each Trojan man before he was ready. They killed any men, women, or children.

Troy after the war

354

Helpless captive women, whose husbands were dead and children were taken away from them were taken to be slaves. Queen Hecuba and Hector's wife, Andromache were chiefs amoung the captives. Andromache still had her baby son, Astyanax because he was so young. But, then the Greeks took him and any other babies and threw them off the wall of Troy. Hecuba's daughter, Polyxena, was also killed, but on Achilles' gave. Troy had started out as the proudest city in Asia, and turned into a fiery ruin.

Back ground

Mar 2, 2022

Troy was near the eastern end of the Mediterranean. It was rich and powerful; was second to no other city.