The Trojan WarThe Trojan War

A Brief Re-TellingA Brief Re-TellingExcerpts from Edith Hamilton’s Excerpts from Edith Hamilton’s MythologyMythology; ;

Boston, Little, Brown and Co., 1942.Boston, Little, Brown and Co., 1942.

ERIS, Goddess of DiscordERIS, Goddess of Discord

The only goddess The only goddess not invited to the not invited to the wedding of Peleus wedding of Peleus and Thetisand Thetis

Designed a golden Designed a golden apple marked apple marked For For the Fairestthe Fairest

Caused a great Caused a great commotion at the commotion at the weddingwedding Denton Lund Copyright 2001

And the winner is…And the winner is…

Three goddesses Three goddesses eventually vied for eventually vied for

the title:the title: AphroditeAphrodite HeraHera AthenaAthena

A prince (of Troy) A prince (of Troy) named Paris got named Paris got

to be the judge. to be the judge. Claude Lorrain

Pick me! Pick me!Pick me! Pick me! Hera promised to make him Lord of Europe Hera promised to make him Lord of Europe

and Asia.and Asia. Land and powerLand and power

Athena promised that he would lead the Athena promised that he would lead the Trojans to victory against the Greeks.Trojans to victory against the Greeks. To become a war hero!To become a war hero!

Aphrodite promised him the fairest woman in Aphrodite promised him the fairest woman in all the world.all the world. A woman—another sign of the great evil of womenA woman—another sign of the great evil of women

Which would you choose?Which would you choose?

Decisions, decisionsDecisions, decisions Paris chose Aphrodite; Paris chose Aphrodite;

therefore, he “earned” therefore, he “earned” his prize of Helen, the his prize of Helen, the most beautiful woman most beautiful woman in the world. in the world.

Helen was so beautiful Helen was so beautiful that every prince in that every prince in Greece wanted to Greece wanted to marry her.marry her.

How did Menelaus get How did Menelaus get her?her?

Menelaus and HelenMenelaus and Helen Menelaus and his powerful brother Agamemnon Menelaus and his powerful brother Agamemnon

were exiled when their father was killed. Throne were exiled when their father was killed. Throne dispute.dispute.

They returned killed the current king with the help They returned killed the current king with the help of King of Sparta and Agamemnon took the throne.of King of Sparta and Agamemnon took the throne.King of Sparta had a beautiful stepdaughter, King of Sparta had a beautiful stepdaughter, Helen.Helen.

Many men came to seek her hand including Many men came to seek her hand including Patroclus, Odysseus, and Menelaus.Patroclus, Odysseus, and Menelaus.

King of Sparta did not know how to proceed King of Sparta did not know how to proceed without angering the other powerful men.without angering the other powerful men.

Odysseus promised to solve the dispute if he Odysseus promised to solve the dispute if he would let him seek his niece, Penelope’s hand in would let him seek his niece, Penelope’s hand in marriage. King of Sparta agreed.marriage. King of Sparta agreed.

Decision: 1Decision: 1stst all vowed an oath to support the all vowed an oath to support the winner in any drew straws to see who would marry winner in any drew straws to see who would marry her. Menelaus won.her. Menelaus won.

Details, detailsDetails, details One problem was One problem was

that Helen was that Helen was already married to already married to King Menelaus of King Menelaus of Sparta.Sparta.

Paris came to their Paris came to their home pretending to home pretending to be a guest.be a guest.

When Menelaus was When Menelaus was away, Paris “stole” away, Paris “stole” Helen.Helen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e0BLcd_WsE

The Wrath of the KingThe Wrath of the King Menelaus was Menelaus was

enraged when he enraged when he found Helen gone. found Helen gone.

He called upon all He called upon all of Greece, including of Greece, including

the great warriors the great warriors Achilles and Odysseus, Achilles and Odysseus, to attack Troy.to attack Troy.

Today we think that Today we think that the war started the war started because Greece because Greece wanted better trade wanted better trade routes.routes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkTXVFRBUpc

Where have all the heroes gone?Where have all the heroes gone? Odysseus, king of Odysseus, king of

Ithaca, pretended Ithaca, pretended that he had gone that he had gone mad. mad.

He planted salt in his He planted salt in his fields instead of seed fields instead of seed when the messenger when the messenger from the Greek army from the Greek army arrived. arrived.

They, in turn, tricked They, in turn, tricked him into joining the him into joining the fight. (HOW??)fight. (HOW??)

Where have all the heroes gone?Where have all the heroes gone?

Achilles was hidden Achilles was hidden from the war by his from the war by his mother. She dressed mother. She dressed him as a girl and him as a girl and made him hide with made him hide with maidens.maidens.

How is he found out? How is he found out? He was eventually He was eventually

persuaded to join the persuaded to join the war. His story is told war. His story is told in in The Iliad.The Iliad.

What about the Trojan Heroes?What about the Trojan Heroes?

The King and Queen The King and Queen of Troy, Priam and of Troy, Priam and Hecuba, had many Hecuba, had many sons, but the sons, but the bravest and bravest and greatest was greatest was Hector. Hector.

Hector had a wife Hector had a wife name Adromache name Adromache and a son named and a son named Astyanax.Astyanax.

When heroes collideWhen heroes collide

Both sides had great heroes upon Both sides had great heroes upon which they pinned their hopes of which they pinned their hopes of winning.winning.

The Greeks were excellent sailors The Greeks were excellent sailors and highly skilled in warfare.and highly skilled in warfare.

The Trojans had a great wall The Trojans had a great wall surrounding their city that made it surrounding their city that made it virtually impregnable. No one had virtually impregnable. No one had ever breached it. ever breached it.

Personal GrudgesPersonal Grudges

After nine years of fighting, both After nine years of fighting, both sides agreed to let Paris and sides agreed to let Paris and Menelaus fight it out to declare a Menelaus fight it out to declare a winner.winner.

Menelaus would have killed Paris Menelaus would have killed Paris easily, but Aphrodite saved him by easily, but Aphrodite saved him by whisking him away in a cloud of dust.whisking him away in a cloud of dust.

The other gods joined in on their The other gods joined in on their respective sides.respective sides.

Just whose side are you on?Just whose side are you on?

AphroditeAphrodite TroyTroy AthenaAthena GreeceGreece HeraHera GreeceGreece ApolloApollo TroyTroy AresAres TroyTroy PoseidonPoseidon GreeceGreece Keep in mind: Keep in mind:

many of the gods/ many of the gods/ goddesses had goddesses had

mortal children on mortal children on one side and one side and

wanted that side to wanted that side to win.win.

The Thrill of VictoryThe Thrill of Victory Achilles withdrew from battle because some Achilles withdrew from battle because some

of the spoils of war were kept from him--what of the spoils of war were kept from him--what is the story?is the story?

His best friend, Patroclus, put on Achilles’ His best friend, Patroclus, put on Achilles’ armor and pretended to be him because armor and pretended to be him because Achilles was the biggest threat to the Trojans Achilles was the biggest threat to the Trojans and his armor was impenetrable.and his armor was impenetrable.

Hector had his greatest day, slaying many Hector had his greatest day, slaying many men, including Patroclus, whom he thought men, including Patroclus, whom he thought was Achilles, giving the Trojans momentum.was Achilles, giving the Trojans momentum.

The Agony of DefeatThe Agony of Defeat

When Achilles learned that Patroclus When Achilles learned that Patroclus died by the hand of Hector, he became died by the hand of Hector, he became enraged and rejoined the battle.enraged and rejoined the battle. He and Hector fought a battle by He and Hector fought a battle by

themselves.themselves. Achilles killed Hector and refused to Achilles killed Hector and refused to

give his body back to his family for a give his body back to his family for a proper burial. proper burial.

Achilles’s actions were scorned by Achilles’s actions were scorned by everyone, including the gods.everyone, including the gods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3wneRxx5hM

Achilles’s RevengeAchilles’s Revenge Not content to have only killed Hector, Not content to have only killed Hector,

Achilles stripped his body and dragged it Achilles stripped his body and dragged it behind a chariot for three days.behind a chariot for three days.

He wanted to feed it to the dogs, but He wanted to feed it to the dogs, but Priam convinced him to return it to the Priam convinced him to return it to the family for proper burial.family for proper burial.

The Greeks believed that if a person did The Greeks believed that if a person did not receive a proper burial, he/she would not receive a proper burial, he/she would not be allowed to pass into the Land of the not be allowed to pass into the Land of the Dead and would be forced to wander as a Dead and would be forced to wander as a “shade” for 100 years, which the Greeks “shade” for 100 years, which the Greeks thought was very bad.thought was very bad.

The Fall of TroyThe Fall of Troy Paris killed Achilles by Paris killed Achilles by

shooting an arrow into shooting an arrow into his heel, his only weak his heel, his only weak spot.spot.

Achilles’s son, Achilles’s son, Neoptolemus, then Neoptolemus, then killed Paris.killed Paris.

The war was again at a The war was again at a stalemate, and the gods stalemate, and the gods and humans alike were and humans alike were tired of the fighting.tired of the fighting.

Odysseus then got an Odysseus then got an idea to build a great idea to build a great wooden horse to hide wooden horse to hide soldiers inside.soldiers inside.

The Trojan HorseThe Trojan Horse

The Trojan HorseThe Trojan Horse The people of Troy The people of Troy

accepted the horse accepted the horse as a sign of as a sign of surrender.surrender.

They dragged the They dragged the horse inside the walls horse inside the walls of the city and of the city and celebrated all night celebrated all night long.long.

When everyone fell When everyone fell asleep, the soldiers asleep, the soldiers hiding inside crept hiding inside crept out and lit the city on out and lit the city on fire.fire.

The end of Troy was The end of Troy was at hand.at hand. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbiR6IMf

5KQ

The Gods’ FuryThe Gods’ Fury The Greeks celebrated The Greeks celebrated

mightily after their victory mightily after their victory and forgot to pay homage to and forgot to pay homage to the gods who helped them the gods who helped them win. win.

This turned Poseidon against This turned Poseidon against the Greeks.the Greeks.

Poseidon caused many Poseidon caused many storms that killed most of storms that killed most of the Greek warriors.the Greek warriors.

Odysseus, the mastermind, Odysseus, the mastermind, was doomed to wander was doomed to wander home for 10 years because home for 10 years because death was not his destiny. death was not his destiny. His story is told in His story is told in The The OdysseyOdyssey..

Odysseus and HomerOdysseus and Homer The OdysseyThe Odyssey is believed to have been is believed to have been

created by a blind poet named Homer in created by a blind poet named Homer in 700 BC. We think the events of the 700 BC. We think the events of the Trojan War occurred in 1200 BC.Trojan War occurred in 1200 BC.

Right Homer

Wrong Homer