The Trojan

War

The Trojan War The Trojan War actually occurred; the city of

Troy fell into the hands of the Greeks. Archaeologists have found historical evidence

of the war. Was it exactly as told in The Iliad?

– No. It was probably fought over commerce and trade between Greece and Asia Minor.

– But Homer’s version (The Iliad) is more exciting!– Some of the characters may have been based on real

personalities.

What is a Trojan? a person from Troy one who shows qualities (endurance,

toughness, determined energy) like those of the soldiers who defended ancient Troy

Where’s Troy? across the Aegean

Sea from Greece also called Ilium,

Ilion, and Ilios a well-walled city

with broad streets and beautiful palaces… until the Trojan War

When was the war? beginning of the 12th century B.C. 1193 – 1184 B.C. That’s 3,200 years ago!

–B.C. = Before Christ–A.D. = Anno Domini

(The Year of Our Lord)

Who are they? Greeks (Achaeans)

– Achilles Greatest Greek

Warrior– King Agamemnon– Nestor– Odysseus– Patroclus– Menelaus

Helen’s husband

Trojans– Hector

Greatest Trojan Warrior

– King Priam Father of Hector

– Aeneas– Paris

Helen’s abductor

Who supports whom? Greeks

–Hera–Poseidon–Hermes–Athena

Trojans–Artemis–Ares–Apollo–Aphrodite

Zeus tries to remain neutral, but he shows empathy for Priam and Hector.

How did it start? Eris, goddess of discord, was not invited to a

wedding banquet on Mt. Olympus. Into the banquet hall, Eris tossed a golden

apple inscribed “For the Fairest.” Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite asked Zeus to

decide who deserved the apple. Zeus would not choose. (He’s no fool!) Zeus says Paris is an excellent judge of beauty

and refers the goddesses to him.

The Judgment of Paris Paris was the son of King Priam of Troy. He was rather weak and cowardly. Priam had sent him away from Troy because

an oracle prophesied that he would be the ruin of the city.

When the goddesses appeared to him, they each offered him a bribe:– Athena would make him a great warrior.– Hera would make him ruler of Europe and Asia.– Aphrodite would give him the most beautiful woman in the

world.

Who did paris choose? Paris gave the apple

to Aphrodite. She then took Paris

to Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.

Hera and Athena vowed revenge.

Helen Helen was a daughter of Zeus. She was the wife of Menelaus. Menelaus was the brother of

the Greek King, Agamemnon.

See the problem?

Paris takes Helen

The Greeks Respond Menelaus asks all of Greece to help. Greek armies set off across the sea to lay

siege to Troy and leave it in ashes. And so begins the Trojan War. Helen is often referred to as “The Face

that Launched a Thousand Ships.”

Odysseus and Achilles Join Late

Odysseus didn’t want to fight for Helen.– He thought her a faithless woman.– He did not want to leave his home (Ithaca).

Achilles was kept back by his mother.– Thetis was a sea nymph who knew he was fated to die in

Troy.– She had dipped him in the river Styx to try and give him

immortality. (She held him by the heel.) Both of these great Greek warriors were later

called (forced) into battle where they played important roles in many battles.

Agamemnon leader of all Greek forces during Trojan

War sacrificed his daughter (Iphegenia) to

Artemis in order to get favorable winds for the ships to sail to Troy

offended Achilles by taking his “prize” (a girl named Briseis) after an early battle

The Battle Rages Due to the influence of various gods

and goddesses, the war went back and forth for many years.

You can read about the war in Homer’s epic poem The Iliad.

Iliad means “a series of disastrous events.”

Achilles Pouts Because Agamemnon offended him,

Achilles refused to fight. Then things went badly for the Greeks,

and they begged him to return. He allows Patroclus to fight in his place,

wearing his armor. Patroclus is killed by Hector, who

thought it was Achilles.

Achilles Returns Enraged over the death of Patroclus,

Achilles returns to battle. His mother procures for him some new

armor (made by Hephaestus). He kills Hector and desecrates the body.

Achilles Relents King Priam sneaks into the Greek camp

and begs Achilles to give him Hector’s body so that his son may have proper funeral rites.

Achilles allows Priam to take the body. After Hector’s death, Achilles does not

have long to live.

The Death of Achilles Achilles was unconquerable by mortal

men, but Apollo stepped in. Apollo guided Paris’s arrow into the

only weak spot Achilles had: his heel. Achilles dies from the wound. The remaining Greeks decide his divine

armor should go to the bravest remaining warrior.

Odysseus Wins Odysseus makes a speech explaining

why he deserves it, and he is awarded the armor of Achilles.

He then devises the final plan to end the Trojan War.

The Trojan Horse The Greeks pretend

to retreat, leaving behind a large wooden horse.

The Trojans, in celebration, drag the horse inside their city as a war prize.

The Trojan Horse

Odysseus and many other Greek warriors are hiding inside the horse.

The Fall of Troy They wait until the Trojans are asleep,

and then they come out and slaughter them.

The Trojan War is ended. The Greeks won. The Trojans lost. Odysseus is the greatest hero remaining

alive…but now he has to get home…

Sources Graphics in this presentation were taken from

the following web sites:– http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html– http://www.pantheon.org/– http://www.messagenet.com/myths/– http://mythman.com/– http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html– http://www.paleothea.com/– http://www.entrenet.com/%7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.html

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