Trojan War – 1st BackstoryZeus & Leda – Zeus visited Leda, Queen of Sparta, in the form of a

swan.

The result was two eggs – one containing Polydeuces (Pollux) and Helen, the other containing Castor and Clytemnestra. Leda’s four children.

Trojan War – Second Backstory

• All the Greek kings and princes wanted to marry Helen

• When Menelaus was chosen, to prevent quarrels after the fact, all the other suitors swore an alliance to him—to defend his interests militarily.

• So Menelaus became king in Sparta.• Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon, married Helen’s

sister, Clytemnestra, and took her back with him to Mycenae.

Marriage of Peleus & Thetis

• Thetis, sea goddess, was destined to have a son greater than his father, so Zeus (attracted to her) determined to marry her to a mortal and chose Peleus

• A great wedding was held and all the gods and goddesses were invited, but one—Eris, Goddess of Discord.

• Eris came anyway and tossed onto the table a golden apple inscribed – “To the Fairest’

• Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera all three claimed it• Zeus gave the decision to Paris, young Prince of Troy• All three goddesses tried to bribe the judge – Hermes

oversaw the competition• Paris selected Aphrodite and was granted Helen as prize• Helen was the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta

Trojan War – 3rd Backstory

The Judgment of Paris

Judgment of

Paris

Paris then visited Sparta and Helen went back with him to Troy – Abduction or seduction? Various views were advanced in antiquity.

• Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, collected Greek leaders for war, calling on them to make good their oath to Menelaus.

• Troops assembled at Aulis – 2 big events there

(1) An omen of war’s length, interpreted by Calchas as the war would be long and Troy would fall in its 10th year.

(2) Agamemnon angered Artemis by killing her deer. Artemis held up the winds for sailing and Agamemnon was compelled to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, in order to get the fleet off.

Sacrifice of Iphigenia – Agamemnon at right; Clytemnestra, left.

• Greeks set sail: Agamemnon, Menelaus, Achilles, Diomedes, Ajax the Greater, Nestor, Odysseus, Ajax the Lesser, Idomeneus, Philoctetes

• En route – Philoctetes was dumped on Lemnos because of injury to his foot. Philoctetes happened to own a magic bow that had formerly belonged to Heracles (Hercules).

Philoctetes, left with his foot and his magic bow.

Trojan History King Dardanus King Tros Ilus Ganymede Laomedon Priam + HecubaHector, Paris, Helenus, Cassandra, Polyxena

Also, Aeneas and Sarpedon, plus Thracians, Amazons, Ethiopians