🏛️Greek and Roman Myths Unit 8 – The Trojan War – Origins and Heroes

Origins and Background

• The Trojan War is a legendary conflict that took place in the Late Bronze Age, around the 12th or 13th century BCE
• The war was fought between the city of Troy and an alliance of Greek kingdoms, led by King Agamemnon of Mycenae
• The ancient city of Troy was located in modern-day Turkey, near the Dardanelles strait (Hellespont)
• The war lasted for ten years, according to the epic poem "Iliad" by Homer
• The historicity of the Trojan War is debated, but archaeological evidence suggests that Troy was a real city that experienced conflict during the Bronze Age
• The myths surrounding the Trojan War were passed down orally for generations before being recorded in literary works like the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey"
• The war's origins are rooted in a complex web of mythological events, divine interventions, and human emotions

Key Gods and Goddesses Involved

• Zeus, the king of the gods, played a crucial role in the events leading up to the Trojan War
  • He engineered the birth of Helen, whose abduction by Paris sparked the conflict
  • Zeus also presided over the Judgment of Paris, which led to the goddess Aphrodite's favor for Paris
• Hera, Zeus' wife and queen of the gods, supported the Greeks in the war due to her jealousy and anger towards Paris for not choosing her in the Judgment of Paris
• Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, also sided with the Greeks, as she was offended by Paris' decision in the Judgment of Paris
• Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, supported the Trojans, particularly Paris, as she had promised him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen) in exchange for being chosen as the fairest goddess in the Judgment of Paris
• Apollo, god of music, poetry, and prophecy, initially supported the Trojans but later shifted his allegiance due to the actions of the Trojan hero Hector
• Poseidon, god of the sea, initially supported the Greeks but withdrew his support after a dispute with Agamemnon
• Ares, god of war, fought alongside the Trojans in the conflict

Major Heroes and Characters

• Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, known for his strength, skill, and near-invulnerability
  • His anger and withdrawal from battle after a dispute with Agamemnon is a central theme in the "Iliad"
  • Achilles' heel, his only weak spot, eventually leads to his death at the hands of Paris
• Hector, the greatest Trojan warrior and prince of Troy, known for his bravery, loyalty, and leadership
  • He fought valiantly against the Greeks and killed Patroclus, Achilles' close friend
  • Hector was ultimately killed by Achilles in a duel outside the walls of Troy
• Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and leader of the Greek forces, known for his pride and stubbornness
• Odysseus, king of Ithaca, renowned for his intelligence, cunning, and resourcefulness
  • He conceived the idea of the Trojan Horse, which led to the fall of Troy
• Paris, prince of Troy, whose abduction of Helen sparked the war
  • Paris was favored by Aphrodite and chose her as the fairest goddess in the Judgment of Paris
• Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, whose abduction by Paris led to the Trojan War
  • Helen was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, before her abduction
• Priam, king of Troy and father of Hector and Paris, known for his wisdom and compassion
• Andromache, Hector's wife, known for her devotion and love for her husband and son

Causes of the Trojan War

• The Judgment of Paris, a contest in which Paris chose Aphrodite as the fairest goddess over Hera and Athena, is a key event leading to the war
  • As a reward, Aphrodite promised Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen
• Paris, with Aphrodite's help, abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, and brought her to Troy
• Menelaus, enraged by the abduction of his wife, sought the help of his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to organize a Greek expedition to retrieve Helen and punish the Trojans
• Agamemnon, seeing an opportunity to expand his power and influence, rallied the Greek kingdoms to join forces against Troy
• The Greeks, bound by oaths to defend Menelaus and his marriage, assembled a large fleet and army to sail to Troy
• The Trojans, led by King Priam and his son Hector, refused to return Helen and prepared to defend their city against the Greek invasion
• The stage was set for a prolonged and bloody conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans, with gods and goddesses intervening on both sides

Notable Events and Battles

• The Greeks, unable to breach the walls of Troy, besieged the city for ten years
• During the war, numerous battles and duels took place between the Greek and Trojan heroes, such as Achilles, Hector, Ajax, and Paris
• Achilles, angered by Agamemnon's seizure of his war prize, Briseis, withdrew from battle, leading to a series of Greek defeats
• Patroclus, Achilles' close friend, donned Achilles' armor and led the Greeks in battle, but was killed by Hector
• Achilles, enraged by Patroclus' death, returned to battle and killed Hector in a duel outside the walls of Troy
• The Greeks, unable to take the city by force, resorted to the famous Trojan Horse stratagem, conceived by Odysseus
  • The Greeks built a large wooden horse, filled it with soldiers, and pretended to sail away, leaving the horse as a gift for the Trojans
  • The Trojans, believing the horse to be a sacred offering, brought it inside the city walls
  • At night, the Greek soldiers emerged from the horse, opened the city gates, and allowed the Greek army to enter and sack the city
• The fall of Troy marked the end of the war, with the city destroyed, its men killed, and its women taken as slaves

Mythical Objects and Weapons

• The Armor of Achilles, crafted by the god Hephaestus, was a highly prized and nearly impenetrable set of armor
  • After Achilles' death, the armor was awarded to Odysseus, causing a dispute with Ajax
• The Bow of Heracles, a powerful bow that required immense strength to string and shoot, was used by the Greek hero Philoctetes
  • Philoctetes, who had been abandoned on an island due to a festering wound, was eventually brought to Troy with his bow, as it was prophesied that the city could not be taken without it
• The Palladium, a wooden statue of Athena, was believed to protect the city of Troy as long as it remained within the city walls
  • Odysseus and Diomedes infiltrated Troy and stole the Palladium, weakening the city's defenses
• The Apple of Discord, a golden apple inscribed with the words "To the fairest," was thrown by Eris, the goddess of strife, among the gods at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis
  • The apple led to the Judgment of Paris and, ultimately, the Trojan War
• Agamemnon's Scepter, a symbol of his authority as the leader of the Greek forces, was said to have been crafted by Hephaestus and passed down through generations of kings

Aftermath and Consequences

• The fall of Troy had far-reaching consequences for both the Greeks and the Trojans
• The city was sacked, its treasures looted, and its people killed or enslaved
• Many Greek heroes, such as Achilles and Ajax, met tragic fates during or shortly after the war
• The surviving Greek leaders faced difficult and often perilous journeys home, with some, like Odysseus, taking years to return to their kingdoms
• The Trojan prince Aeneas, who escaped the fall of Troy, went on to become the mythical founder of Rome, as recounted in Virgil's "Aeneid"
• The war's aftermath also saw the end of the Heroic Age and the beginning of a new era in Greek history
• The Trojan War became a defining event in Greek mythology, influencing art, literature, and culture for centuries to come
• The war's legacy also had an impact on the way the ancient Greeks viewed their history and identity, with many city-states claiming ties to the heroes and events of the Trojan War

Cultural Impact and Legacy

• The Trojan War has had a profound and lasting impact on Western literature, art, and culture
• Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey," which recount the events and aftermath of the war, are considered masterpieces of ancient literature and have influenced countless writers and artists throughout history
• The war and its characters have been the subject of numerous adaptations, retellings, and interpretations in various media, including poetry, drama, novels, films, and television series
• The Trojan War has also inspired works of art, such as paintings, sculptures, and frescoes, from ancient times to the present day
• The war's themes, such as honor, glory, fate, and the human condition, continue to resonate with audiences and creators alike
• The Trojan War has also had an impact on language and idiomatic expressions, with phrases like "Trojan Horse," "Achilles' heel," and "the face that launched a thousand ships" (referring to Helen) entering common usage
• The war's legacy has extended beyond the Western world, with many cultures and traditions around the globe having their own versions or parallels to the Trojan War myth
• The enduring fascination with the Trojan War and its characters demonstrates the timeless appeal of epic storytelling and the power of mythology to capture the human imagination