The Trojan War English 12 Mrs Kinney FYI

The Trojan War English 12 Mrs. Kinney

FYI • • War actually occurred Troy fell into the hands of the Greeks 12 th century B. C. ; 1193 -1184 B. C. War was probably caused over conflict between commerce and trade between Greece and Asia Minor

Effect on Trojans • City left in ruins • Women became slaves to Greeks • Left to mourn loss of great heroes and family members

Effect on Greeks • Lost faith in selves • Lost many men • Loss feeling of safety

Mythological Beginning/Causes of the Trojan War • Wedding of King Peleus ( a mortal) to Thetis (sea-goddess): parents of Achilles • **Prometheus foretold that Thetis’ son would be greater than his father, so Zeus decreed that Thetis should marry a mortal

The Wedding – All gods and goddesses invited except Eris, goddess of discord – Eris angry—tosses golden apple inscribed, “For the fairest one” – Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all claim prize – Not willing to judge with his wife as one of the choices, Zeus sends them to Mount Ida where Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy, was tending his flocks – Each goddess offers Paris bribes

Bribes • Hera—kingship; power and riches • Athena—glory and renown in war • Aphrodite—love of most beautiful woman

Beginning Cont. • Paris chooses Aphrodite’s bribe and wins Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta • Under the protection of Aphrodite, Paris travels to Greece; he meets Helen, his chosen • Because Helen was sought by many suitors, Odysseus swore an oath to protect her and avenge any wrong to her

Continued… • Paris made love to Helen, and aided by Aphrodite, persuaded her to leave with him for Troy • Menelaus, Helen’s husband, king of Sparta, sends out a call to Greeks to help him get her back • Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and brother to Menelaus, chosen as commander

Principal Greek Warriors • • • Achilles Ajax Diomede Odysseus/Ulysses Nestor

Principal Trojan Warriors • • • Hector, son of Priam Aeneas Deiphobus Glaucus Sarpedon

• War was fought, according to myth, because of quarrel among gods and betrayal among mortals – Intervention/Competition of gods (wanted personal glory) – Divine Intervention • Zeus—arranges tremendous loss of Greek lives so that Achilles will be begged to rejoin his men— fueling progression of war

• Helen uses Aphrodite’s pressure as excuse for engagement • Hermes—helped Agamemnon • Gods meddling with human lives by offering spiritual gifts and people, taking pieces of human souls

Personal Biases • Athena—encourages Hector, Trojan hero, to fight Achilles, knowing it will lead to his demise • Hera—favors Greeks; rejected by Paris at wedding

Competition/Jealousy • Hera, Athena and Aphrodite compete with bribes to be named fairest

Mortals • Achilles vs. Agamemnon over war prizes • Achilles and Hector—importance of honor, major part of identity • Pride in homeland (Greece or Troy) • “Face that launched a thousand ships: -Helen of Troy – Single combat between Paris and Menelaus

FYI • According to some, the ultimate cause of the war was the judgment of Paris • Achilles—fated to die in battle; only surviving son of King Peleus and Thetis

The Iliad by Homer • Begins with quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon • Greeks were unsuccessful at first and had taken neighboring and allied cities over • Achilles accuses Agamemnon of being the cause of their misfortune because Agamemnon refused to give the priest of Apollo’s daughter back

The Gods/Goddesses • Greeks – – – Athena Hera Poseidon Hermes Hephaestus • Trojans – Aphrodite – Ares – Zeus (tried to remain neutral but did not) – Apollo – Artemis

Action • Paris challenges one of the Greeks – Menelaus accepts the challenge and wins – Aphrodite helps Paris escape and carries him away in a cloud/mist – Greeks claim victory

Achilles vs. Patroclus • The Greeks’ surgeon is wounded by an arrow from Paris’ bow • Achilles passes by and cannot see who is wounded and sends his dearest friend, Patroclus, to find out • Achilles will not go back to fight and Patroclus wears his armor to “scare” the Trojans back

• The Greeks succeed in driving the Trojans back • Hector confronts Patroclus who throws a large stone at him and misses • Patroclus is mortally wounded in the scuffle by Hector • Hector, believing he has killed Achilles, takes his armor and puts it on • News travels back to Achilles who swears revenge

Achilles Mourns • Achilles mourns for his friend’s death and Thetis hears him • Thetis requests Vulcan/Hephaestus to make him a better suit of armor than he lost

Death of Hector • The rest of the Trojans had escaped the oncoming Greeks, yet Hector stood determined to await combat • Priam, the king of Troy and Hector’s father, begs him to retreat • Hector sees Achilles and retreats into the walls of Troy • Athena tricks Hector into thinking she is his bravest brother, Deiphobus

• Hector is strengthened by the sight of his brother and goes to fight Achilles • He throws his sword and it just falls from the shield of Achilles; realizing he has been tricked by Athena, he rushes forward to meet his fate • Achilles throws his spear, delivering a mortal wound • Hector begs him to give his body to his family so that they may mourn and properly bury it; Achilles refuses

• Achilles, instead, after killing Hector, pierces Hector’s feet and threads strips of rawhide through them • He then drags his body behind his chariot as he rides around the walls of Troy • Hector’s wife mourns his death • Achilles drags the body of Hector twice around Patroclus’ tomb • Hera orders Thetis to prevail upon Achilles to restore the body of Hector to the Trojans after Apollo preserves it • Priam appeals to Achilles himself to get Hector’s body back and Achilles, moved by Priam’s words, grants the request • Achilles pledged a truce for 12 days for funeral rites

The Fall of Troy • The story of The Iliad ends with the death of Hector and The Odyssey picks up from there • Achilles falls for King Priam’s daughter and influences the Greeks to make peace with Troy • While in the temple of Apollo negotiating the marriage between himself and Polyxena, Achilles is struck by a poisoned arrow shot by Paris, which, guided by Apollo, fatally wounds him in the heel (Achilles heel/tendon)

The Trojan Horse • Eventually, the war comes to an end • A huge wooden horse was constructed by the Greeks (Odysseus’ idea) as an offering to Athena • The Greeks then sailed off while the Trojans were told if they gained possession of the horse, they would triumph over the Greeks • So, they take the horse into their city • Inside the horse, Greeks hid until the Trojans slept and they opened the gates to the city for the other Greeks • The city of Troy was set on fire and people killed by the sword, completely destroying Troy