Trojan War

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Trojan War
The Trojan War was a 10 year conflict between the
Achaeans of mainland Greece and the people of
Troy. The Trojan prince Paris had run away with
Helen who was the wife of Menelaus the Achaean
king of Sparta. The story of the Trojan War is
told in Homers Iliad.
The Trojan prince Aeneas escapes Troy after the
Achaeans finally destroy the city and flees to
Italy. According to legend the descendants of
Aeneas will found Rome. Aeneas journey is told
in Virgils Aeneid which we will read.
Go to timeline
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Timeline Before the War
Marriage of Thetis and Peleus
Paris arrives in Sparta and falls in love with
Helen
Judgment of Paris
Apple of Discord
Helen and Paris go to Troy
Oath of Tyndareus the marriage of Helen to
Menelaus
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Timeline During the War
Agamemnon chosen as leader sacrifices Iphigenia
to gain favorable winds
Achilles kills Hector signaling the end for Troy
Briseis and Chryseis incident Achilles refuses
to fight
Trojan Horse is devised by Odysseus Troy is
sacked
For 9 years the Achaeans fight the Trojans with
no result
Hector kills Patroclus enraging Achilles and
drawing him back to battle
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Timeline After the War
Aeneas flees Troy with the Trojan gods journeys
to Italy
500 years after Aeneas flees his descendant
Romulus founds Rome
Odysseus journeys for 10 years trying to get home
Agamemnon returns home to find his family in a
shambles
Menelaus and Helen live happily ever after
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Aeneid
Virgils Aeneid tells the story of the night of
Troys destruction Aeneas long journey to
Italy and his struggle to establish a new city
there. Virgil begins Arma virumque cano Trojae
qui primus ab oris Italiam fato profugus
Lavinaque venit litora. . . (Aeneid 1. 1-3a)
Timeline
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Achaeans
The key characters fighting the Trojans in the
war include
Mortals
Gods
Hera Athena Poseidon Thetis
Agamemnon Achilles Menelaus Odysseus Patroclus
Timeline
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Trojans
The key characters fighting the Achaeans in the
war include
Mortals
Gods
Aphrodite Ares
Trojan Royal Family Laocoon
Timeline
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Trojan Royal Family
King Priam
Queen Hecuba
Prince Hector Prince Paris Princess
Cassandra
Prince Aeneas (nephew of the king)
Timeline
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Laocoon
A Trojan serving as the yearly priest of
Poseidon. Laocoon believes that the Trojan Horse
is trouble. Laocoons warning is famous
Quidquid id est timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.
(Aeneid 2 49) Two snakes emerge from an island
sacred to Poseidon and drag off Laocoon and his
sons. The Trojans interpret this as a sign from
Poseidon that Laocoon was incorrect and they have
won the war.
Timeline
Laocoon unknown Vatican Museum
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Prince Hector
The Trojan Prince Hector is the eldest son of
Priam and Hecuba and the leader of the Trojan
army. Hector realizes that the Trojans will
likely lose the war but believes that he is
honor-bound to defend his brother his city his
family and his people. The only Achaean who can
match Hector in battle is the semi-divine
Achilles. Hector kills Achilles closest friend
Patroclus thereby enraging Achilles and drawing
him back into the battle. Achilles eventually
kills Hector (signaling the end for Troy) and
desecrates his body.
Timeline
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Prince Paris
Before his birth the prophets of Troy foretold
that Prince Paris would cause the destruction of
the city. Consequently his parents decided to
have him left on a mountainside and let the gods
determine his fate. Paris was found by shepherd
and raised as his son. Paris settles the divine
argument over The Apple of Discord in what is
known as The Judgment of Paris. Eventually Paris
returns to Troy where he is miraculously
recognized by Queen Hecuba as her long lost son.
The king and queen restore Paris to his
birthright. In his first official duty as a
Trojan Prince Paris travels to Sparta to
negotiate a treaty with King Menelaus. In Sparta
Paris meets and falls in love with Helen.
Timeline
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Judgment of Paris
As the adopted son of a shepherd Paris is
tending flocks one day when a golden apple falls
at his feet. Three goddess then appear Hera
Athena and Aphrodite. Each goddess promises a
unique gift if he will declare her the most
beautiful. Aphrodites promise of the most
beautiful in the world sways Paris to choose her.
Judgment of Paris red-figure vase unknown
British Museum
Timeline
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Apple of Discord
The goddess Discord was unhappy at being the only
divinity who was not invited to the wedding of
Thetis and Peleus. As revenge she plucks a
golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides
and attaches a tag to the apple which reads for
the fairest. Discord then tosses the apple into
the wedding reception and waits to watch the
results. Three goddesses step forward to claim
the apple Hera Athena and Aphrodite. They
cannot decide among themselves who is fairest so
they take their cases to Zeus. Zeus husband of
Hera and father of Athena and Aphrodite refuses
to intervene. He tosses the apple over his
shoulder. The apple bounces to earth and lands at
the feet of Paris.
Timeline
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Princess Cassandra
The Trojan princess Cassandra was granted the
gift of prophecy by Apollo due to her beauty.
Cassandra however did not return the gods
love. Unable to revoke his gift but enraged at
his rejection Apollo cursed Cassandra to see the
future but not to be believed. Cassandra is one
of several Trojans who prophesied that Prince
Paris would cause the destruction of Troy. After
the Trojans are defeated Cassandra is taken as a
war-prize by Agamemnon whose death she also
correctly prophesies.
Timeline
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King Priam
Priam is king of the city-state of Troy husband
of Hecuba and father of Hector Paris and
Cassandra. Priam feels guilty about abandoning
Paris as a child thus when Paris reappears he
reinstates him as a Prince of Troy. Likewise
when Paris returns from Sparta with Helen Priam
indulges his son and allows Helen to stay though
he may lose his life and his city.
After the death and desecration of Hector Priam
goes into the Achaean camp late one night to beg
Achilles to return the body.
Timeline
Priam ransoms Hector red-figure vase unknown
Louvre
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Helen of Troy/ Helen of Sparta
Simply Helen is the cause of the Trojan
War. Lawfully Helen is married to the Achaean
Menelaus king of Sparta. Throughout the Trojan
War however she resides in Troy as the wife of
Prince Paris. (Ancient sources are ambiguous
about Helens willingness to go to Troy.)
Menelaus (and the other Achaeans) are bound by
oath to fight for Helen and war ensues. Helen
the daughter of Zeus is noteworthy for her
otherworldly beauty which drives men to do
amazing things.
Timeline
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Aeneas
Aeneas known as the pater patriae to the Romans
was a Trojan prince second in line to the throne
(after Hector). The goddess Aphrodite is Aeneas
mother his father was Anchises brother to King
Priam. Aeneas fights bravely throughout the war.
During the destruction of Troy the ghost of
Hector appears to Aeneas and tells him to take
the gods of Troy and his family and flee to Italy
where he is to establish a new Troy.
Aeneas Anchises and Ascanius Bernini Galleria
Borghese
Timeline
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Aphrodite goddess of love
Aphrodite is the mother of the Trojan prince
Aeneas and fights for the Trojans during the
war. She also won the Apple of Discord from Paris
by promising him the most beautiful woman in the
world as his wife. Aphrodite neglects to mention
to Paris that this woman Helen is already
married to Menelaus.
Timeline
Venus de Milo Louvre
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Ares god of war
Ares is a rash and unpredictable god who enjoys
war for the sake of war. He fights for the
Trojans during the war because he is in love with
Aphrodite and he appreciates that Paris could
cause a war so wide-spread.
Ares red-figure vase Leagros Group British
Museum
Timeline
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Agamemnon
Agamemnon is the brother of Menelaus and the
leader of the Achaeans during the Trojan War. In
order to gain favorable winds to sail to Troy
Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia to
Artemis. Excessively proud of his role as first
among equals Agamemnon angers Achilles causing
Achilles to withdraw from the fighting. After the
war Agamemnon takes the Trojan princess
Cassandra as his war-prize and takes her home to
meet his wife who is not pleased.
Death Mask of Agamemnon bronze
unknown National Archeological Museum Athens
Timeline
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Agamemnons Family Life
Agamemnon was ambitious. He dreamed of the power
and prestige that awaited him as the conqueror of
the great city of Troy. However the goddess
Artemis refused to allow the winds to blow so the
Achaeans could sail to Troy. The troops began to
get restless and complained to Agamemnon. A
prophet told Agamemnon that he could regain the
winds by sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia. So
he did.
Sacrifice of Iphigenia red-figure krater
unknown Metropolitan Museum
Timeline
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Agamemnons Family Life
Agamemnons wife Clytemnestra was upset that
her daughter had been sacrificed for the war. For
the 10 years that Agamemnon was at Troy she
plotted her revenge. The night Agamemnon returned
home with the Trojan princess Cassandra as his
mistress Clytemnestra killed them both in the
bath fulfilling Cassandras prophecy.
Clytemnestra kills Cassandra red-figure vase
unknown Louvrre
Timeline
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Agamemnons Family Life
Agamemnons only son Orestes knew that the
honor code of Greece demanded that he avenge the
murder of his father. Orestes however did not
want to kill his mother. Eventually the guilt of
allowing his father to die un-avenged overcame
Orestes and he killed Clytemnestra.
Orestes pursues Clytemnestra red-figure vase
attributed to Nestoris Louvrre
Timeline
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Menelaus
Menelaus is the King of Sparta and the lawful
husband of Helen. Menelaus was chosen for Helen
by her mortal father Tyndareus after all her
suitors had sworn The Oath of Tyndareus.
Menelaus and Helens other suitors are
honor-bound to regain Helen from the
Trojans. Menelaus is the brother of Agamemnon.
Menelaus unknown private collection
Timeline
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Oath of Tyndareus
As the father of the beautiful Helen Tyndareus
had many suitors at his door as she approached a
marriageable age. In fact every eligible young
man in Greece wanted to marry her. As time wore
on and Tyndareus could not select a suitor the
suitors began to fight among themselves.
Tyndareus feared the worst. Then the wily
Odysseus made a suggestion let every suitor
swear that he would defend Helen and her future
husband from any man who tried to separate them
as long as any of them should live. Each suitor
agreed. Tyndareus then choose lots and Menelaus
won. The Oath of Tyndareus was sworn and all the
men who had been Helens suitors were honor-bound
to recover her for Menelaus when she went to Troy
with Paris.
Timeline
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Achilles
Achilles is the only son of Thetis and Peleus.
After Achilles was born Thetis dipped him by the
heel in the River Styx which encircles Hades.
This unusual baptism provided protection to
Achilles from all weapons. His heel however
which Thetis was holding was not
protected. Homers Iliad focuses on the wrath of
Achilles. Achilles is first angry that Agamemnon
insults him before the other Achaeans by taking
his war-prize. The death of his close
friend Patroclus further incites Achilles
convincing him to return to the war to avenge his
friend. Achilles kills the Trojan Hector. Paris
(with the aid of Apollo) kills Achilles by
shooting Achilles in his unprotected heel.
Timeline
Achilles kills Hector red-figure vase unknown
Louvrre
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Marriage of Thetis Peleus
The king of the gods Zeus received a prophecy
which stated that any child he had with the
sea-nymph Thetis would cause his death. To
prevent this he arranged her marriage to the
human Peleus. The wedding was a huge event. All
the gods were invited major gods and nymphs
dryads satyrs and not a few mortals all the
gods except the goddess Discord. Discord got her
revenge through a unique gift which sent
reverberations throughout the world. Thetis and
Peleus had a happy marriage and produced one son
Achilles.
Timeline
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Patroclus
Patroclus was brought into the house of Peleus
and raised alongside Peleus son Achilles. The
two became the closest of friends. Once Achilles
withdraws from the war in anger the Trojans gain
an advantage. Patroclus realizes this and begs
Achilles to return to the battle. Achilles
refuses to go himself but allows Patroclus to go
in his distinctive armor to raise the morale of
the Achaean fighters. Hector kills Patroclus. In
a rage over his friends death Achilles returns
to the war to hunt and kill Hector.
Timeline
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Briseis Chryseis
Briseis and Chryseis were women taken as slaves
during an Achaean raid on a town near Troy.
Briseis was given as a war-prize to Achilles
while Chryseis was given to Agamemnon. The father
of Chryseis was a priest of Apollo. When the
Achaeans refused to return his daughter he asked
Apollo for help. Apollo sent a plague on the
Achaeans. Agamemnon finally agreed to return
Chryseis if he was compensated with another
woman. He chose Briseis. The appropriation of his
war-prize angered Achilles and he refused to
continue fighting without an acknowledgement of
his contribution to the war. Many Achaeans try to
get Achilles to return but only the death of his
friend Patroclus convinces him.
Timeline
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Odysseus
Odysseus is an intelligent and tricky character
in mythology. He helps Tyndareus by devising the
oath sworn by Helens suitors and gained one of
Helens sisters as his own wife. He was the
mediator in the dispute between Agamemnon and
Achilles. Odysseus also devised the Trojan Horse
and the plot to infiltrate and destroy
Troy. Odysseus famous 10-year journey home is
chronicled in The Odyssey.
Odysseus red-figure vase unknown Louvrre
Timeline
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Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse was planned by Odysseus to
infiltrate Troy and end the war. The Achaeans
built a massive wooden horse and hid a contingent
inside of it. They left one of their own Sinon
behind to tell the Trojans that is was a gift to
Poseidon to ensure their safe passage home. The
Trojans take the horse into their city in hopes
of gaining the favor of Poseidon.
The Trojans threw a grand party. After the
Trojans had gone to sleep the Achaeans slipped
out of the horse and opened the gates of Troy to
the rest of their army.
Timeline
Trojan Horse clipart. COM
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Poseidon god of the seas
Poseidon is one of the gods who takes human form
and fights alongside the Achaeans during the
Trojan War. Poseidon battles against the Trojans
because when Troy was founded the first king
Laomedon promised to reward the god for building
the citys wall. Laomedon refused to pay after
the walls were complete and Poseidon carried a
grudge. Poseidons priest Laocoon realizes that
the Trojan Horse is dangerous and so Poseidon
sends massive sea-snakes to carry off Laocoon and
his sons.
Timeline
Poseidon Oceanus Thetis mosaic unknown Louvre
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Hera queen of the gods
Even before the Judgment of Paris Hera hated the
Trojans. Her hatred stemmed from Zeus choice of
the Trojan boy Ganymede as his cup-bearer
casting aside Heras own divine son Hephaestus.
Hera fights for the Achaeans during the Trojan
War. After Troy is destroyed Hera continues her
quest to annihilate the Trojans by attempting to
shipwreck Aeneas.
Hera unknown Capitoline Museum
Timeline
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Athena goddess of wisdom
Athena fights on the side of the Achaeans during
the Trojan War for two reasons She did not win
the golden apple at the Judgment of Paris and she
is the patron goddess of the Achaean hero
Odysseus. As the goddess of wisdom Athena
appreciates Odysseus crafty approach to problems
and his unique solutions such as the Oath of
Tyndareus and the Trojan Horse.
Timeline
Athena unknown Capitoline Museum
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TEKS
114.23. Levels III and IV - Intermediate
Progress Checkpoint (c) Knowledge and skills
(2) Cultures. The student gains knowledge and
understanding of other cultures. The student is
expected to (A) demonstrate an understanding
of the practices (what people do) and how they
are related to the perspectives (how people
perceive things) of the cultures studied.