Justin Ma

Ethosphere
February 10, 2014
Integrity
Mythology The Trojan War Notes

More than 1000 years before Christ, Troy was the richest and most powerful city, east Mediterranean
-Cause of its fame is the Trojan War, told in the Iliad
Cause of the war was a dispute between Aphrodite, Hera, and Pallas Athena
Evil goddess of Discord, Eris, wasnt popular in Olympus, only one left out of banquet and marriage of
King Peleus and sea nymph Thetis, threw into banquet hall golden apple marked For the Fairest
Zeus asked to judge, refused, told them to go to Mount Ida, near Troy, where prince Paris(Alexander) was
keeping sheep.
-Was a shepherd because father Priam was warned he would be the ruin of his country, lived with Oenone
Asked to consider bribes, not beauty
Hera promised to make him Lord of Europe and Asia
Athena, that he would lead the Trojans to victory against the Greeks and leave Greece in ruins
Aphrodite, that the fairest woman in the world would be his
Paris was a weakling and coward, gave Aphrodite the golden apple; Judgment of Paris
Fairest woman was Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, sister of Castor and Pollux
All the princes of Greece wanted to marry her for her beauty
King Tyndareus, her mothers husband, was afraid to select a suitor
Made them exact a solemn oath that they would champion the cause of Helens husband if any wrong was
done to him during marriage
Tyndareus chose Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, and made him King of Sparta
Aphrodite led him to Sparta, without a though of Oenone, received by Menelaus and Helen as their guest
-Each bound to help and never harm the other, but Paris broke the sacred bond
Paris stole Helen when Menelaus left to Crete
Menelaus called upon all Greece to help him, chieftains, eager for great enterprise, responded
-Two missing, Odysseus, King of the Island of Ithaca, and Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis
Odysseus, shrewdest/sensible, didnt want to leave his family for a romantic adventure/faithless woman
-Pretended he was mad, sowed the field with salt when the Greek Army messenger arrived
-The messenger seized his son and put him in the way of the plow, and Odysseus turned it aside, joined
Achilles was kept back by his mother b/c she knew he would die if he went to Troy
-Sent him to court of Lycomedes, king who killed Theseus, and made him wear womens clothes to hide
Odysseus, sent by the chieftains, found him out, disguised as a pedlar, Achilles fingered the swords/daggers
A thousand ships carried the Greek host, met at Aulis, strong winds kept blowing, preventing sail
Calchas, soothsayer said Artemis was angry b/c a hare, her beloved creature, together with her young, were
slain by the Greeks, had to sacrifice Iphigenia, eldest daughter of Commander in Chief, Agamemnon
-He agreed, sending for her for an arranged marriage, but she was sacrificed on the altar instead
North wind ceased to blow, Greek ships sailed over quiet sea, evil price bound to bring evil upon them
Reached Simois, river of Troy, Protesilaus, first man to leap ashore, fated to die first
-Paid honors like the gods, Hermes brought him from the dead to see his wife once, she followed back
Hector, son of Priam and Hecuba, no man was more noble or brave, only Achilles was a greater warrior
Each knew they would die before Troy was taken
Victory wavered for 9 years, then Achilles and Agamemnon quarreled about Chryseis, daughter of
Apollos priest, who the Greeks gave to Agamemnon. Father prayed to Phoebus Apollo, who shot fiery
arrows upon the Greek Army, and men sickened and died so that the funeral pyres burned constantly
Chieftains consulted Colchas, only spoke when guaranteed safety, declared Chryseis must be given back to
her father, then Agamemnon took Achilles maiden Briseis in exchange
Achilles swore Agamemnon would pay dearly
Thetis was also angry, wanted Achilles to do nothing with Greeks, asked Zeus to give Trojans success
Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, and Zeus were for the Trojans
Hera, Athena, and Poseidon were for the Greeks
Zeus would lay hands upon Hera if she continued talking, had advantage in that regard
Zeus sent dream to Agamemnon promising victory, fought without Achilles, Greeks inferior w/o him
Paris and Menelaus fought, Menelaus wouldve won but Aphrodite rescued Paris in a cloud back to Troy
Menelaus went searching for him, Trojans didnt interfere, all hated Paris, but by Hera, Athena made
Pandarus shoot an arrow at Menelaus and break the truce
Terror, Destruction, and Strife, friends of the Wargod, urged the men to slaughter each other
Greatest Greek champions there besides Achilles were Ajax and Diomedes
Diomedes almost killed Prince Aeneas, second to Hector, but Aphrodite, mother, tried to save him, but
Diomedes struck her hand and she fled. Apollo rescued him and sent him to Pergamos, holy place of Troy,
where Artemis healed him
Ares, fighting for Hector, fled to Olympus after Diomedes threw a spear that Athena drove into his body
Ares, bully at heart, complained, Zeus told him he was as intolerable as his mother
Trojans forced to fall back, Hectors brother told to sacrifice queens robe to Pallas Athena, denied prayer
Andromache, Hectors wife and Astyanax, his son, he left them
Zeus remembered promise to Thetis, ordered gods to stay in Olympus, went down himself to help Trojans
Hector, tamer of horses, drove his car through Greek ranks, Trojans drove Greeks almost to their ships
Agamemnon wanted to go back to Greece, told Nestor, oldest chieftain, to appease Achilles
Achilles with Patroclus, dearest friend, when Odysseus and two chieftains came with offer, rejected
Hera seduced Zeus, made him forget promise to Thetis
Ajax hurled Hector to ground, but Aeneas rescued him, Greeks drove Trojans far back
Zeus awoke, almost beat Hera, she accused Poseidon, sent Iris, rainbow messenger to Poseidon to withdraw
Apollo revived Hector and breathed power into him, drove Greeks to ships
Patroclus took Achilles armor, led his men the Myrmidons, to battle, Hector killed him and wore his armor
Antilochus, Nestors son, told Achilles, grief took hold. Thetis brought arms made by Hephaestus
Led attack after others satisfied hunger, Trojan river Xanthus(Scamander), tried to drown Achilles
Gods fighting, Athena and Ares, Hera and Artemis, Poseidon and Apollo
Achilles chased Hector three times round walls of Troy, Athena appeared to him in shape of Deiphobus, his
brother, made him stop. Achilles killed Hector with help from Athena, stripped armor
Pierced feet of Hector, fastened to chariot with thongs, dragged around walls, displeased Troy-sided, Zeus
Sent Iris to Priam, to go to Achilles to redeem Hectors body with a ransom
Went to Achilles with car with treasures, kissed hands of Achilles, Achilles felt grief, gave back body,
anointed and washed
Withdrew from fighting days of funeral for Hector, brought back Hector, Helen wept, only friend
Funeral was 9 days, then laid him on pyre and set it on fire, quenched flame with wine and put bones in a
golden urn, set urn in a hollow grave and piled great stones over; funeral of Hector, Iliad ends