essay on the trojan war

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: May 31, 2023 | Original: December 18, 2009

Engraving After The Trojan Horse by Henri Paul MotteTHE TROJAN HORSE. AFTER A PAINTING BY HENRI MOTTE, CORCORAN GALLERY, WASHINGTON D.C.

The story of the Trojan War—the Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece–straddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity, from Homer, Herodotus and Sophocles to Virgil. Since the 19th-century rediscovery of the site of Troy in what is now western Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered increasing evidence of a kingdom that peaked and may have been destroyed around 1,180 B.C.—perhaps forming the basis for the tales recounted by Homer some 400 years later in the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey.”

The Narrative of the Trojan War

According to classical sources, the war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen’s jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her. Agamemnon was joined by the Greek heroes Achilles , Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, and accompanied by a fleet of more than a thousand ships from throughout the Hellenic world. They crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to lay siege to Troy and demand Helen’s return by Priam, the Trojan king.

Did you know? Some traditions portray Homer as a blind poet, because the name Homer sounds like a word for "blind" in some Greek dialects. In the “Odyssey,” a blind bard appears telling stories of the war, which some interpret as a cameo by the poem's author.

The siege, punctuated by battles and skirmishes including the storied deaths of the Trojan prince Hector and the nearly-invincible Achilles, lasted more than 10 years until the morning the Greek armies retreated from their camp, leaving a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. After much debate (and unheeded warnings by Priam’s daughter Cassandra), the Trojans pulled the mysterious gift into the city. When night fell, the horse opened up and a group of Greek warriors, led by Odysseus, climbed out and sacked the Troy from within.

After the Trojan defeat, the Greeks heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the arduous and often-interrupted journey home to Ithaca recounted in the “Odyssey.” Helen, whose two successive Trojan husbands were killed during the war, returned to Sparta to reign with Menelaus. After his death, some sources say she was exiled to the island of Rhodes, where a vengeful war widow had her hanged.

The Trojan War Epics

Little is known about the historical Homer. Historians date the completion of the “Iliad” to about 750 B.C., and the “Odyssey” to about 725. Both began within the oral tradition, and were first transcribed decades or centuries after their composition. Many of the most familiar episodes of the war, from the abduction of Helen to the Trojan Horse and the sack of Troy, come from the so-called “Epic Cycle” of narratives assembled in the sixth century B.C. from older oral traditions.

In the first century B.C. the Roman poet Virgil composed the “Aeneid,” the third great classical epic inspired by the Trojan War. It follows a group of Trojans led by the hero Aeneas who leave their destroyed city to travel to Carthage before founding the city of Rome. Virgil’s aim was in part to give Rome’s first imperial dynasty an origin story as impressive as that of the Greeks.

Is the Trojan War a Real War?

Many portions of the Trojan War epics are difficult to read historically. Several of the main characters are direct offspring of the Greek gods (Helen was fathered by Zeus, who disguised himself as a swan and raped her mother Leda), and much of the action is guided (or interfered with) by the various competing gods. For example, Paris supposedly won Helen’s love after awarding the Goddess Aphrodite the golden apple for her beauty (“The Judgment of Paris” tells the story of how Paris was asked to select the most beautiful goddess between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite by granting the winner a golden apple). Lengthy sieges were recorded in the era, but the strongest cities could only hold out for a few months, not 10 full years.

Major excavations at the site of Troy in 1870 under the direction of German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann revealed a small citadel mound and layers of debris 25 meters deep. Later studies have document more than 46 building phases grouped into nine bands representing the site’s inhabitation from 3,000 B.C. until its final abandonment in A.D. 1350. Recent excavations have shown an inhabited area 10 times the size of the citadel, making Troy a significant Bronze Age city. Layer VIIa of the excavations, dated to about 1180 B.C., reveals charred debris and scattered skeletons—evidence of a wartime destruction of the city that may have inspired portions of the story of the Trojan War. In Homer’s day, 400 years later, its ruins would have still been visible.

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The Trojan War Essay

The Trojan War was a pivotal event in ancient Greek history. The war began as a conflict between the city of Troy and the surrounding region, but soon escalated into a full-blown war involving many of the major city-states in Greece. The war lasted for many years, and resulted in the destruction of Troy and the death of many famous warriors.

The Trojan War has been the subject of many works of literature over the centuries. It is often seen as a symbol of human folly, and its story has been used to explore various themes and ideas. The Trojan War is still studied by historians today, and its impact on ancient Greece is still felt to this day.

In about the 13th century, the Trojan War occurred. The city of Troy was conquered by the ancient Greeks. The war began when Eris, the goddess of discord, snubbed King Peleus and Queen Thetis’ wedding banquet. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite were among those who had been invited to the banquet but not Eris, the goddess of discord.

Zeus, the king of the gods, ordered a contest to be held to determine who should have the apple. He appointed Paris, a Trojan prince, to judge the contest. Each goddess offered him a bribe. Athena offered him wisdom and power. Hera offered him supreme power over all mortals. Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife.

Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite, and she gave him Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. When Menelaus found out about his wife’s infidelity, he called on his brother Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, to help him get her back. Agamemnon gathered an army of Greek warriors and set sail for Troy. The Trojan War lasted 10 years and ended with the Greeks destroying the City of Troy.

Paris was so taken by the beauty of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, that he awarded her the apple to Aphrodite. Helen was already married to Kin Menelaus of Sparta when she met Paris, but she fled with him to Troy after being visited by Paris.

In an effort to reclaim his wife, Menelaus organized a war among the Greeks for ten years. The Greeks tried unsuccessfully to take down Troy for 10 years. When a huge hollow horse was constructed outside of Troy’s walls and left there as a trophy, the Trojans took it inside and believed they had won the battle and were given credit for it.

In the night, the Greeks emerged from the horse and opened the gates of Troy, thus allowing their army to enter and conquer the city. The Trojan War was a conflict that took place in ancient Greece between the Trojans and the Greeks. The war started when Paris, a Trojan prince, awarded a golden apple to Aphrodite, goddess of love, instead of to Hera or Athena.

The prize was for the most beautiful woman in the world. Helen, who was married to Menelaus of Sparta, ran away with Paris to Troy. Menelaus then organized a Greek war against Troy to get Helen back. The war lasted ten years but could not be won by either side.

The Greeks stormed from the horse and opened the city’s gates to let their fellow troops in, and the Greek army conquered Troy. Around 2500 years ago, Ancient Greece was home to Western civilization. The primary feature of Greek culture was a number of tiny city-states.

A city-state was a collection of cities and settlements in addition to the surrounding countryside. The Greek city-states were self-reliant and frequently fought with one another. These city states established the world’s first democratic government, according to the Greeks. They thought that various gods and goddesses watched over them and guided their daily activities.

The Trojan War was a legendary conflict between the city-state of Troy and the Greeks. The war began when the Trojan prince, Paris, abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus, the King of Sparta. Menelaus gathered an alliance of Greek city-states to march against Troy and win back his wife.

The Trojan War lasted for 10 years and ended with the Greeks destroying Troy. The Trojan War is one of the most famous stories from ancient Greece and has been told in poems, plays, and movies. Troy was a real city located in what is now Turkey. The Trojan War is thought to have actually occurred around 1200 BC.

The war was fought over a woman and lasted for 10 years, but the Greeks were successful in destroying Troy. The Trojan War is a significant event in ancient Greek history because it showed that the city-states could unite against a common enemy and win. It also demonstrated the power of the newly developed Greek hoplite phalanx formation which helped the Greeks to conquer Troy.

The gods were thought to be terrible and frightening, especially the ones who were brutal. Families gladly provided sacrifices, presents, and rituals in order to please them. People flocked to oracles in Greece to consult priests and priestesses who answered queries and foretold the future.

Greek males liked drinking, conversing, and dancing at parties. Religious festivals such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are three of the most significant Greek thinkers. Socrates taught by methodically prying into his pupils’ ideas and arguments to expose their flaws. Beauty, justice, and good government are all subjects studied by Plato.

Aristotle was interested in nearly everything and developed theories about the natural world, mathematics, morals, and politics. The Trojan War took place around 1250 BC and lasted for 10 years. It was a devastating war that changed the course of history. The Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the Trojans.

The Trojan War started when Paris, a Trojan prince, kidnapped Helen, the wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta. When Menelaus found out about his wife being kidnapped he asked his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon gathered all the Greek kings together to form an army to invade Troy and get Helen back.

The Trojan War ended with the Greeks winning and destroying Troy. The Trojan War was a very important war because it showed that the Greeks were a powerful force to be reckoned with. It also showed that they were willing to fight and die for what they believed in. The Trojan War is one of the most famous wars in history and is still studied today.

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Summary and Analysis: Greek Mythology The Trojan War — Odysseus' Adventures

Of the Greeks who made it back to their homes Odysseus was fated to wander the longest — a full ten years — and he knew it. Among the Trojan women Hecuba fell to him, an old harridan now who could not forgive the way Odysseus had thrown her grandson Astyanax from the walls of Troy. Odysseus' ships were hit by the storm raised by Athena and were blown to Thrace. Sick of Hecuba's insults, he and his men stoned her to death.

In Thrace Odysseus sacked the city of the Cicones, sparing only a priest of Apollo, who rewarded him with a skin of potent wine. The Cicones that neighbored the city then attacked, killing many of Odysseus' men and driving the rest back to their ships. Storms blew the ships to Libya and the land of the Lotus-eaters, where an exploring party accepted the Lotus fruit from the natives and lost all memories of home. Odysseus had to recover these sailors forcibly.

Setting sail again they came to the island of the Cyclopes, a huge race of monsters with one eye in the middle of their foreheads. Unwittingly Odysseus and a scouting party feasted in the cave of Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon. The Cyclops returned, shut the Greeks in with a huge boulder, and ate two men apiece at each meal. Finally Odysseus devised a plan of escape. He and his remaining men blinded the giant in a drunken sleep with a sharpened pole. Then as Polyphemus was letting his sheep out of the cave to pasture, counting each one by touch, Odysseus and his men got out by clinging to the underbellies of the sheep. Returning to their ship, Odysseus jeered at Polyphemus, telling him that he, Odysseus, had blinded him. In a rage the giant hurled two great boulders at the ship that nearly swamped it. Then Polyphemus prayed to his father Poseidon to cause Odysseus as much trouble as possible.

Odysseus and his men then came to the island of Aeolus, the keeper of the winds. Aeolus entertained them for a month and presented Odysseus with a skin containing all the winds but the west wind, which would blow him home. Odysseus arrived within sight of his home, Ithaca, but he fell asleep from exhaustion. His men opened the sack of winds, thinking it held wine, and all the ships were blown back to Aeolus, who refused them further help.

Next Odysseus and his ships arrived at the land of the Laestrygonians, a savage race of cannibals. All but Odysseus put their vessels into the harbor lined with cliffs. The scouting party was attacked by the Laestrygonians, who bombarded the ships with boulders and sank them. Only Odysseus and his crew survived. The rest of the Greeks were eaten.

With but one ship left Odysseus sailed east and arrived at the Island of Dawn, which was inhabited by Circe, the sorceress. The group of men sent to explore the place were feasted by Circe and then were turned into swine. Learning of this, Odysseus went after Circe, and on his way the god Hermes gave him the herb moly to resist her enchantment. Circe invited him to eat, but her spell was ineffective, and Odysseus compelled her to restore the swine to human shape. He remained with her long enough to father three sons on her. Homesick, Odysseus was advised by Circe to journey to the world's end, enter Hades, and consult the seer Teiresias about his future and how he might appease Poseidon. In Hades, Teiresias told Odysseus of the difficulties he faced and of what he must do to placate Poseidon. Odysseus saw many dead notables there, including many of his companions at Troy. With his new knowledge he returned to Circe, who showed him how to get safely past the Sirens.

When Odysseus neared the island of the Sirens he had his men fill their ears with wax, for the singing of the Sirens lured sailors to their deaths on the rocks. He had himself tied to the mast so that he might hear their singing and still survive. Once that danger was over, the .ship had to pass between two cliffs in a strait that had the whirlpool of Charybdis. In trying to avoid the maelstrom Odysseus came too close to the cliff of the monster Scylla, who seized six of Odysseus' sailors. The next stop was the island of the sun god Helios, which nourished the god's sacred cattle. When Odysseus fell asleep his men, who were starving, slaughtered a number of the cattle. For this impiety Zeus struck Odysseus' ship with a thunderbolt, and only Odysseus escaped alive. Clinging to a piece of the ship, Odysseus was borne toward the whirlpool of Charybdis, but he grabbed a tree branch hanging over the water, waited till the timbers re-emerged, and floated off to nearby Ogygia.

Ogygia was inhabited by the nymph Calypso, who welcomed Odysseus and made him her lover. He remained with her seven years and grew increasingly homesick, sitting on the beach each day in a desolate mood. While Poseidon was off visiting the Ethiopians, Zeus arranged for Odysseus to depart, sending Hermes to bid Calypso release him. Calypso gave Odysseus an axe with which he fashioned a raft.

Poseidon returned from his Ethiopian junket to find Odysseus sailing along on a raft. The god washed him overboard and almost drowned him, but Odysseus was spared by the goddess Ino, who gave him her magic veil to tie around his waist. And after two days of swimming Odysseus found a beach on which to sleep. He was awakened by maidens who were playing ball after doing the washing. Odysseus gently addressed Nausicaä, the daughter of King Alcinoüs. She led him to her father. At first the Phaeacians, who lived on the island, were cool to Odysseus, but he bested them in a stone-throwing contest and they accepted him. King Alcinoüs listened to the story of Odysseus' wanderings, presented him with rich gifts, and furnished him a ship to get to Ithaca, his home. The Phaeacian sailors, seeing that Odysseus was sleeping, left him on the Ithacan shore and departed. But Poseidon resented the way they had helped Odysseus and changed the ship and crew to stone.

In the twenty years that Odysseus had been absent his wife Penelope had been besieged with suitors who had moved into the palace and proceeded to devour Odysseus' wealth. Penelope had promised to choose one of them as king when she finished a tapestry on which she was working, but what she did by day she would unravel at night. Things on the island had become risky for Odysseus' teenage son Telemachus, so Athena had guided him to Nestor's court and then to Sparta and the court of Menelaus, where he sought word of his father. Menelaus received the young man royally and assured Telemachus that his father was alive. Telemachus then returned home, where Athena gave him the idea of visiting the hut of the swineherd Eumaeus. There he found an old beggar who suddenly revealed himself to be Odysseus. Father and son embraced and wept. Then they made plans for ridding the palace of the arrogant suitors.

Still disguised as a beggar, Odysseus went to the palace. An old dog of his — named Argos — recognized him and died. The leader of the suitors, Antinoiis, struck the beggar. Then Penelope came to receive bridal gifts from the suitors and requested that the beggar come to her room. Odysseus kept his disguise, telling Penelope a pack of lies about his adventures. But while bathing him his old nurse, Eurycleia, recognized him by a hunting scar he had acquired years before, so he made her keep silent. Odysseus had Telemachus remove the weapons from the great banquet hall. The next day Penelope announced that she would marry the man who could string Odysseus' great bow and shoot an arrow through twelve rings in a line. After all the suitors had tried and failed the beggar asked to try. The suitors protested, but Telemachus stood up for the beggar, who then strung the bow and fired the arrow through the rings.

Giving a shout of triumph the beggar showed himself to be Odysseus and fired arrow after arrow into the host of suitors. The suitors sought their weapons and began to put up some resistance, but when Odysseus ran out of arrows Telemachus brought him armor, spears, and swords. The father and son, who had stationed themselves in the doorway, cut the suitors down as they tried to escape. And at last the suitors were all dead. Only a poet and a priest were left. Odysseus killed the priest and spared the poet. Then he made the palace maids who had slept with the suitors clean up the mess, and after that he hanged them. Having set his house in order, Odysseus then revealed himself to Penelope, who had kept to her chamber. The two were happily reunited.

Odysseus' wanderings, however, were not at an end. He had to battle the relatives of the suitors. Athena proposed a truce and submitted the dispute to the king of the Epirot Islands, who decided that Odysseus should go into exile from Ithaca for ten years, that Telemachus should rule in his stead, and that the relatives should repay the losses that the suitors had caused. Odysseus undertook to placate Poseidon as Teiresias had advised. He marched inland on Epirus to a place where the natives had never seen an oar and mistook the one he carried for a winnowing-bat. There he sacrificed to Poseidon, who forgave him for blinding Polyphemus.

When ten years were up he returned to Ithaca, where he died at sea in a fight with his own son by Circe, Telegonus.

Most of the legends here have their source in Homer's Odyssey. An interesting thing about these stories is that two of the gods who were of the greatest assistance to the Greeks at Troy, Athena and Poseidon, proved their greatest enemies as they returned to their homes. The gods, of course, were just as concerned with their personal honor as the heroes themselves, and to offend their pride or harm their favorites was to court disaster.

Nevertheless, a hero like Odysseus proves his mettle when faced with the opposition of the gods. Odysseus is shrewd, tough, clear-sighted, experienced, a man very well equipped to brave adversity. Like a few other heroes he is intensely self-reliant, confident of his own powers against the buffetings of fate.

Odysseus lives about sixty years roughly, and of these he spends thirty abroad — the years of his maturity. He leaves Ithaca as a hardy young man to take part in the Trojan War, which lasts ten years. Moreover, he goes very reluctantly. After another ten years of wandering, which had been ordained by the gods, he returns home, now a man in his forties. But then he is exiled shortly thereafter for a further ten years and comes back a man verging on old age. To be sure, Odysseus thrives on adventure, for that is how a man tests his prowess. But when he has time to reflect, as he does on Calypso's island, he is lacerated by homesickness. The gods could scarcely find a better way to punish a man whose heart is attached to home.

The Greeks felt a special affection for Odysseus because he reflected a number of Greek qualities. A wanderer living by his wits, taking part in a great national war, traveling far and wide, meeting emergencies with a cool head, and longing for his native home, Odysseus is a recognizable Greek type. But beyond that he is the survivor, the man who comes through at all hazards by his brains, his brawn, and his fortitude, plus an ounce of luck. Odysseus embodies the stubborn will of the ancient Greeks to overcome fate and create a culture that centered on man. The Romans, who called him Ulysses, disliked him for his treachery and cunning. He had these traits too, but they are far less important than those which enabled him to endure with his human dignity intact.

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Citation:   Davies, Malcolm. 2019. The Cypria . Hellenic Studies Series 83. Washington, DC: Center for Hellenic Studies. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_DaviesM.The_Cypria.2019 .

1. The Origins of the Trojan War

From zeus’ plan to eris’ intervention.

καὶ τὰ μὲν παρὰ τοῖς νεωτέροις ἱστορούμενα περὶ τῆς τοῦ Διὸς βουλῆς ἐστι τάδε.

This is the story more recent poets tell concerning the plan of Zeus.

The Plan of Zeus

The priority of the cypria ’s phrase [ 20 ], the priority of the iliad  ’s phrase [ 26 ], proclus chrestomathia : ζεὺς βουλεύεται μετὰ τῆς θέμιδος [ 33 ] περὶ τοῦ τρωϊκοῦ πολέμου. zeus confers with themis concerning the trojan war., “the son of thetis shall be mightier than his father”, the wedding of peleus and thetis, proclus chrestomathia : (παραγενομένη δὲ ἔρις) εὐωχουμένων τῶν θεῶν ἐν τοῖς πηλέως γάμοις… and eris, turning up while the gods are feasting at the wedding of peleus…, eris and her apple, proclus chrestomathia : παραγενομένη δὲ ἔρις εὐωχουμένων τῶν θεῶν ἐν τοῖς πηλέως γάμοις. and eris, turning up while the gods are feasting at the wedding of peleus…, proclus chrestomathia : ἔρις … νεῖκος περὶ κάλλους ἐνίστησιν ἀθηναῖ, ἥραι καὶ ἀφροδίτηι … eris instigates a quarrel about beauty between athena, hera, and aphrodite., from the judgment of paris to helen’s abduction, the judgment of paris, proclus chrestomathia : … ἀθηναῖ, ἡραι καὶ ἀφροδίτηι, αἳ πρὸς ἀλέξανδρον ἐν ἴδηι … πρὸς τὴν κρίσιν ἄγονται. athena, hera, and aphrodite are led to paris on mount ida to have their beauty judged..

She finds Anchises, who is overcome by her beauty (86–89):

Proclus Chrestomathia : καὶ προκρίνει τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἐπαρθεὶς τοῖς Ἑλένης γάμοις Ἀλέξανδρος. Paris judges Aphrodite to be the prize-winner, excited at the prospect of union with Helen .

Helen and her abduction.

But, as Luppe observes, there are two obstacles to this identification. In the first place, the basic rationale of this and other similar tales of metamorphosis is that the two parents assume the male and female sexes of the same animal. Compare, for instance, Pausanias VIII 25.5:

or Hyginus Fabula 188:

Content of F6–F7

Proclus chrestomathia : ἔπειτα δὲ ἀφροδίτης ὑποθεμένης ναυπηγεῖται. then, on aphrodite’s suggestion, paris builds a fleet., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ ἕλενος περί τῶν μελλόντων [scil. ἀλεξάνδρωι] προθεσπίζει … καὶ κασσάνδρα περὶ τῶν μελλόντων προδηλοῖ. helenus delivers a prophecy concerning the future … and cassandra reveals the truth concerning the future., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ ἡ ἀφροδίτη αἰνείαν συμπλεῖν αὐτῶι κελεύει. and aphrodite commands aeneas to sail with him ., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ κασσάνδρα περὶ τῶν μελλόντων προδηλοῖ., proclus chrestomathia : ἐπιβὰς δὲ τῆι λακεδαιμονίαι ξενίζεται παρὰ τοῖς τυνδαρίδαις καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῆι σπᾶρτηι παρὰ μενελάωι. and arriving at lacadaemonia (paris) is entertained by the sons of tyndareus and afterwards in sparta by menelaus ., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῆι σπάρτηι παρὰ μενελάωι· καὶ ‘ελένηι παρὰ τὴν εὐωχίαν δίδωσι δῶρα ὁ ἀλέξανδρος. …and after this, in sparta with menelaus, and paris gives helen gifts during the feasting., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μενέλαος εἰς κρήτην ἐκπλεῖ. and after this, menelaus sails off to crete., proclus chrestomathia : κελεύσας τὴν ‘ελένην τοῖς ξένοις παρέχειν, ἕως ἂν ἀπαλλαγῶσιν. menelaus … bidding helen provide for the visitors as long as he and she were separated., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ μετὰ τὴν μεῖξιν τὰ πλεῖστα κτήματα ἐνθέμενοι νυκτὸς ἀποπλέουσι. and after their union they stow away the maximum number of possessions and sail off at night ., why the dioscuri did not participate, proclus chrestomathia : χειμῶνα δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐφίστησιν ἥρα· καὶ προσενεχθεὶς σιδῶνι ὁ ἀλέξανδρος αἱρεῖ τὴν πόλιν. hera sends a sea-storm down upon the pair; and paris puts in at sidon and captures the city., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ ἀποπλεύσας εἰς ἴλιον γάμους τῆς ‘ελένης ἐπετέλεσεν. and sailing away to troy (paris) celebrated his marriage to helen., the end of the dioscuri ( f11 ), proclus chrestomathia : ἐν τούτωι δὲ κάστωρ μετὰ πολυδεύκους τὰς ἴδα καὶ λυγκέως βοῦς ὑφαιρούμενοι ἐφωράθησαν. in the meantime, castor, in polydeuces’ company, was detected rustling the cattle of idas and lynceus., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ κάστωρ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἴδα ἀνειρεῖται, λυγκεὺς δὲ καὶ ἴδας ὑπὸ πολυδεύκους. castor is killed by idas, and lynceus and idas by polydeuces., proclus chrestomathia : καὶ ζεὺς αὐτοῖς ἐτερήμερον νέμει τὴν ἀθανασίαν. and zeus grants them alternating immortality..

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Trojan War Essay Examples and Topics

Achilles and his role in the trojan war.

Considered as a hero of all time, Achilles is one of the great warriors of Greek mythology who remains to be recollected because of his significant role in the Trojan War. Born to Peleus, his father and the mortal king of the Myrmidons and The…

Trojan War: Was It Just a Myth?

Did the Trojan War Really Happen? Introduction: The Trojan War is a Greek mythological story about a war between the Greeks and the inhabitants of the city of Troy. The main source for the understanding of the Trojan War is Homer’s Iliad. The Iliad is…

The Troyan War in Homer's Illiad

The Illiad is a story detailing the consequences of the competition between the three goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera on who was the most beautiful and most fairest of all the Gods. They decide to have Paris, prince of Troy, decide who was the most…

Troyan War: a Mythical Or a Real Battlefield

The name Troy alludes both to a spot in legend and a genuine archeological site. In legend, Troy is a city that was blockaded for a long time and in the end vanquished by Hellenes. Troy likewise alludes to a genuine antiquated city situated on…

Helen of Troy and Her Role in Launching the War

One in six American women are victims of attempted or completed rape according to the National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Unfortunately, rape is common. It is not so wrong, then, to suggest the large possibility of Helen of Troy’s…

Summary: The Odyssey by Homer as the Most Well Known Epic Poems Ever

The Odyssey by Homer is one of the most well known epic poems ever. This story takes place in ancient Greece after Odysseus fought in the Trojan War in Troy. It was written around 700 BCE and tells the story of Odysseus’ journey home to…

Why Odysseus is a Hero: History of Feats

How do people become heroes? Are they born as a hero or do their experiences shape them into one? I believe people are shaped into heroes through their experiences. “The Odyssey” is an epic about the king of Ithaca, Odysseus. Odysseus is forced from his…

Summary: the Battle Between King Agamemnon and Triopas

The Troy is an ancient Greek epic poem. It is based on the struggles between the Greek and Troy. It is also about the events that occur at the last weeks of the ten year siege of Troy by the Greeks. The Story covers only…

Greek victory, destruction of Troy

Iliad, Epic Cycle, Aeneid, Iphigenia in Aulis, Philoctetes, Ajax, The Trojan Women, Posthomerica

Judgement of Paris, Seduction of Helen, Trojan Horse, Sack of Troy, The Returns, Wanderings of Odysseus, Aeneas and the Founding of Rome

Eris, Athena, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Thetis, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Leto, Scamander, Zeus

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The Trojan War: A New History by Barry Strauss Essay (Book Review)

“The Trojan War: A New History,” written by a historiographer Barry Strauss depicts an issue that had been examined and studied widely for years; moreover, more and more studies are published in history works and belletristic narrations. The author made an effort to present the story of the Trojan War in a different light by giving inventive apprehensions and authentic assertions about the subject. The intentions of Strauss are displayed at once in the title of the book: the author claims to introduce an updated view of the Trojan War to the general public. The book is written in such a manner that both people involved in Trojan War studying and primers with broad interests would find it alluring and approachable without any doubts.

In this review, we will determine the approach of Barry Strauss to the history and reasons for the Trojan War. Moreover, my point of view regarding the “The Trojan War: A New History” its strengths and weaknesses; we will try to conclude whether Strauss provides enough background information to allow us to understand the arguments of the author. Furthermore, the references to Homer and his theories about the connection between Troy and the Bronze Age will be discussed, and the accuracy of the book will be determined (Latacz 82).

Barry Strauss is a specialist in the military progress of ancient times, who has a reasonable point of view on many hoary wars. He rewrites the history of the Trojan War within the frameworks of its experiences, culture, economy, and topography; nevertheless, despite the practical approach, Strauss keeps in mind the literary value of these historical documents. In this connection, the author works with various appliances that allow shedding new light on the subject of Trojan Was, such as freshly-interpreted written records of Hittite. These memorials provide proof of the significance of the Troy Empire during the Bronze Age; moreover, they concede the relations of Hittite with the Trojan nation as allies during the war (Bryce 73).

This method of research gives the author a chance to establish the influence of Hittite on the life of Trojans, including their traditions, means of war, and their presumptions, the beliefs in divine powers, and contact with their gods along with the economic value and Greek’s interest in Troy. Moreover, the author uses a translation of the Iliad written by the Pope in 1720 as a confirmation of his theories. To be precise, the original Iliad state that the main characters Hector, Odysseus, and other characters, conduct themselves in ways that were inherent in the Bronze Age (Thomas and Conant 73).

The literary work of Barry Strauss is enjoyable, entertaining and reachable, but controversial and informative at the same time. The new accession of the book, which gives an opportunity to look at the Trojan War at the new angle, is considered to be intriguing and provocative. While the traditional justification of the Trojan War submits the altercation over the magnificent Helen as a small flicker to inflame already existing conflicts on internal and foreign political grounds, Strauss claims that the essential motive of the Trojan War was entirely different (Morris and Powell 344).

While writing “The Trojan War: A New History,” the author confided on the original Odyssey written by Homer; as a result, Strauss detected that Helen was practically the sole reason for the conflict; which is characteristically symbolic for the people living during the Bronze Age (Hughes 58). This theory was stated at the beginning of the book: “The Bronze Age was an era that preferred to put things in personal terms rather than in [political] abstractions” (Strauss 17). So, according to the author, the participants of the Trojan War preferred to resolve family and friendship questions rather than political and justice concerns, as it was described in the first chapter. The following chapters of the book depict how the war unfolded; moreover, he dedicated the whole episode to Hector, Achilles, and other main characters, showing their personality changes.

While reading the “The Trojan War: A New History,” a question rises inevitably: can the book be considered as historical? Sometimes it is hard to tell where historical evidence end and the imagination of the author begin. In the first chapter Barry Strauss introduce Helen, the main character of the composition and the war generally, to the reader: “Helen is dressed in a flowing, woolen gown… in black, taupe, and crimson stripes… The…sleeves leave exposed the pearl skin of her lower arms….” (Strauss 13). Such accuracy casts doubt on whether Strauss pursues strictly historical purposes. Furthermore, Strauss’s view of the Trojan War history failed to confirm his arguments with more predominant historical or academic rhetoric.

The book declares that the Trojan War was revolving around personal revenge rather than an economic or political issue; this is the point that is being contended throughout the whole composition. From chapter to chapter Strauss advances to defend the interpretation that was stated in the title of the book; as a result, we have a book with dynamic, diligent, and dramatic story with a vivid description of the characters rather than a clear recital of the historical facts, dates, and events that took place during the war. Based on this, it is hard to believe the claims of the author about the historical value of the book. The traditional historical approach to renovations seems to be utterly missing from the publication.

Nevertheless, the author stretches to historical facts in order to find evidence in support of his theory about the intentions of the Trojan War participants. For example, Strauss makes remarks towards various archeological discoveries; the author mentions the bronze disk, each side of which was carved with calligraphy. The disk was described in detail; however, unfortunately, this is an example of the evidence that was described but not explained to the contentment of the demanding reader of the book who is willing to obtain more credible arguments towards the connection of the object and historical events.

In conclusion, I would like to assert that “The Trojan War: A New History” is a fascinating and thoroughly delightful piece of writing; nevertheless, the question that arose at the beginning of the reading stays until the end of the book. Without any doubt, Barry Straus is confident in his theories regarding the motives of the Trojan War; however, in my opinion, several of his arguments could be classified as unreliable. There is almost no proof that is able to provide a firm foundation for the applications of the author. So, my overall impression of a book is positive, as the author suggests a new theory to what has already been studied for plenty of times. Barry Strauss revealed himself as an exceptional and alluring writer; nonetheless, it would be a mistake to consider “The Trojan War: A New History,” strictly historical writing.

Works Cited

Bryce, Trevor. The Trojans and Their Neighbours, London, Great Britain: Taylor & Francis, 2006. Print.

Hughes, Bettany. Helen Of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore, New York, New York: Random House, 2005. Print.

Latacz, Joachim. Troy and Homer: Towards a Solution of an Old Mystery, Oxford, Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.

Morris, Ian, and Barry Powell. A New Companion to Homer, Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Publishers, 1997. Print.

Strauss, Barry. The Trojan War: A New History, New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006. Print.

Thomas, Carol, and Craig Conant. The Trojan War , Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 17). The Trojan War: A New History by Barry Strauss. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-trojan-war-a-new-history-by-barry-strauss/

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HistoryDisclosure

How Did the Trojan War Affect Ancient Greece?

The Trojan War is one of the most famous and legendary wars in history. It is believed to have taken place around 1200 BCE, and it lasted for ten years. The war took place between the city of Troy and a coalition of Greek kingdoms.

The story of the Trojan War has been told many times in literature, art, and movies. But beyond its mythical status, how did the Trojan War affect ancient Greece? Let’s dive into it.

The Background

Before we talk about the effects of the Trojan War on ancient Greece, let’s briefly discuss what led to the war. According to legend, Prince Paris of Troy fell in love with Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.

Paris abducted Helen and took her back to Troy. This act enraged Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, who raised an army to reclaim Helen and punish Troy.

The Effects

The Trojan War had significant effects on ancient Greece that lasted for centuries after it ended. Here are some of them:

1. The Rise of Athens

The city-state of Athens was not a major player during the Trojan War era. However, after the war ended, Athens began to rise in power and influence. This was partly due to its political system that gave more power to ordinary citizens than other Greek cities.

2. The Decline of Mycenae

Mycenae was one of the most powerful cities during the Bronze Age in Greece. However, its power declined significantly after the Trojan War. The reasons for this decline are not entirely clear, but it is believed that the war weakened Mycenae’s military power and economy.

3. The Emergence of Greek Mythology

Greek mythology existed before the Trojan War, but it became more prominent after it ended. The story of the Trojan War, including its heroes and gods, became part of Greek mythology. This helped to reinforce the cultural and national identity of ancient Greece.

4. The Development of Epic Poetry

The Trojan War inspired some of the greatest works of epic poetry in ancient Greece, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. These works not only preserved the story of the Trojan War but also became a foundation for Western literature.

5. The Concept of Heroism

The Trojan War also had a significant impact on ancient Greek society’s concept of heroism. The heroic deeds of Achilles, Hector, and other warriors in the war were celebrated in literature and art. This helped to create an idealized version of heroism that influenced later generations.

9 Related Question Answers Found

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Introduction, the causes of the trojan war, the siege of troy, achilles's role and the turning point, aftermath and legacy, references:.

  • Homer. (1990). The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics.
  • Powell, B. B. (2018). Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet. Cambridge University Press.
  • Wood, M. (2014). In Search of the Trojan War. University of California Press.
  • Finkelberg, M. (2014). Greeks and Pre-Greeks: Aegean Prehistory and Greek Heroic Tradition. Cambridge University Press.
  • Latacz, J. (2004). Troy and Homer: Towards a Solution of an Old Mystery. Oxford University Press.
  • Morris, I. (2008). The Archaeology of Greece: An Introduction. Cornell University Press.
  • Nagy, G. (2002). Plato’s Rhapsody and Homer’s Music: The Poetics of the Panathenaic Festival in Classical Athens. Harvard University Press.
  • Graziosi, B. (2001). Inventing Homer: The Early Reception of Epic. Cambridge University Press.
  • Tsagalis, C. (2013). Early Greek Epic Fragments I: Antiquarian and Genealogical Epic. Harvard University Press.
  • Thalmann, W. G. (2014). Apollonius of Rhodes and the Spaces of Hellenism. Oxford University Press.

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THE TROJAN WAR

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This paper – a quasi Part II of Giannakos 2016 – examines the available – written and material – evidence of the 15th-14th centuries BC unearthed in the areas of the Aegean, Cyprus, Egypt, Levant, Asia Minor in relation to the technological level of Minoans and Mycenaeans at the same period in order to infer a possible dating of Trojan War. The findings are also related to the textual evidence of Linear B tablets from Greece which, combined with the Hittite and Egyptian records, could lead us to define the level of Mycenaean power and influence abroad. Two periods of the Mycenaean Polities are considered: a) the period of prosperity (early LH )-1350/1320 BC, with its apogee during 1450 to 1350 BC and their ability to perform overseas military raids, and b) the period of decline after ca. 1350/1320 BC until 1200 BC, when impoverishment and degradation of power are observed. A subtractive approach is used to determine a minimum ‘core of historical events’ in the classical sources. References about Mycenaeans in Hittite and Egyptian records are critically evaluated. The archaeological evidence from Mycenaean Palaces, Levant and Cyprus [Late-Cypriot IIA-IIB (in its abbreviated form LCIIA-LCIIB)] are also examined to verify the working hypothesis of the author for an earlier dating of Trojan War during the period of prosperity of the Mycenaean centers. In the last chapter we reconsider the traditional dating of Troy’s fall.

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The Trojan War Essay

The Trojan War took place in approximately the 13th century. The ancient Greeks defeated the City of Troy. The Trojan War started after an incident at the wedding feast of Peleus, the king of Thessaly, and Thetis, a sea goddess. All the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus had been invited except Eris, the goddess of discord. Eris was offended and tried to stir up trouble among the guests at the feast. She sent a golden apple inscribed For the most beautiful. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed the apple as their own.

Paris judged the quarrel and awarded the apple to Aphrodite because she had promised him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. Helen was already married to Kin Menelaus of Sparta but when visited by Paris, she fled with Paris to Troy. Menelaus organized Greek war against Troy to get Helen back. The Greeks battled for ten years but could not defeat Troy. The fall of Troy occurred when the Greeks built a large hollow horse and placed it outside the walls of Troy. The Trojans took the horse inside and thought the had won the war and the horse was a gift from the Greeks.

Later that night, the Greeks stormed from the horse and opened the gates to allow their fellow warriors in and the Greeks conquered the City of Troy. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western civilization about 2500 years ago. Greek civilization consisted mainly of small city-states. A city-state consisted of a city or town and the surrounding villages and farmland. The Greek city-states were independent and quarreled often with one-another. These city states established the worlds first democratic government. The Greeks believed that certain gods and goddesses watched over them and directed their daily lives.

Families would try to please these gods by offering sacrifices, gifts, and ceremonies. Greeks flocked to oracles to consult priests and priestesses to answer questions and fore-tell the future. Greek men enjoyed drinking, talking, and dancing at parties. They also like sports and religious festivals Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the most important Greek philosophers. Socrates taught by carefully questioning his listeners to expose the weaknesses of their ideas and arguments. Plato explored such subjects as beauty, justice, and good government.

Aristotle summed up the achievements of Greek philosophy and science. His authority on many topics remained unquestioned for more than 100 years Most Ancient Greeks were suspicious of philosophers and their theories. They continued to believe in superstitions and in myths. In 399 BC, an Athens jury sentenced Socrates to death for showing disrespect to the gods. Greek architects, sculptors, and painters made great contributions to the arts. They were trying to create ideal beauty based on equal proportions. Greek sculptors portrayed figures of gods, goddesses, and human beings.

The most famous Greek sculptors were Phidais, Praxiteles, Lysippus, and Myron. Music often was played with Greek plays. Melody was common and harmony was not. The government of Athens was headed by Pericles for most of the Golden Age. An assembly of all male citizens would pass the laws, at the height of its power, Athens had the most advanced democracy in Greece. The Parthenon in Athens is a Greek Temple. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and warfare. Apollo the god of the sun and of poetry represented the ideal young man. The ancient Greeks built Athens upon a great plateau upon a great hill.

The flat hill covers about ten acres. Athens became known as the Acropolis. The Greek words akro and polis mean high city. The Athenians built temples and public buildings on the Acropolis. By 1200 BC the Athenians had built a wall around most of the city. The Athenians built a temple to Athena on the hill. Pericles also began the Propylaea in addition tot he Parthenon. The Propylaea was never completed. All citizens except those of the citys poorest class were eligible for the council and for all other offices. Women were not citizens and could not vote or hold office.

All public officials were chosen annually by drawing lots. Generals were elected. Unpopular government officials could be banished for ten years by vote of the people. The Coliseum is one of the chief landmarks of Rome. Romans watched gladiators fight each other or animals. Forums were the center of public life in he city. Public meetings were held here and many important buildings and statues stood there. The Parthenon is an ancient Greek temple in the city of Athens. It stands on a hill called the Acropolis overlooking the city of Athens. The Parthenon is dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The best Greek sculptors and designers erected the Parthenon between 447 and 432 BC When the Turkish people owned the Parthenon, they filled it with gunpowder which exploded and destroyed the central part of the building. The Parthenon was built entirely of Pentelic marble. One room in the Parthenon contained a huge gold and ivory statue of Athena. Around the top of the outer wall above the columns of the Parthenon was a set of small sculptured panels called metopes. Athens was a city known to protect people from the Athenians. The Greeks living in Athens were people with a passion for perfection.

Artists excelled in beautiful works of love, beauty, and passion. Pericles was leader of the Athenians and built Acropolis to honor Athena. 39 foot high statue of Athena sits in the town. Many people and small countries looked to Athens for protection. Athens was completed in 50 years. Sculptors such as the great Fidius designed statues to display in Athens. We as Americans took so much from the Greeks. Politics, Rhetoric, biology, geology, first to calculate atom, position of heavenly bodies, all were first done by the Greeks. Great Philosophers included Socrates, Plato, Hypocrates, Pythagorean, Pindler, Escelus.

Athens had the worlds first democracy. The citizens participated males only in the government. We took the Greek form of Government and applied it to American Government. Our founding fathers knew Latin and Greek and realized the importance of the language. The Greeks erected many statues to honor their gods and one was found in 1928 by divers. The found statue, one dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea was probably stolen by the Romans but the ship sunk and the statue was under water for hundreds of years. Sea at Sunneam was the name of a temple built in honor for Poseidon.

Zeus, the father and leader of the Gods liven on Mt. Olympus. Delphi was an important Greek Temple for Apollo. The Greek people were highly educated and built stadiums and offered sacrifices to uphold their high religion. The oracle of Delphi, was a well known oracle. The theater originated as a place for religious festivals. Amphitheater was for plays about woman. The Olympics were every four years. The competitors competed naked and their were cheering sections along the side of the competition area. 770 BC was the first Olympic Games played. Physical Beauty was a great thing for Greeks. Sculptors tried to capture great eye-pleasing physiques for their statues.

Homosexual activity was accepted between men and boys. A plague in Athens wiped out Pericles and many Greek people. The Greek people inspired cultures and countries for years to come and we are all in debt to the Greek people for the knowledge and wisdom they showed to invent new theories, laws, ideas, and ways of life. The Greek people were very advanced for their time and without them we would not know many of the things we know now. Pythagorean helped us to develop math skills and Socrates as well as other philosophers taught us theories of science and evolution.

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