The Trojan War

I. The Wedding

A. The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis1. Eris is not invited2. She crashes, brings a golden apple with a

special message3. Three goddesses claim ita. Herab. Athenac. Aphrodite4. Zeus isn’t touching this one! Sends them

to Mt. Ida for Paris to judge

Eris and the Apple of Discord

B. The Judgment of Paris1. Paris is a prince of Troy, Priam’s son2. Priam sent Paris to herd sheep in Mt. Ida: a

prophecy says Paris will be the ruin of Troy3. Paris is content living with a nymph, Oenone4. The 3 goddesses arrive and offer bribes

a. Athena: will make him lord of Europe and Asiab. Hera: will give him victory over Greecec. Aphrodite: will give him the most beautiful woman

in the world5. Paris is weak and a coward: he picks

Aphrodite

Paris Has to Choose

The Judgment of Paris

C. The Capture of Helen 1. Helen is the most beautiful

a. Daughter of Zeus and Ledab. So beautiful Theseus tried to kidnap her as a childc. Every prince in Greece wanted her: she’s gorgeous, and her husband will get to be king of Spartad. Her “dad,” King Tyndareus of Sparta, makes her suitors swear

to champion Helen’s husband, no matter who’s pickede. The suitors agree to unite and punish anyone who might kidnap Helen (This whole deal was Odysseus’s idea—he’ll regret it.)f. Menelaus is chosen

2. Paris goes to Sparta to visit as guest of Menelaus and Helena. He is received well, according to laws of hospitalityb. Menelaus goes to Crete, trusting Paris in Spartac. Paris runs away with Helen

3. A note on Aphrodite: she is angry with Tyndareus for forgetting (on ONE occasion) to sacrifice to her. Her curse: his

daughters would be famous w****s.

The Marriage and Kidnapping of Helen

Helen of Sparta

II. Preparations for WarA. Chieftains rush to join, all but two 1. Odysseus, King of Ithaca a. doesn’t want to leave his family

b. feigns madness; plows a field and sows it with saltc. Palemedes puts Odysseus’s son in the plow’s wayd. Odysseus turns the plow, proving he’s sanee. It’s off to the army for him!2. Achillesa. Thetis, his mother, knows he’ll die if he goes to Troyb. Thetis hides him at the court of Lycomedes, disguising him as a girlc. Odysseus is sent to find him: he’s the cleverest Greekd. Odysseus dresses as a peddler, bringing girly stuff and weaponse. One “girl” really digs the weapons; when a fake battle cry is issued, “she” reveals herselff. It’s off to the army for him!

Odysseus and Achilles

B. 1000 ships set out for war C. Trouble at Aulis

1. Can’t sail—the north wind won’t let them2. Soothsayer reveals: someone killed a deer sacred to Artemis3. Must sacrifice Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon (commander-in-chief)4. Agamemnon agreesa. tells wife, Clytemnestra, to send Iphigenia for a wedding to Achillesb. Iphigenia arrives with her wedding clothes and is killedc. Clytemnestra holds a long grudge5. Wind stops, ships sail

“”Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?” Christopher Marlowe

Iphigenia at Aulis

III. The WarA. Royal Family of Troy

1. King: Priam a. oldb. has 50 sons2. Queen: Hecuba (not the mother of all 50 sons, just 17 or so)3. Paris (we’ve met him; we’re not impressed)4. Hector (now we’re impressed)a. the greatest warrior in Troyb. Priam’s noblest sonc. The only prince of Troy NOT to develop the hots for Helend. The only one to be nice to Helen when everyone is tired of a 10 year war5. Andromachea. Hector’s wifeb. Her husband is too into her to look at Helen6. Cassandraa. was loved by Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecyb. rejected the god, who cursed her: no one would ever believe her truths

Hector (ok, it’s Eric Bana)

B. The best of the Greeks1. Achillesa. immortal except his heel (mom dipped him in the Styx for immortality, missed the heel— oops!)b. golden armorc. greatest Greek warrior2. Agamemnona. King of Mycenaeb. Leader of the Greeksc. bossy, proud, unreasonable3. Menelausa. King of Spartab. Helen’s husbandc. Agamemnon’s brother4. Odysseusa. King of Ithacab. Crafty, the smartest hero5. Ajaxa. crazy strongb. fiercest warrior

  6. Protesilaus (he’s up for honorable mention)a. first to land on shores of Troyb. Why is this a big deal? A prophecy said the 1st to land would be 1st to diec. After his death, Hermes brought him back once to see his wife, who killed

herself and joined him on his return to the underworld C. The 2 greatest warriors knew they would die in this war

Leaders for the Greeks

Agamemnon and Menelaus

Thetis dips Achilles in the Styx

D. The Women of the Trojan War1. Battle has raged 9 years with no victor

a. Iliad begins in the 10th year of the warb. this is a literary technique known as in medias res

2. Achilles and Agamemnon butt heads over captive women3. Chryseis

a. Agamemnon captured herb. Her dad is a priest of Apollo, and he begs her releasec. Agamemnon refusesd. Divine retribution: Apollo rains down arrows of fatal sickness

on Greekse. Achilles calls a conference and brings in Calchas, a

soothsayerf. The verdict: Chryseis must be returnedg. Agamemnon’s pride is wounded, he is furious

4. Briseisa. Achilles captured herb. When forced to give up Chryseis, Agamemnon takes Briseis

from Achillesc. Achilles is furious: he drops out of the war, stays in his tentd. Greeks begin to lose the war

Woman Trouble

Briseis is taken to Agamemnon

E. The gods take sides1. Lining up for the Trojans

a. Aphrodite: Paris picked herb. Ares: always sides with his girlfriendc. Apollo: fond of Hector, angry with the Greeks

over Chryseisd. Artemis: always sides with her twine. Zeus: supposed to be neutral, but favors Troy

anyway2. On the Greek side

a. Hera: woman scorned syndromeb. Athena: same conditionc. Poseidon: Greeks are a seagoing culture

3. Thetis pushes Zeus to help Troya. Greeks can’t win without Achillesb. Zeus sends Agamemnon a lying dream, telling

him to attackc. fierce battle ensues

The Super Bowl of the Gods

Entertaining the Gods

F. Menelaus v. Paris1.There is a clearing in the battle, and the two are left alone to fight2. Honor dictates no interference3. Paris strikes, Menelaus deflects; Menelaus’s sword doesn’t wound Paris4. Menelaus’s sword breaks for no reason5. Menelaus attacks Paris, is about to drag him off6. Aphrodite intervenes, spirits Paris away7. Menelaus hunts Paris among the Trojans—they want to give him up;

can’t find him8. Agamemnon says Menelaus won, so Helen should be returned9. Athena tricks a Trojan into breaking a truce, and the battle is on

againG. Aphrodite and Ares are humiliated

1. When Diomedes wounds Aeneas, Aphrodite’s son, she tries to help; Diomedes wounds her and she runs away2. Ares tries to scare the Greeks and Hera chases him off the field

Fighting over Helen

Menelaus, Paris, Aphrodite, Ares

H. Hector prepares for his last day1. He knows he’s going to die2. Goes up to the walls of Troy, where the Trojans watch the war, to see his wife and baby son, Astyanax3. Baby is afraid of his armor and cries; Hector removes his helmet and says

farewell4. Tenderest moment in the Iliad

I. Greeks lose ground1. Hector drives the Greeks back2. Greeks need Achillesa. Agamemnone offers to return Briseisb. Achilles remains proud and stubborn; nothing will induce him to return3. Hera borrows Aphrodite’s girdle and “distracts” Zeus, giving Greeks a chance4. Zeus figures it out and comes back for Troy5. Achilles’s best friend Patroclus takes Achilles’s armor, goes into battlea. Trojans think he’s Achilles and are intimidatedb. Hector kills Patroclusc. Achilles flips out

The Death of Patroclus

Achilles and Hector Say Good-bye

J. Achilles v. Hector1. Achilles gets new armor from Thetis—magical, that can’t be pierced2. Hector wears the armor he took from Patroclus’s body3. Hector waits for Achilles, sees him coming, radiant and godlike, and starts running4. Hector can’t quite outrun Achilles, but Achilles can’t catch him, either5. Fate isn’t with Hector

a. Apollo has been helping Hector, something Zeus has approved

b. Athena warns Zeus to back off, as fate is against Hectorc. Apollo must leave Hector’s side

6. Hector finally stops to fight, fooled by Athena, who takes the form of a brother and promises to help him fight Achilles7. Hector suddenly finds himself alone, facing Achilles, who is helped by Athena8. Achilles aims his spear at an opening in the throat of Hector’s armor, kills him

Hector’s Last Stand

Achilles Slays Hector

K. Achilles breaks the rules—big ones1.Hector, dying, asks that his body be returned to his parents; Achilles refuses2. Achilles ties Hector’s body (by the ankles)

to his chariot & drags it around Troy3.Most gods are massively displeased: you never, EVER violate the dead4. Priam goes to Achilles with treasure to beg for his son’s body5. Achilles is touched, has the body bathed & covered, and returns it6. Nine days truce for funeral rites

The Desecration of Hector

Desecrating Hector’s Body

Priam Begs for His Son

IV. The Fall of TroyA. Achilles’s last battle

1. kills Memnon of Ethiopia (he was helping Troy with an army)2. drives Trojans back to the city walls3. Paris shoots Achilles in that vulnerable heel—kills him (his bones are laid with those of Patroclus)

B. The death of Ajax1. Two heroes are nominated to receive the arms of Achilles: Ajax and Odysseus2. In a secret vote, Odysseus wins—it’s a huge honor3. Ajax feels disgraced, plans to kill Agamemnon & Menelaus—he blames them for turning the vote against him (he’s right)

4. Ajax pursues them by night; Athena strikes him mad—he thinks a flock of sheep are the Greeks; thinks a ram is Odysseus & beats it up

5. On regaining his senses, he’s humiliated and kills himself

The Deaths of Achilles, Ajax

C. The arms of Hercules 1. Greeks are discouraged and grab a prophet, Helenus

a. Greeks can’t win unless they kill Parisb. Only the bow and arrows of Hercules can kill Paris

2. Philoctetes has them (and he’s NOT a satyr who coached Hercules)a. Philoctetes was with the Greeks on the way to Troyb. On an island, he was bitten by a serpent and the wound would not healc. The Greeks left him there3. Odysseus goes for the weaponsa. First, he steals themb. Guilt: he gets Philoctetes, takes him to Troy and a Greek doctor4. Healed, Philoctetes joins the battle, kills Paris with Hercules’s arrows

D. Greeks have to steal the Palladium (sacred image of Athena) in order to win—Odysseus is their man

Back to Pick Up Stinky Phil

Philoctetes Sings “All By Myself”

E. The Trojan Horse1. Greeks have to get into Troy to win2. Odysseus thinks up the Trojan horsea. hollow, big enough to hold a number of menb. chieftains are afraid, except Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, but they agree3. Remaining Greeks pretend to sail away, but hide behind an islanda. one man, Sinon, left on the beachb. primed with a story to get the horse in the city4. Trojans are thrilled at Greek departure, rush to the beach and see Sinona. He cries, renounces his Greekhoodb. He says Athena was angry over the Palladium & demanded a sacrificec. Sinon was the sacrifice, but he escaped and hidd. The horse is an offering to Athena, & it’s big so the Trojans can’t take it ine. The Trojans fall for it5. Warning! Warning!a. Cassandra says not to take it in—no one believes herb. Laocoon, a priest, says burn it—Poseidon sends 2 serpents to crush Laocoon and his sons

F. Sigh . . . 1. The Trojans take the horse into the city 2. At night, soldiers sneak out and let the whole Greek army into the city 3. Troy is burning before the Trojans are even dressed 4. Trojans fight hard: they tear up roofs & throw beams on Greeks; put on dead Greeks’ armor

to trap more Greeks 5. The Greeks win

How to Trick a Trojan

The Trojan Horse and the Trojan Morons

Laocoon

V. Where Are They Now?

A. Priam: was spared by Achilles, but Neoptolemus kills himB. Hecuba: taken into slaveryC. Polyxena (Trojan princess): killed on Achilles’s graveD. Aeneas

1. fights Greeks as long as possible2. escapes Troy (with mom Aphrodite’s help), saving his father & son, but not his wife3. his adventures form the Roman epic, Virgil’s Aeneid, which gave Rome a cool history

E. Helen1. Aphrodite helps her out of the city2. She goes back to Menelaus, and they live happily ever after

F. Andromache1. a captive, to be a slave to a Greek warrior2. hopes to keep her baby, but that’s not how it’s done3. messenger arrives, advises her to be brave and not to blame him4. baby is taken and thrown from the walls of the city, like all the other babies

G. Cassandra1. Agamemnon’s captive, she returns to Mycenae with him2. She warns Agamemnon of impending doom, but is, of course, ignored3. Clytemnestra is waiting (with a lover, Aegisthus) and murders Agamemnon and his

little hussy, too!

A Tale of Two Women