The Trojan War

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The Trojan War

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The Trojan War

• The Trojan War actually occurred The city of
  Troy fell into the hands of the Greeks.
• Archaeologists have found historical evidence of
  the war.
• Was it exactly as told in The Iliad?
• No. It was probably fought over commerce and
  trade between Greece and Asia Minor.
• But Homers version (The Iliad) is more exciting!
• Some of the characters may have been based on
  real personalities.

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Whats a Trojan?

• A person from Troy
• One who shows qualities like those of the
  soldiers who defended ancient Troy endurance,
  toughness, determined energy

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Wheres Troy?

• Troy is across the Aegean Sea from Greece.
• Troy was also called Ilium, Ilion, and Ilios.
• A well-walled city with broad streets and
  beautiful palacesuntil the Trojan War.

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When?

• The beginning of the 12th century B.C.
• 1193 1184 B.C.
• Thats 3,200 years ago!
• B.C. Before Christ
• A.D. Anno Domini (The Year of Our Lord)

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Who?

• Greeks (Achaeans)
• Achilles
• Greatest Greek Warrior
• King Agamemnon
• Nestor
• Odysseus
• Patroclus
• Menelaus
• Helens Husband

• Trojans
• Hector
• Greatest Trojan Warrior
• King Priam
• Father of Hector
• Aeneas
• Paris
• Helens Abductor

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With whom did the gods side?

• Greeks
• Hera
• Poseidon
• Hermes
• Athena

• Trojans
• Artemis
• Ares
• Apollo
• Aphrodite

Zeus tries to remain neutral, but he shows
empathy for Priam and Hector (Trojans).
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How did it start?

• Eris, goddess of discord, was not invited to a
  wedding banquet on Mt. Olympus.
• Into the banquet hall, Eris tossed a golden apple
  inscribed For the Fairest.
• Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite asked Zeus to decide
  who deserved the apple.
• Zeus would not choose. (Hes no fool!)
• Zeus says Paris is an excellent judge of beauty,
  and refers the goddesses to him.

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The Judgment of Paris

• Paris was the son of King Priam of Troy.
• He was rather weak and cowardly.
• Priam had sent him away from Troy because an
  oracle prophesied that he would be the ruin of
  the city.
• When the goddesses appeared to him, they each
  offered him a bribe
• Athena would make him a great warrior.
• Hera would make him ruler of Europe and Asia.
• Aphrodite would give him the most beautiful woman
  in the world.

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Whom did he choose?

• Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite.
• She then took Paris to Helen, the most beautiful
  woman in the world.
• Hera and Athena, however, vowed revenge.

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Helen

• Helen was a daughter of Zeus.
• She was the wife of Menelaus.
• Menelaus was the brother of the Greek King,
  Agamemnon.
• See the problem?

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Paris takes Helen
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The Greeks Respond

• Menelaus asks all of Greece to help.
• Greek armies set off across the sea to lay siege
  to Troy and leave it in ashes.
• And so begins the Trojan War.
• Helen is often referred to as The Face that
  Launched a Thousand Ships.

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Odysseus and Achilles Join Late

• Odysseus didnt want to fight for Helen.
• He thought her a faithless woman.
• He did not want to leave his home (Ithaca).
• Achilles was kept back by his mother.
• Thetis was a sea nymph who knew he was fated to
  die in Troy.
• She had dipped him in the river Styx to try and
  give him immortality. (She held him by the heel.)
• Both of these great Greek warriors were later
  called (forced) into battle where they played
  important roles in many battles.

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The Battle Rages

• Due to the influence of various gods and
  goddesses, the war went back and forth for many
  years.
• For details of the war, read the epic poem by
  Homer called The Iliad, a word which means a
  series of disastrous events.

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Agamemnon

• Leader of all Greek forces during Trojan War
• Sacrificed his daughter (Iphegenia) to Artemis in
  order to get favorable winds for the ships to
  sail to Troy
• Offended Achilles by taking his prize (a girl
  named Briseis) after one battle

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Achilles Pouts

• Because Agamemnon offended him, Achilles refused
  to fight.
• Then things went badly for the Greeks, and they
  begged him to return.
• He allowed his friend Patroclus to fight in his
  place, wearing his armor.
• Patroclus is killed by Hector (who thought it was
  Achilles).

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Achilles Returns

• Enraged over the death of Patroclus, Achilles
  returns to battle.
• His mother procures for him some new armor (made
  by Hephaestus).
• He kills Hector and desecrates the body.

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Achilles Relents

• King Priam sneaks into the Greek camp and begs
  Achilles to give him Hectors body so that his
  son may have proper funeral rites.
• Achilles allows Priam to take the body.
• After Hectors death, Achilles does not have long
  to live.

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The Death of Achilles

• Achilles was unconquerable by mortal men, but
  Apollo stepped in.
• Apollo guided Pariss arrow into the only weak
  spot Achilles had his heel.
• Achilles dies from the wound.
• The remaining Greeks decide his divine armor
  should go to the bravest remaining warrior.

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Odysseus Wins

• Odysseus makes a speech explaining why he
  deserves it, and he is awarded the armor of
  Achilles.
• He then devises the final plan to end the Trojan
  War.

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The Trojan Horse

• The Greeks pretend to retreat, leaving behind a
  large wooden horse.
• The Trojans, in celebration, drag the horse
  inside their city as a war prize.

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The Trojan Horse
Odysseus and many other Greek warriors are hiding
inside the horse.
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The Fall of Troy

• They wait until the Trojans are asleep, and then
  they come out and slaughter them.
• The Trojan War is ended.
• The Greeks won.
• The Trojans lost.
• Odysseus is the greatest hero remaining alivebut
  now he has to get home

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The Odyssey Begins

• The story of The Odyssey is about Odysseus
  journey home (to Ithaca) after the Trojan War.
• Its quite a journey!

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Sources

• Graphics in this presentation were taken from the
  following web sites
• http//www.bulfinch.org/fables/search.html
• http//www.pantheon.org/
• http//www.messagenet.com/myths/
• http//mythman.com/
• http//web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/index.html
• http//www.paleothea.com/
• http//www.entrenet.com/7Egroedmed/greekm/myth.ht
  ml
• This presentation is for educational purposes
  only it has not been and should not be sold or
  used as a vehicle to make money.

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