The Trojan War is a common topic amongst English and historical scholars today. The main reason for the popularity of this subject is the overlap of its theme into a variety of fields. This story of war can be classified as an event in history, a story of mythology, and even an epic tale of literature. The events in this world-renowned experience, and the events leading up to it, defy anything anyone has ever studied simply because one can learn just about anything from its facts and stories. The matter of the Trojan War is truly a piece of learning and a piece of pleasure that is sure to interest even the narrowest of readers. This literary piece will delve into the Trojan War up to the funeral games for Patroclus. It will be studied from a mythological standpoint.
The Trojan War began with Zeus, father of the gods, desiring the nymph Thetis. However, a prophecy said this nymph would have a son who was greater than his father was. Zeus, scared that this prophecy would dethrone him, decided to arrange for her marriage to Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. At the wedding dinner, the goddess Discord, angry she was not invited, threw an apple on the table. The words, "For the Fairest" were written on the apple. The goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite saw the apple and fought over who was most beautiful. They consulted Zeus and asked him to pick the most beautiful of the three goddesses. Zeus, not wanting to ruin the relationship he had with all of them, decided that Paris, the young prince of Troy, should be the judge. Aphrodite came to him and offered him sexual deviances and other pleasures, but Paris denied the apple to her. Athena came to Paris and offered him knowledge and power, but he denied her the apple. Lastly, Hera came to him and offered him the most beautiful mortal on the earth. Paris gave the apple to Hera, and was told of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.
Paris left immediately for Sparta in search of Helen. He found the palace and met the beautiful queen for the first time. Hera, keeping her promise, made Helen fall in love with Paris. The young couple left that night and sailed back to Troy. The next morning, Menelaus was in a fitful rage when he learned that Helen was “kidnapped” and taken to Troy. The angry king demanded the return of his wife, but the government of Troy disagreed. Agamemnon, the brother of Menelaus and king of Mycenae, told him to call all the kings of Greece to Aulis to get ready for war against Troy. Menelaus approved and called all soldiers and kings of Greece to fight Troy for the return of Helen, but many did not come. The young king and Agamemnon, who was the next highest in command, rode around Sparta gathering the kings and soldiers who ignored the call to Aulis. They came upon Odysseus, who faked insanity to avoid going to Troy. While Odysseus was plowing the sand, a soldier threw Odysseus' son, Telemachus, in front of the plow. Odysseus, a Greek hero, was forced to stop the act. He gathered his things and rode on with the kings.
The kings had assembled all of the soldiers and supplies, but were waiting on one secret weapon. The weapon was another Greek hero by name of Achilles. Achilles was born of the two characters at the beginning of the story, Peleus and Thetis. A few days after Achilles was born, Thetis took him to the River Styx, whose water would make anybody immortal by its touch. The nymph-mother grabbed Achilles by the heel and dunked him in the water. The thought of his heel being unprotected by the water's enchantment slipped the water nymph's mind. The young hero was then put into hiding in a temple disguised as a small girl. When it was time for the kings of Sparta to leave for Troy, Odysseus forced Achilles to reveal his identity through a cunning, little trick. An archery event was held at the temple, which caused Achilles to reveal his marksmanship, thus exposing his identity. Achilles followed Odysseus back to Aulis and the Spartan army left for Troy with their new immortal hero. One problem yet remained. The winds were not blowing in the right direction. Agamemnon, excited for the journey, carelessly ordered his daughter Iphigenia to be sacrificed in the name of the gods. Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra swore revenge when Agamemnon returned.
Meanwhile, in Troy, the Prince's of Troy heard news of the approaching Spartan army. They argued over what they should do. “Hector said war was inevitable. Antenor thought Hector just wanted revenge against the Greeks. Aeneas thought Troy would win because a prophecy foretold success for him. Priam said there was no choice [but to fight back]” (Coolidge). The Spartan army shortly arrived on the beaches of Troy and immediately unleashed its greatness. Agamemnon and Achilles had a small disagreement about a prisoner, but otherwise, all went well. Achilles met his match when he fought Poseidon's son, Cycnus. No weapon could pierce his skin, but Achilles found a way to diminish the beast. The Spartan hero strangled Cycnus with the straps of his helmet. After many years, the war raged on. A young, naïveté leader named Palamedes seized power over the Greeks while Agamemnon was away. Odysseus told Agamemnon he would spread a rumor and plant evidence that Palamedes had sold out to the Trojans, and Agamemnon agreed to the plan. A short time later, Agamemnon regained control of the army. Meanwhile, Menelaus wandered Troy during the battles searching for any sign or sighting of his lost wife Helen.
