Trojan War

The Trojan War was a ten year conflict the spark of which came from Eris.

## Events Leading To The Trojan War

### The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis

At the forced wedding of Peleus to the goddess Thetis (who would become the parents of Achilles) a large number of persons, immortals and gods (including the Olympian council and others who dwelt in Olympus) had been invited. Eris on the other hand had been snubbed because of her troublemaking inclinations.

To get her revenge, Eris tossed into the wedding party the "Apple of Discord" (a golden apple with "to the fairest" inscribed on it. A dispute began and in the end Zeus was approached by Athena, Hera and Aphrodite. Not wanting to come into conflict he appointed Paris of Troy to judge the three. Zeus did this because recently Paris had shown his exemplary fairness in a contest in which Ares in bull form had bested Paris's own prize bull, and the shepherd-prince had unhesitatingly awarded the prize to the god. Zeus thus believed Paris would fairly judge the goddesses.

### Judgement of Paris

After learning that Zeus had appointed Paris to judge the fairest, Aphrodite, Hera and Athena all came to him offering bribes. Hera offered to make Paris king of Europe and Asia. Athena offered to give him wisdom and skill in wars. Aphrodite, who with the Charites and the Horai enhancing her charms with flowers and song offered the world's most beautiful woman (Helen of Sparta, wife of the Greek king Menelaus). Paris accepted Aphrodite's bribe and awarded the apple to Aphrodite (gaining her favor and making enemies of Hera and Athena) and, after several adventures, returned to Troy, where he was recognized by his royal family.

### Abduction of Helen

Paris the Trojan prince, eventually came to Sparta to claim Helen. He did this under the guise of a supposed diplomatic mission. Before this journey, Paris had been appointed by Zeus to judge the most beautiful goddess; Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite. Paris abducted Helen and sailed back to Troy with her. According to some versions, before taking her he forced himself on her.

### Gathering of the Akhaean Heroes

When Menelaus learned of the abduction after he and Odysseus failed to recover Helen through diplomatic means, Menelaus contacted Agamemnon and asked him to uphold the oath made years ago when kings, princes and heroes who had sought Helen's hand had agreed to defend Helen's marriage regardless of which suitor had been chosen. Honor bound, Agamemnon agreed and sent emissaries to all the Akhaean kings and princes to call them to observe their oaths and retrieve Helen.

## Trojan War

While the Akhaean forces had some difficulty making their way to Troy, eventually a fleet which according to Thucydides consisted of 1,200 ships landed at Troy sources vary on the total force who arrived but it was between 70,000 to 130,000 men.

### Defense of the Ships

Following a tremendous day of fighting, Hektor led the Trojans in an attack on the very walls of the Greeks’ camp. Breaking through the gates, the Trojans sent the Greeks fleeing in panic back to their ships. However, as Zeus was momentarily distracted by the charms of Hera, Poseidon stepped in to encourage the Greeks who rallied and forced the Trojans to retreat. Then the tide of battle changed again and, with the support of Apollo, an inspirational Hektor, in his finest hour, once more beat the Greeks back to their ships where he sought to set them ablaze. Ajax the Greater was one of the few defenders

### Trojan Horse & The Sack of Troy

After nearly ten years of fighting and the deaths of many Akhaean and Trojan Heroes the war remained a stalemate, the Trojan forced could not leave the confines of the walls of Troy for they lacked the forces to defeat the Akhaean army yet the walls of Troy were impenetrable and the forces were growing weary of the war. The Trojan Horse was what tipped the scales. It was cunning Odysseus who devised the plan. He told the chiefs that to break the stalemate they would need to breech the walls of Troy and since they could not do this purely by force they would need to resort to trickery. He told the chiefs that for the army to enter they should build a horse and leave it at the walls of Troy. Odysseus believed that the Trojans would accept it as a gift of surrender and bring the Horse within the nearly impenetrable walls of Troy. Once nightfall came the chiefs could emerge and open the walls. The only way for this ruse to work is if the Trojans saw the Greek forces sail away. The Horse was made by Epeius and guided by Athena using wood from wood of a cornel tree grove sacred to Apollo. Upon the horse was the inscription "The Greeks dedicate this thank-offering to Athena for their return home" Kassandra attempted to advise the Trojans against bringing the horse (though in accordance with her curse none would listen) as did Lakoon though they did not head his warning either. There was some debate as towards what to do with the horse, some thought they should throw rocks at the horse while others believed they should sacrifice it to Athena. In the end the Trojans brought it inside the walls of Troy as Odysseus had predicted. The chiefs waited the entire day while the kingdom of Troy celebrated getting drunk. The chiefs emerged and and opened the gates of Troy killing the few Trojans who were still awake so they could not sound an alarm. While the chiefs exited to open the walls, Sinon an Akaean soldier who had pretended to be a deserter
(and had been taken captive by the Trojans) signaled the greek army (who had sailed to the nearby island of Tenedos) to sail back to Troy. With the walls finally opened the Akhaean army entered Troy and crushed the drunken and sleeping forces. They killed the royal family and began a massacre which took all night and led into the following day. Neoptolemus killed Priam, who had taken refuge at the altar of Zeus of the Courtyard. Menelaus killed Deiphobus
(who had wed Helen after Paris had been killed). Even Hektor's infant son Astyanax was not spared as the greeks threw him down from the walls of Troy. After the defeat of the Trojans, all the remaining chiefs (with the exception of Nestor) began looting and taking the spoils of war. Troy burned to the ground and several temples to the gods were destroyed.

#### Returns Home

Nestor was the only chief who did not take place in the looting of Troy once the war was over, as soon as the Greeks had won, he and his fleet began their return home. As he did not partake in looting or destruction of temples or anything which might anger the gods, Nestor and his fleet returned home swiftly and safely.

Odysseus' journey home was