Events after the Fall of Troy

Life after the Iliad Iliad ends with death of Hector. Next poem in epic cycle is the Aithiopis (see Proclus’ summary in Anthology, p. 380) Arrival of Amazons (remember them?) as allies to the Trojans. Duel of Achilles and their queen, Penthesileia. Etymology: “she who brings penthos [“sorrow”, “grief”] to the laos [“army, people”]. Cf. Achilles’ name, “he who brings akhos [“pain, grief”] to the laos[“army, people”]. How might this be significant for the relationship between these two figures? Death of Penthesileia at hands of Achilles, story concerning love affair. Death of Achilles (killed by Paris!), transport of body by Thetis to White Island in Black Sea (but cf. accounts of his presence in tomb near Troy, sacrifice of Polyxena there)

Achilles kills Penthesileia Achilles killing Penthesilea. Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix, 470–460 BC. From Vulci.

Achilles and Penthesileia Achilles kills Penthesileia, Attic black figure, ca. 540 BCE.

Subsequent poems in the Epic Cycle: The Little Iliad (Ilias Mikra) and the Sack of Troy (Iliou Persis) Odysseus and Greek trick of the wooden horse, infiltration of Troy by Greeks. ( We will revisit this when reading Odyssey, variants concerning role of Helen in this. In Little Iliad she recognizes Odysseus in disguise and helps plan capture of city. In Menelaos’ account in the Odyssey (Book 3) she tries to get Greeks in the horse to reveal themselves as she imitates sounds of their wives’ voices. Death of Astyanax, infant son of Hector and Andromache, and enslavement of Andromache Killing of Priam at altar by Neoptolemos, son of Achilles Rape of Cassandra by lesser Ajax while holding on to the statue of Athena in her temple. (Subsequently taken as captive and concubine by Agamemnon: we meet her in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon) Enslavement of Hecuba, wife of Priam. Sacrifice of Polyxena, daughter of Priam, as offering to Achilles. [Achilles had been promised her but killed by Paris in ambush before he could get her]. Motif of angry hero. Cf. forebodings of Hector and Andromache in Iliad book 6 (p. 80) and Priam in Book 22 (p. 207)

Trojan horse from a funerary pithos (ca. 670 BCE)

Neoptolemus (son of Achilles) kills Priam at altar (who holds body of Astyanax) Priam with the body of Astyanax (and Neoptolemos)

Death of Astyanax, son of Hector Death of Astyanax, son of Hector. Neoptolemos, son of Achilles, holds Astyanax by legs and moves to kill Priam, sitting on or standing by altar

The sacrifice of Polyxena by Neoptolemos to Achilles over his tomb to ensure a safe nostos. 6th c. BCE black figure Athenian amphora.

After the fall of Troy: the Nostoi (cf. Proclus summary, Anthology p Greek nostos: “return home”, “return to light and life” Problem of nostos for those returning from Troy and sacrilegious acts committed there, vengeance from gods. E.g. destruction of lesser Ajax at sea after rape of Cassandra, killing of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra on return, trials of Odysseus Can one have kleos and a safe nostos? Choice of Achilles in Iliad vs situation of Odysseus in the Odyssey.