All the Greek kings and princes wanted to marry Helen When Menelaus was chosen, to prevent quarrels after the fact, all the other suitors swore an alliance to him—to defend his interests militarily. So Menelaus took Helen back to Sparta. Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon, married Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, and took her back with him to Mycenae. Start of the Story: Achaeans, Argives, Danaäns Wooing

Marriage of Peleus & Thetis Thetis, sea goddess, was destined to have a son greater than his father, so Zeus (attracted to her) determined to marry her to a mortal and chose Peleus A great wedding was held and all the gods and goddesses were invited, but one—Eris, Goddess of Discord. Eris came anyway and tossed onto the table a golden apple inscribed – “To the Fairest’ Minerva, Juno, and Venus all three claimed it Jove gave the decision to Paris, young Prince of Troy All three goddesses tried to bribe the judge – Hermes oversaw the competition Paris selected Venus and was granted Helen as prize Helen was the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta

Paris making the tough call…

Paris then visited Sparta and Helen went back with him to Troy – Abduction or seduction? Various views were advanced in antiquity.

Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, collected Greek leaders for war, calling on them to make good their oath to Menelaus. Troops assembled at Aulis – 2 big events there (1) An omen of war’s length, interpreted by Calchas as the war would be long and Troy would fall in its 10 th year. (2) Agamemnon angered Diana by killing her deer. Artemis held up the winds for sailing and Agamemnon was compelled to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, in order to get the fleet off.

Greeks set sail: Agamemnon, Menelaus, Achilles, Diomedes, Ajax the Greater, Nestor, Odysseus, Ajax the Lesser, Idomeneus, Philoctetes were all chiefs. Agamemnon supplied the greatest forces and so was put in charge Each of the other kings was lord over the troops from his own homeland Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis Ajax

Trojans/Dardanians (Troy/Ilium) Priam is King; Hecuba, his queen Their children: Hector, Paris, Helenus, Cassandra, Polyxena Also fighting as Asian allies of Troy: Aeneas and Sarpedon, plus Thracians, Amazons, Ethiopians

Quarrel that opens Iliad

Events of Iliad In 9 th year of war, a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles over a girl Achilles sits out of the war, planning to go home The Greeks in subsequent battles are driven to their ships and Trojans flourish under Hector’s leadership Patroclus, Achilles’ best friend, puts on Achilles’ armor in order to raise morale of Greeks Hector, best fighter of the Trojans, kills Patroclus Achilles, maddened with grief over the loss of his friend, reenters the war, eventually killing Hector Priam goes in person to ask for the corpse of his son Hector’s funeral

So Iliad ends, but war continued Amazon tribe joined the Trojans Achilles was killed by arrow of Paris, he was shot in his heel, the only part of his body that could be hurt. Competition for the armor of Achilles – Ajax, son of Telemon, lost and went mad—killed himself; Odysseus won Calchas the seer gave conditions for Troy’s fall – 1. Neoptolemus fighting 2. Palladium removed from Troy 3. Bow of Heracles (held by Philoctetes) on hand

All conditions fulfilled, then the device of the wooden horse was used. Troy could not be taken by force, but could be by stealth.

Laocoon and sons – Laocoon, Trojan priest of Poseidon, advised the Trojans to burn the wooden horse. In punishment, he and his sons were killed by a giant sea snake.

Wooden Horse taken into the city as Laocoon and his sons die in foreground.

Aftermath Trojan men and boys killed Trojan women handed out as booty Cassandra, daughter of Priam and Hecuba, went to Agamemnon; Hecuba to Odysseus; Andromache to Neoptolemus, son of Achilles All the Greeks had difficulties getting home and staying home.

Homecomings, as with any war, even the winners have difficulty. Ajax the Lessor was shipwrecked by Athena and drowned by Poseidon for raping Cassandra in Athena’s temple during the sack of Troy Agamemnon arrived home and was murdered by his wife and her lover, Aegisthus. Menelaus was driven by a storm to Egypt where he stayed for eight years before returning to Sparta. He lost 55 of the 60 ships that sailed with him.

Homecoming, continued… Diomedes returned home to an unfaithful wife. He left and kept moving, finally landing in Italy. Idomeneus of Crete was rejected by his wife and family. He also kept wandering until he came at last to Italy. Neoptolemus went home by land and married Helen’s daughter, Hermione. He was killed by her fiancée, Orestes, son of Agamemnon.

And Odysseus – wandered for 10 more years before he could come home to Ithaca. This is the story of the Odyssey – the wanderings of Odysseus, the aftermath of war, and Odysseus’ homecoming.