1 Homer and the Epic Cycle 2 Actual … Books It has been mentioned in several works of literature in ancient Greece, one of the main sources of the event being Homer’s Iliad. In the second half of the 5th Century BC, Herodotus, the so-called ‘Father of History’, placed the Trojan War almost 800 years before his own time. Finally catching him, Achilles killed his quarry with a vicious stab of his spear in Hector’s throat. Victory had its price though. They sacked Troy after the Trojans brought the horse inside the city walls. A historic Trojan War would have been quite different from the one that dominates Homer’s epic. It owed its power to its strategic location, which allowed it to control the traffic between the Black and the Aegean Sea. The ruins of this great city were visible and still very impressive in Homer’s day. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was a legendary ten-year conflict in which Greek warriors laid siege to Troy, a city on the northwestern coast of Asia Minor*. This is because Helen’s husband, Menelaus, got his brother, Agamemnon, to lead a voyage to find her and get her back. But the King feels s… Cartwright, M. (2018, March 22). The siege of Troy forms the crux of Homer's Iliad and the return of Odysseus, a Greek hero, after the Trojan War forms the crux of Odyssey. This is the Trojan War finally explained. According to the ancient Greek epic poet Homer, the Trojan War was caused by Paris, son of the Trojan king, and Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus, when they went off together to Troy. A conflict between Mycenaeans and Hittites may well have occurred, but its representation in epic literature such as Homer ’s Iliad is almost certainly more myth than reality. OK, so maybe the Trojan “War” was more like a Trojan earthquake. There is no Trojan Horse in the original poems by Homer about the Trojan War, and the conclusion of the story is marked by the retrieval of Hector's corpse (a great Trojan hero) by his father, Priam (king of Troy), from the willing hands of Achilles (the Greek general), … Ajax then returned the favour with an even bigger rock, smashing Hector’s shield. Convincingly. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. The war stirred the imagination of the ancient Greeks more than any other event in their history and was celebrated in the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer, as well as a number of other early works now lost, and frequently provided material for the great dramatists of the Classical Age. Using bronze, tin, silver, and gold, the god made a massive shield which depicted a myriad of earthly scenes and all the constellations. Initially reluctant, the emotional pleas of the old man were finally heeded and Achilles consented to return the body. It was a decision which would seal the fate of Troy. Trojan War. The mythical story of Rome … According to the Roman epic poet Virgil, the Trojans were defeated after the Greeks left behind a large wooden horse and pretended to sail for home. The war was finally ended by the famous trick, the Trojan Horse. The Trojans not only refused this, but they also threatened to kill the envoy and only the intervention of the Trojan elder Antenor saved the lives of Menelaus and Odysseus. The excerpt below from The Trojan War: A Very Short Introduction helps answer some of the many questions about the infamous war Homer helped immortalize.. By Eric Cline. Ambrosian Iliadby Unknown (Public Domain) Following a tremendous day of fighting, Hector led the Trojans in an attack on the very walls of the Greeks’ camp. 42. Menelaus then grabbed Paris’ helmet with his bare hands and proceeded to drag him from the field. During the War Menelaus challenged Paris to a dual, which he duly won. 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. From classical sources, it can be said that the Trojan War started after the elopement (or abduction) of the queen of Sparta, Helen by Paris, the Trojan prince. Troy VI was partially destroyed but the exact cause is not known beyond some evidence of fire. The Achaeans, warriors and rulers of the people of Greece, were on the opposite shore of the same sea and wanted … Ancient Greece for kids. We call it … The Trojan War: 1300 - 1100 BC The years have brought trouble to the Sons of Pelops. Ancient Greece, Roman Empire / By Viktor Susnyak / 1 November 2018 6 November 2020 / Aeneas, Aeneid, Anchises, Homer, Illiad, Oddysey, Tojan war, Troy, Virgil. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. However, despite all the linguistic … When the Trojans brought the horse into their city, the hidden Greeks opened the gates to their comrades, who then sacked Troy, massacred its men, and carried off its women. The gods had their favourites amongst the men fighting down on the plains of Troy and they often protected them by deflecting spears and even spiriting them away in the heat of battle to put them down somewhere safe, far from danger. Tiring of indecisive battles, Menelaus offered to fight Paris in single-combat and so settle the issue of the war. Here the Iliad ends but the war still had a few more twists of fate to turn. Similarly, the characters Homer immortalized in his great epic transcends the brutality, seriousness, and devastation of war. It is known as the legend of the Trojan horse. The city of Troy, or Ilion, is supposed to be situated on the western coast of Turkey, on the Asian side. However, at this point, great Apollo intervened on behalf of the Trojans and struck the helmet and armour from Patroclus, shattered his spear and knocked his shield from his arm. Achilles, on seeing one of the Greek ships already ablaze, reluctantly gave his consent but warned Patroclus to only repel the Trojans from the camp and not pursue them to the walls of Troy. The Trojan War. Exhibitions and events The myth of the Trojan War You may have heard of the city of Troy, the Trojan War, the wooden horse, and Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. The meeting of the two great heroes echoes that of Menelaus and Paris. The events of the Trojan War are written about in a number of works of Ancient Greek literature, including Homer’s epic poem The Iliad, which is at least 2,500 years old. A palinode is a poetic apology in which the author retracts statements made in an earlier poem. Its strength was also to be its undoing. From Tenedos, the Greeks sent a diplomatic mission to Troy – probably consisting solely of Menelaus and Odysseus, though some say entailing Acamas and Diomedes as well – whose mission was to recover Helen by peaceful means. Agamemnon was able to get other Greek heroes, such as Odysseus, Ajax, Nestor, and Achilles, to join him on this adventure. Is this old legend true? Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. Inquiry—You will conduct online research, use critical thinking, and communicate effectively. Achilles and Ajax By Exekiasby Dan Diffendale (CC BY-NC-SA). The Trojan war was one of the military expeditions of great upheavals the Greeks undertook to capture lands beyond Greece. 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