The war started with a golden apple at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis the sea goddess. The couple forgot to invite the goddess of discord, Eris. The goddess left in rage, but before she went she put a golden apple on the table saying that this apple is for the fairest in the land (sort of like Snow White). What she didn't know was that this apple could cause the most horrific war known.
Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all reached for the apple at the same time. Zeus saw this and proclaimed that Paris, the prince of Troy, was known to be the most beautiful man alive so Zeus said that he will decide who is the fairest in the land. Hermes went to Paris and asked him to judge the competition. He agreed. So Hera went and promised all the power in the world. Athena promised him wealth and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite and she promised that Helen, the wife of Menelaus, would be his wife. Having promised him Aphrodite took the apple and vanished. Paris set for Sparta determined that he would capture her and bring her to his country as his wife. The twin prophets, Cassandra and Helenus tried to stop him and so did his mother but he wouldn't listen.
In Sparta, Menelaus treated Paris as a royal guest but as soon as he left for a funeral, Paris abducted Helen (who could have gone willingly) and took most of his wealth. In Troy Helen and Paris were married this occurred in 1200 BC.
Menelaus was outraged that Paris stole Helen and called all of her old suitors who had taken an oath to back up Menelaus when she was in trouble. Many of them didn't want to go. Some, like Odysseus, pretended to be insane but the trick was uncovered. Achilles was not a suitor of Helen still went to war because the seer Calchas had stated that Troy would not be taken unless Achilles fought.
There was one suitor of Helen who was King of Paphos in Cyprus who didn't want to fight but he promised Agamemnon 50 ships for the fleet. The first ship was manned by his son but the 49 other ships were clay toy ships with clay soldiers which dissembled as soon as they were put in the ocean. Agamemnon was the brother of Menelaus.
When they were about to set off, Agamemnon either killed one of Diana's sacred stags or boasted to loud because Diana calmed the seas so the fleet couldn't take off. The seer Calchas said that Agamemnon's daughter has to be sacrificed before they can go. So that was done and they set off.
Finding Troy was quite difficult because the fleet first landed in Mysia because they thought that the Teuthranians had stolen Helen even though they denied such facts. The Greeks declared war on them but in the end prevailed but not before suffering heavy casualties at the hand of the King. The Trojan War might not have happened if Telephus had not been wounded by Achilles and then been told by a seer that the person who had wounded him could cure him so he went to Achilles. He cured Telephus but he told the Greeks the way to Troy.
The first nine years of the war was on Troy and the neighbouring places because they were supplying Troy with supplies.As well as destroying their economy, the battles let the Greeks collect lots of resources like weapons and women.The Greeks won many battles. The Trojan hero, Hector, fell and so did their ally Penthesilea. Only one thing was left, the walls. The Greeks couldn't break this down. Patroclus was killed and so was Achilles by Paris. Helenus was caught by the Greeks and told them that Troy would not captured unless:
A) Pyrrus, Achilles son, fought in the war
B) The bow and arrows of Hercules were used against the Trojans
C) The remains of Pelops were brought to Troy
D) The Palladium, a statue of Athena, was stolen from Troy
All of this was done by the Greeks and this is where the Trojan Horse comes in.
Odysseus, some say with the aid of Athena, ordered a large wooden horse to be built with the insides hollow so soldiers could hide. When the horse was built the soldiers climbed in and the rest of the Greek fleet sailed away. Only one man was left, Sinon. When the Trojans came out to marvel at the huge horse, Sinon raged and said that the Greeks left him behind. He then assured the Trojans that the horse was perfectly safe and that it would bring them good luck. Only two people spoke out against the horse, Laocoon and Cassandra, but they were ignored.
Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all reached for the apple at the same time. Zeus saw this and proclaimed that Paris, the prince of Troy, was known to be the most beautiful man alive so Zeus said that he will decide who is the fairest in the land. Hermes went to Paris and asked him to judge the competition. He agreed. So Hera went and promised all the power in the world. Athena promised him wealth and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite and she promised that Helen, the wife of Menelaus, would be his wife. Having promised him Aphrodite took the apple and vanished. Paris set for Sparta determined that he would capture her and bring her to his country as his wife. The twin prophets, Cassandra and Helenus tried to stop him and so did his mother but he wouldn't listen.
In Sparta, Menelaus treated Paris as a royal guest but as soon as he left for a funeral, Paris abducted Helen (who could have gone willingly) and took most of his wealth. In Troy Helen and Paris were married this occurred in 1200 BC.
Menelaus was outraged that Paris stole Helen and called all of her old suitors who had taken an oath to back up Menelaus when she was in trouble. Many of them didn't want to go. Some, like Odysseus, pretended to be insane but the trick was uncovered. Achilles was not a suitor of Helen still went to war because the seer Calchas had stated that Troy would not be taken unless Achilles fought.
There was one suitor of Helen who was King of Paphos in Cyprus who didn't want to fight but he promised Agamemnon 50 ships for the fleet. The first ship was manned by his son but the 49 other ships were clay toy ships with clay soldiers which dissembled as soon as they were put in the ocean. Agamemnon was the brother of Menelaus.
When they were about to set off, Agamemnon either killed one of Diana's sacred stags or boasted to loud because Diana calmed the seas so the fleet couldn't take off. The seer Calchas said that Agamemnon's daughter has to be sacrificed before they can go. So that was done and they set off.
Finding Troy was quite difficult because the fleet first landed in Mysia because they thought that the Teuthranians had stolen Helen even though they denied such facts. The Greeks declared war on them but in the end prevailed but not before suffering heavy casualties at the hand of the King. The Trojan War might not have happened if Telephus had not been wounded by Achilles and then been told by a seer that the person who had wounded him could cure him so he went to Achilles. He cured Telephus but he told the Greeks the way to Troy.
The first nine years of the war was on Troy and the neighbouring places because they were supplying Troy with supplies.As well as destroying their economy, the battles let the Greeks collect lots of resources like weapons and women.The Greeks won many battles. The Trojan hero, Hector, fell and so did their ally Penthesilea. Only one thing was left, the walls. The Greeks couldn't break this down. Patroclus was killed and so was Achilles by Paris. Helenus was caught by the Greeks and told them that Troy would not captured unless:
A) Pyrrus, Achilles son, fought in the war
B) The bow and arrows of Hercules were used against the Trojans
C) The remains of Pelops were brought to Troy
D) The Palladium, a statue of Athena, was stolen from Troy
All of this was done by the Greeks and this is where the Trojan Horse comes in.
Odysseus, some say with the aid of Athena, ordered a large wooden horse to be built with the insides hollow so soldiers could hide. When the horse was built the soldiers climbed in and the rest of the Greek fleet sailed away. Only one man was left, Sinon. When the Trojans came out to marvel at the huge horse, Sinon raged and said that the Greeks left him behind. He then assured the Trojans that the horse was perfectly safe and that it would bring them good luck. Only two people spoke out against the horse, Laocoon and Cassandra, but they were ignored.
Later in the night when most of the Trojans were drunk and asleep, Sinon let out the Greek warriors. Let's just say it was a massacre, since the Trojans had no way of protecting themselves. Priam was killed when he huddled as Zeus's altar and Cassandra was pulled out of Athena's statue and raped.
After the war, Polyxena, daughter of Priam, was sacrificed at the tomb of Achilles and Astyanax, son of Hector, was also sacrificed, to signify that the war was over.
Aeneas, a Trojan prince, had escaped his city's fate and lived to tell the story, Aeneid. Menelaus wanted to kill his unfaithful wife but was soon taken by Helen's beauty and seductiveness so he let her live. The Trojan women were divided among the