By: Ivy Phillips
The Trojan War was fought between Greece and
Troy over Helen of Troy. Helen was the most
beautiful woman in the world, and she was
married to King Menelaus. Paris came into Greece
and fell in love with Helen. Together they ran off
to Troy, leaving King Menelaus and Greece
behind.
Fate had destined Paris and Helen to
meet. A while back, Paris judged a contest
of beauty between Aphrodite, Hera, and
Athena. Paris voted Aphrodite the
winner, so in return she promised him the
most beautiful woman in the world as his
wife.
Paris and Helen’s scandal became
known all throughout Greece.
Menelaus called upon all of the kings of
Greece and commanded them to march
upon Troy. None of the Kings wanted
to risk open warfare, especially on
Troy, but they had to obey the High
King’s commands.
The fighting went on for over nine
years. Many heroes died on both
sides of the war. Of these heroes
some of the more well-known were
Achilles, Hector, and Patroclus.
Toward the end of the Trojan War, Ulysses received
an idea. His idea was that the Greeks should build
a giant wooden horse and give it to the Trojans as a
peace offering. Inside the horse, would be a hidden
army of men that would overtake Troy.
This plan was carried out effectively, bringing victory
to the Greeks. They won the Trojan War after 10
years of fighting.
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 In Greek society women were viewed as status
symbols. The more beautiful your wife was, the
greater you were. Men thought of women as
possessions instead of equals. This is why King
Menelaus became enraged when Helen left him for
Paris. Not only had Menelaus spent time fighting for
Helen’s hand, but he possessed the Most Beautiful
Woman in the World.
 Men, on the other hand, were the head of
everything. The men controlled politics, the
household, and were always expected to
be the ones to go on quests. Since men
are stronger than women they went to war
and fought for the gods.
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Piety is a word that means having spiritual devotion. This was extremely important in
ancient Greece because the gods wanted to be adored and revered. The gods also had a
very quick temper, so when they didn’t get enough attention they hurt humans (usually in
a variety of ways depending on the god).
People in Ancient times showed respect to the gods because they often gave favor to their
faithful subjects. For example, a person that prayed to Demeter for good crops might be
blessed with a good harvest.
The Greeks also respected the gods because of their reputation for getting angry. The
gods got angry all the time, and when they did it was not a pretty sight. Storms might
ravage the land, or various disasters would occur if all of the gods were mad at once.
People were afraid of the gods’ vengeance, so they worshipped them often to please
them.
Piety is demonstrated in the story of the Trojan War. When Troy or Greece needed
favor with the gods, they would pray and give sacrifices to them to show their devotion.
Most of the time this would appease the gods and they would help whoever sacrificed to
them.
Hospitality
• Hospitality is very important in Greek culture and mythology. In
olden times if a man came to your door seeking lodging it was
unwise to refuse him. People did not know their true identity . It
could be a god, or a magician dressed up as a beggar.
• It was also important because Zeus had set up the law of
hospitality, and if it was violated there could be major
consequences from Zeus.
• In the story of the Trojan War, King Menelaus showed Prince
Paris hospitality by letting him stay at his home in Sparta. Paris
violated Menelaus’ generosity by stealing away Menelaus’ wife,
Helen. This is the event that started the whole Trojan War.
Kings & Heroes…
 In Greek mythology the Kings of a nation were always the most powerful
people. Oftentimes, these kings needed heroes to fulfill their wishes or to
perform great deeds in their name.
 For example, Kings Menelaus, Agamemnon, and Ulysses all went to war on
Troy. They had the help of Achilles, Ajax, and Diomede to defeat the Trojans.
Without each side’s own heroes to do most of the fighting, the war would
have been very one-sided.
The concept of honor drives many of the events in Greek
Mythology. Honor was something the people felt the gods had
ingrained in them, and if they did not uphold that honor their
reputation was blackened.
In the Trojan War, the concept of upholding honor is shown
in many ways, but more so in Menelaus. When Helen ran away
from him his honor had been damaged. His country’s honor
had also been damaged by Helen’s rash actions. As a result,
King Menelaus had to declare war upon Greece. He was
forced to uphold his honor, even if it meant getting thousands
of his men killed in the process.