We left off with Paris receiving the promise of marriage to a beautiful woman.
But since Tyndareus couldn't/wouldn't choose a suitor, how did Menelaus get to be the
lucky fella?
Odysseus, the clever one, offered to help Tyndareus in exchange for the hand of Tyn's
niece, Penelope.
The solution? Don't pick one yourself, have them draw straws. The losers then vow to
protect the groom.
P.S. Achilles wasn't there when everyone made their promise to protect the groom.
So Helen and Menelaus are to be married.
...but Paris wants his promised reward.
Paris has also, by this time, returned to Troy.
When it was discovered that he had survived to adulthood (raised by the chief herdsman),
he is reinstated as a prince of Troy.
Hector and Paris are sent to Sparta to attend the wedding as emissaries of Troy.
But wait, Mr. Reynolds – you said yesterday that she was already married?!? Are you a
little confused?
Okay, so she wasn't technically Mrs. Menelaus yet, but back in those days, being
betrothed, or what we call engaged, was a legally binding as being husband and wife.
Once Menelaus drew the lucky straw, and Tyndareus declared him the groom-to-be, that
was it. She wasn't 100% married yet, but she legally belonged to Menelaus, to the point
that a divorce would be required to break off the engagement.
So how did Paris win over fair Helen? As we talked about yesterday, Aprhodite usually
operated with a little help. At the spring of Ida, the Graces helped her influence Paris.
This time, she has Eros (aka Cupid) do her dirty work.
At the moment (prior to the wedding) when Helen first saw Paris, Eros fired one of his
special arrows into Helen's chest, and she falls in love with Paris.
But, too little, too late. The wedding ceremony proceeds, Helen becomes Mrs. Menelaus.
Furthermore, Tyndareus and Leda abdicate their thrones, and Menelaus and his new bride
become King and Queen of Sparta.
Well, why settle for one kingdom when you can have two, right? Immediately following
the wedding, Menelaus, Agamemnon, and Tyndareus head off to Mycenae with plans to
reconquer it.
Ag's father had been deposed and killed, and they wanted the kingdom back in the
family.
While they are gone, Paris takes Helen back to Troy, the location with which she is most
commonly associated: Helen of Sparta is now Helen of Troy
Somehow, Paris has convinced himself that nobody is going to mind.
Cressida and Briseis
A Trojan woman, Chryseis (Cressida), had been taken captive and made a slave to
Agamemnon (he preferred her to his own wife, Clytemnestra).
He refused to allow her father to ransom her. Dad was a priest of Apollo, and Apollo
became angry.
In order to appease Apollo, Ag has to return her to Dad. So, he does...but...
Ag now wants a new mistress/slave (concubine), so her takes Briseis from Achilles.
The Prophesies of Calchas
Oh, did I forget to mention this? If Achilles doesn't fight, the Greeks will not win.
So, don't forget, Ag., keep Achilles happy!
Achilles refuses to fight, because Agamemnon has taken Briseis.
The Life of Achilles
Son of Peleus and Thetis
Covered with Ambrosia/Dipped in Styx*
Invulnerability not present in oldest stories.
Calchas prophesy about Achilles & Troy was known to his mother, Thetis.
Thetis knew if Achilles went to Troy, he would die
She sent him to Skyros to the court of Lycomedes
There he was hidden, disguised as a young girl
While there, Achilles has an affair with Lycomedes daughter, Deidameia, and she had a
son, Pyrrhus
Odysseus arrives, looking for Achilles. To determine which of the “girls” is Achilles, he
set up a display of women's fine clothes, but along with it, he placed high quality
weapons and armor.
The actual girls went straight for the clothes, while Achilles was the only “maiden” to be
fascinated with the armor.
Once his disguise was ruined, Achilles went willingly with Odysseus to meet up with
Agamemnon at Aulis
Menelaus mostly wants Helen back. With Odysseus, he travels to Troy to negotiate
diplomatically, but fails.
Agamemnon is greedy and power-hungry
He uses his brother's misfortune as an excuse to conquer Troy.
Ag. contacts the former suitors and reminds them of their oath to protect the groom.
Remember, most of those suitors were royalty if they weren't kings – they all had armies
Reminds me of the feudal system in medieval Europe – King grants land in exchange for
military support
Ag. sends emissaries to all the suitors – prepare for war. We're going after Troy.
Even though the suitor-protection arrangement was his idea, Odysseus doesn't like this
plan.
When the messenger, Palamedes, arrives, Odysseus pretends he has gone mad. He plows
his field and plants salt instead of grain.
Pal. Suspects something is up, so he places Telemachos, Ody's infant son, in front of the
plow.
When Ody swerves to miss the child, it reveals that he is not mad.
Even though he doesn't feel right about the war, Odysseus reports for duty and will fight
honorably.
*Some sources say that Odysseus supported the war from the beginning, but this seems
somewhat out of character for him.
Random Side Note: Palamedes
Palamedes, who was the prince of Euboea (2nd largest Greek island) king Nauplius and
queen Clymene and who was also the grandson of Poseidon and Amymone (one of the
fifty Danaus' daughters) was the personification of time-honoured wisdom. But he was
also a tragical hero in the Greek myths, because he was the first example of an error of
justice.
Random Side Note: Palamedes
Palamedes' invention get into all spheres of life. It was he who discovered counting and
coinage, weights and measures (which are atributted to Hermes too) and military ranks
and the game of pessoi (a forerunner of chess). And a certain method of mixing wine in
proportions of 2 to 5 belonged to his ideas. Even the four (sometimes the eleven)
supplementary letters of the Greek alphabet are connected to his inventions, therefore
according to some myths, also other persons participated in this field.
Back to the War:
The 1st gathering at Aulis28 contingents 1178 pentekontori
(ships for 50 rowers)
Sources estimate anywhere between
70,000 – 130,000 men
Went on the expedition
The group led by Achilles were his father's Myrmidons (ant people) (50 ships @ 50 myr)
Calchas prophesies that Troy will fall in the 10th year
First stop – Mysia
Some say the fleet got lost, or that they mistook Mysia for Troy, but there was a minor
incident here in which Achilles wounds the king, Telephus, and refuses to heal him until
he reveals the route/location of Troy
But Achilles doesn't know how to heal him.
Odysseus reasons that, since the point of the spear created the wound, the shaft should
heal it.
Illogically, this works.
They continue on to Troy, but are separated by a storm. They regather the ships a 3rd
time, but now there is no wind.
They continue on to Troy, but are separated by a storm. They regather the ships a 3rd
time, but now there is no wind.
Iphigenia
In order to receive favorable winds for his voyage, King Agamemnon would have to
sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to appease Artemis. King Ag. Had killed an animal
sacred to her – a pregnant hare.
Agamemnon says, “No problem!”
(Clytemnestra is less than thrilled – some sources say she killed him upon his return
home from the war)
Iphigenia magically transported to Taurus and replaced by animal
Last Stop...
They finally set sail for Troy (again), and stop for supplies at Chryse island. Philoctetes is
bitten by a snake while on the island.
The wound festered and smelled so bad, they brought him to Lemnos and left him there
for 10 years.
Another prophecy said that Troy could not fall without Hercules' bow and arrows. After
finally arriving at Troy, Odysseus et al had to turn around, go all the way back to Lemnos
to get Phil, who for some reason had the arrows.
When they got him to Troy, he was cured by
Asclepius (Greek god of medicine and healing)
They finally arrive at Troy!