Chapter
Thirteen
–
The
Trojan
War
Mythology
for
Today
–
Hamilton’s
Mythology
1. The
text
is
the
epic
poem
The
Iliad,
written
by
Homer.
It
takes
place
around
1000
B.C.
2. The
judgment
of
Paris
is
necessary
as
a
result
of
a
wicked
trick
played
by
the
goddess
of
Discord,
who
is
annoyed
that
she
has
not
been
invited
to
a
wedding
feast.
Into
the
banquet
hall
she
throws
a
golden
apple
marked
“For
the
Fairest.”
It
is
given
to
Paris,
a
young
Prince,
to
decide
which
goddess
is
fairest:
Athena,
Aphrodite,
or
Hera.
He
chooses
Aphrodite,
who
promises
him
that
the
most
beautiful
woman
in
the
world
will
be
his.
3. Helen’s
father
makes
the
suitor
swear
an
oath
that
they
will
champion
the
cause
of
whomever
is
chosen
for
her
husband;
this
intelligent
move
protects
him
against
the
possibility
that
the
suitors
who
are
disappointed
will
unite
against
him.
4. Helen’s
beauty
was
at
the
heart
of
the
Trojan
War.
Paris,
who
was
promised
Helen
by
Aphrodite,
steals
her
away
from
Menelaus,
and
brings
her
back
to
Troy.
One
thousand
Greek
ships
go
to
Troy
to
bring
Helen
home,
and
to
bring
war.
5. The
two
chieftains
are
Achilles
and
Odysseus.
Odysseus
wishes
to
stay
with
his
family,
rather
than
get
involved
in
war,
which
he
sees
as
a
romantic
adventure.
He
pretends
he
has
gone
mad.
Achilles
is
sent
by
his
mother
to
a
distant
court,
where
he
hides,
dressed
as
a
woman.
His
mother
sends
him
away
because
she
knows
that
if
he
goes
to
Troy,
he
will
die
there.
Odysseus
finds
Achilles,
who
willingly
goes
with
him
to
join
the
Greek
army.
6. In
order
to
make
the
winds
favorable
for
their
journey,
the
Greeks
learn
that
they
must
sacrifice
Agamemnon’s
daughter,
Iphigenia.
The
girl
is
sacrificed
to
Artemis,
and
the
winds
become
favorable
–
yet,
dire
consequences
will
eventually
result
from
his
terrible
act.
7. The
Trojans
gain
an
advantage
when
Agamemnon
and
his
great
warrior,
Achilles,
begin
to
quarrel
over
a
woman,
thus
weakening
the
Greek
forces.
8. In
support
of
the
Trojans:
Aphrodite,
Ares,
Apollo,
Artemis.
On
the
Greek
side:
Hera,
Athena,
and
Poseidon.
Zeus
attempted
neutrality
initially,
but
eventually
assisted
the
Trojans.
9. Patroclus
is
the
dear
friend
of
Achilles.
While
Achilles
sulks
in
his
tent
as
the
Trojans
triumph,
Patroclus
borrows
his
friend’s
armor
so
that
he
might
intimidate
the
Trojans
and
help
the
Greeks
to
win
back
ground.
However,
he
is
killed
in
battle
by
Hector,
who
takes
the
armor.
10. Achilles
is
savage
and
brutal
in
his
treatment
of
Hector,
ignoring
his
plea
that
his
body
be
respectfully
treated
after
his
death.
Yet,
when
his
father
Priam
comes
to
take
the
body
for
burial,
he
is
gentle
and
sympathetic
with
the
old
man.
Earlier,
Achilles
had
been
overwhelmed
with
rage
for
the
murder
of
his
best
friend,
Patroclus,
but
later
he
realizes
that
Priam
has
also
suffered
a
great
loss;
they
are
both
in
mourning.