An Introduction to the Trojan War
With emphasis given to
the place and position
of Odysseus and his
epic poem.
SETTING: GREECE 1250 B.C
Review: Myths
A myth is an explanation of something in nature; how
everything in the universe came into existence (men,
animals, trees, the sun, earthquakes, etc) and all that
happens
Myths are early science but also entertainment
Greek mythology is made up of stories about gods and
goddesses
Greek Pantheon
The universe created the gods who lived on Mount Olympus.
Zeus, god of the sky
• Athena: goddess of wisdom
• Helen: most beautiful woman
Poseidon, god of the sea
• Charybdis: devourer of land
• Polyphemus: chief monster of the Cyclopes
• Aeolus: keeper of winds
Hades, god of the underworld
• Morpheus: god of sleep and dreams
Origins of the Trojan War
Took place between approximately 1260-1250 B.C.
Archaeological remains provide evidence that there
was a war but cause unknown.
Scholars believe the war began over control of the
trade route between the Aegean Sea and the Black
Sea between the Trojans and Greeks.
Ancient mythology states that the war began over a
single woman, Helen, queen of Sparta.
Marriage of Peleus and Thetis
All gods on Olympus invited except ERIS, the evil
goddess of Discord
Apple inscribed with “For The Fairest”
Apple Claimants:
– Hera, queen of the gods
– Athena, goddess of war and wisdom
– Aphrodite, goddess of love
Paris, Prince of Troy, will be the judge
The Bribe
Hera - POWER
Athena - WISDOM
Aphrodite – HOT BODY,
BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
Paris chooses Aphrodite
Helen of Troy
Helen- beautiful daughter of
King of Sparta (in Greece)
Helen has many suitorsthey swear oath to protect
Helen and her new husband
Father chooses Menelausmakes him King of Sparta
also
Paris abducts Helen
1000 ships, including
Odysseus & Achilles, leave
for Troy
Gods Take Sides: Trojans
Humans
Paris
Hector
Gods
Aphrodite
Ares, god of war
Apollo, sun god
Artemis, goddess of the hunt
Zeus (neutral)
Gods Take Sides: Greeks
Humans
Achilles
Odysseus
Gods
Hera
Athena
Poseidon
Trojan War: The Battle
Ten years of
– hand to hand combat.
– periods of temporary
truce to bury the dead
– no fighting after
sunset.
Trojan War: Odysseus’ Trick
Greeks build a gigantic hollow
horse and hide inside
Sinon chosen to tell a tale of the
Greeks leaving
Priest Laocoon tried to warn
Trojans “I fear the Greeks even
when they bear gifts”
Poseidon sent serpent to kill
Laocoon
Trojan War: Surprise Attack
Trojans thought they had
won
Sinon tells them horse is
an offering to Athena - big
so Trojans wouldn’t take it
Trojans fall for it and drag
horse into city gates to
temple of Athena
Trojan War: The Sacking of Troy
In middle of night Greeks leave
horse and attack
Troy is in flames before Trojans
know what has happened
King of Troy dead
Women and Children become
slaves
Helen is returned to Menelaus
Odysseus’ Mistakes
Trojans were slaughtered and city sacked and burned
Greeks violated Trojan temples
Greeks did not offer sacrifices to the gods to thank them
for their victory
Odysseus, creator of the Horse, will suffer the most
Homer and the Epic Poem
The Odyssey
The Illiad
• Describes the 10-year
• First written record of
journey of Odysseus as he
Greece
tries to go home to Ithaca
• describes the events of 51
after the Trojan War
days during the last year • He and his men face
of the war when Achilles
monsters, giants,
kills Hector
cannibals, temptation, and
death
500 year gap between the actual war and when the
story was written down in 725 BCE.
Epic Poems
An epic is a story-poem about a great hero who
performs daring deeds that require superhuman
courage
Told orally, not written, recited from memory by
minstrels (traveling entertainers)
In Greek epics the gods either help or hinder the hero,
like in The Odyssey, Poseidon hinders Odysseus while
Athena helps him
Activity: Timed Writing
Using what you have learned in class, write
a short tabloid-style story that highlights a
character or event that is central to the
Trojan War. Please pay attention to all
standard writing conventions (i.e. spelling,
capitalization, punctuation, etc.)
Paris is for Lovers
No, not that Paris
The King of Troy can’t seem to keep his boys in their chambers, as the impetuous and
impulsive Paris, Prince of Troy, secreted himself off to Sparta for a Mediterranean jaunt.
Hector, the busy-body older brother, followed “to keep him out of trouble.”
Hector’s best efforts failed, though, as he and his younger brother beat a hasty retreat to
the war drums of 1000 Greek ships. Their misdeed: taking another man’s wife.
Helen, the princess of Sparta famed for her beauty and rumored to be an illegitimate
child of Zeus, had been promised to the much older and battle-maimed Menelaus by her
father. However, her tastes appear to favor the strength and vitality of youth, as she
appeared to put up very little struggle while boarding the Trojan ship.
Mount Olympus presented a very divided front on the issue. The conservative block,
led by Hera and Poseidon, demanded a swift and immediate return of the Spartan
property. Meanwhile, the liberal faction of Apollo and Artemis expressed satisfaction
with the choice. Zeus, who is rumored to be at an undisclosed location with the mortal
Alcmene, refused to issue a statement.
When asked for her take on the story, Aphrodite, the goddess of love who recently
received a prize of her own from Paris, exclaimed with delighted giggle, “Paris really is
for lovers!”