According to the ancient Greek epic poet Homer, the Trojan War was caused by Paris, son of the Trojan king, and Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus, when they went off together to Troy. To get her back, Menelaus sought help from his brother Agamemnon, who assembled a Greek army to defeat Troy.
Why did the Trojan War begin according to to legend?
The Trojan War came about for two main reasons: Zeus, the Kind of the gods, wanted to find a way to reduce the ever-increasing human population. However, before all that, there are stories that claim the entire thing came about as a result of the meddling Greek gods.
Why did the gods take sides in the Trojan War?
They were fine with each other before the Trojan War — but the king of the gods Zeus was out to cause some trouble due to his own selfishness, and that see these three charters down a bad path. Read on to get their full story and to decide for yourself whether how you would have done things differently.
Why did the Trojan War take long to end?
The third and final factor of the Trojan War was the idea that the Trojans and the Spartans were matched enemies who fought with each other until a winner was declared by means of an amazing feat of smart strategy. Troy had a hidden strength that allowed them to fight effectively without the Greeks knowing.
What are facts about the Trojan War?
Trojan War
- History of the Bronze Age and Troy. The Bronze Age was the first era known for humans to create tools and weapons made out of metal which replaced their stone ...
- Homer's Greek Gods. ...
- The Trojan horse. ...
- Allusions of the Trojan War. ...
- Trojan War in Pop Culture. ...
- Stories, books, movies. ...
- References. ...
How did the Trojan War actually start?
According to classical sources, the war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen's jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her.
Did Trojan War actually happen?
As the historical sources – Herodotus and Eratosthenes – show, it was generally assumed to have been a real event. According to Homer's Iliad, the conflict between the Greeks – led by Agamemnon, King of Mycenae – and the Trojans – whose king was Priam – took place in the Late Bronze Age, and lasted 10 years.
Was Helen of Troy a real person?
Helen of Troy is a mythical figure from Greek mythology and literature, notably Homer's Iliad. She was not a real person.
Was Achilles a real person?
There is no proof that Achilles existed or that any of Homer's other characters did. The long answer is that Homer's Achilles may have been based, at least in part, on a historical character; the same is true of the rest of Homer's characters.
Was the Trojan War a real war?
The story of the Trojan War comes from Greek mythology and literature but it may be based on real conflicts between Mycenaeans and Hittites during...
How did the Trojan War start?
The Trojan War started because the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, wife of Menelaos, the king of Sparta. Menelaus persuaded his brother Agamemn...
Who fought in the Trojan War?
Many heroes fought in the Trojan War. On the Greek side were Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus and Ajax. The Trojans had Paris and Hector. The Olympian...
Who won the Trojan War?
The alliance of Greek cities won the Trojan War by eventually entering the city of Troy and looting it of its treasures.
How did the Greeks win the Trojan War?
The Greeks won the Trojan War by pretending to leave Troy but leaving behind a giant wooden horse. The Trojans thought this was a gift to the gods...
What started the Trojan War?
According to the ancient Greek epic poet Homer, the Trojan War was caused by Paris, son of the Trojan king, and Helen, wife of the Greek king Menel...
Was the Trojan War real?
There has been much debate over historical evidence of the Trojan War. Archaeological finds in Turkey suggest that the city of Troy did exist but t...
Who won the Trojan War?
The Greeks won the Trojan War. According to the Roman epic poet Virgil, the Trojans were defeated after the Greeks left behind a large wooden horse...
What happened to Achilles in the Trojan War?
The death of Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior of the Trojan War, is not described in Homeric works. In Arctinus’s Aethiopis, Achilles is said t...
What is the Trojan War?
The events of the Trojan War are found in many works of Greek literature and depicted in numerous works of Greek art. There is no single, authoritative text which tells the entire events of the war. Instead, the story is assembled from a variety of sources, some of which report contradictory versions of the events. The most important literary sources are the two epic poems traditionally credited to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, composed sometime between the 9th and 6th centuries BC. Each poem narrates only a part of the war. The Iliad covers a short period in the last year of the siege of Troy, while the Odyssey concerns Odysseus's return to his home island of Ithaca following the sack of Troy and contains several flashbacks to particular episodes in the war.
Who wrote the dramas of the Trojan War?
Among Roman writers the most important is the 1st century BC poet Virgil; in Book 2 of his Aeneid, Aeneas narrates the sack of Troy.
How long did the Achaeans besiege Troy?
The Achaeans besieged Troy for nine years. This part of the war is the least developed among surviving sources, which prefer to talk about events in the last year of the war. After the initial landing the army was gathered in its entirety again only in the tenth year. Thucydides deduces that this was due to lack of money. They raided the Trojan allies and spent time farming the Thracian peninsula. Troy was never completely besieged, thus it maintained communications with the interior of Asia Minor. Reinforcements continued to come until the very end. The Achaeans controlled only the entrance to the Dardanelles, and Troy and her allies controlled the shortest point at Abydos and Sestos and communicated with allies in Europe.
How did Zeus become king?
According to Greek mythology, Zeus had become king of the gods by overthrowing his father Cronus; Cronus in turn had overthrown his father Uranus. Zeus was not faithful to his wife and sister Hera, and had many relationships from which many children were born. Since Zeus believed that there were too many people populating the earth, he envisioned Momus or Themis, who was to use the Trojan War as a means to depopulate the Earth, especially of his demigod descendants.
How long was the Iliad?
The core of the Iliad (Books II – XXIII) describes a period of four days and two nights in the tenth year of the decade-long siege of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war's heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems, which have survived through fragments.
Where did the war of the goddesses originate?
Legend has it that the war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris of Troy, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus of Sparta, fall in love with Paris, who absconded with her from Sparta and returned to Troy.
Where did the Achaean army gather?
The Achaean forces first gathered at Aulis. All the suitors sent their forces except King Cinyras of Cyprus. Though he sent breastplates to Agamemnon and promised to send 50 ships, he sent only one real ship, led by the son of Mygdalion, and 49 ships made of clay. Idomeneus was willing to lead the Cretan contingent in Mycenae's war against Troy, but only as a co-commander, which he was granted. The last commander to arrive was Achilles, who was then 15 years old.
What is the Trojan War?
Trojan War: Art & Literature. Troy and the Trojan War became a staple myth of Classical Greek and Roman literature and were revisited many times by writers in works such as Aeschylus ' Agamemnon, Euripides ' Trojan Women, and Virgil 's Aenid.
Where was the Trojan War fought?
The Trojan War was fought between Greeks and the defenders of the city of Troy in Anatolia sometime in the late Bronze Age. The story has grabbed the imagination for millennia but a conflict between Mycenaeans and Hittites may well have occurred, even if its representation in epic literature such as Homer 's Iliad is almost certainly more myth ...
What happened to Menelaus' sword?
However, Menelaus was not finished and with his sword he struck a fearful blow on the Trojan prince's helmet. The sword shattered, though, and fell in pieces into the dust. Menelaus then grabbed Paris' helmet with his bare hands and proceeded to drag him from the field.
How many days did the Trojan War last?
The main source for our knowledge of the Trojan War is Homer's Iliad (written sometime in the 8th century BCE) where he recounts 52 days during the final year of the ten-year conflict. The Greeks imagined the war to have occurred some time in the 13th century BCE. However, the war was also the subject of a long oral tradition prior to Homer's work, ...
Why did Zeus start the Trojan War?
The Trojan War, in Greek tradition, started as a way for Zeus to reduce the ever-increasing population of humanity and, more practically, as an expedition to reclaim Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon.
What did the Greek gods protect against?
The gods had their favourites amongst the men fighting down on the plains of Troy & they often protected them by deflecting spears. Amongst the Greek warriors were some extra special heroes, leaders who were the greatest fighters and displayed the greatest courage on the battlefield.
Which city was the most likely candidate for the besieged city of Homer's Trojan War?
Of the several cities built on top of each other, Troy VI (c. 1750-1300 BCE) is the most likely candidate for the besieged city of Homer's Trojan War. Impressive fortification walls with several towers certainly fit the Homeric description of 'strong-built Troy'.
How did the Trojan War start?
According to classical sources, the war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen’s jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her. Agamemnon was joined by the Greek heroes Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, and accompanied by a fleet of more than a thousand ships from throughout the Hellenic world. They crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to lay siege to Troy and demand Helen’s return by Priam, the Trojan king.
Who led the Greeks to the Trojan War?
When night fell, the horse opened up and a group of Greek warriors, led by Odysseus, climbed out and sacked the Troy from within. After the Trojan defeat, the Greeks heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the arduous and often-interrupted journey home to Ithaca recounted in the “Odyssey.”.
How long did the siege of Troy last?
The siege, punctuated by battles and skirmishes including the storied deaths of the Trojan prince Hector and the nearly-invincible Achilles, lasted more than 10 years until the morning the Greek armies retreated from their camp, leaving a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy.
When was Troy destroyed?
Since the 19th-century rediscovery of the site of Troy in what is now western Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered increasing evidence of a kingdom that peaked and may have been destroyed around 1,180 B.C. —perhaps forming the basis for the tales recounted by Homer some 400 years later in the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey.”.
When was the Trojan War epic written?
The Trojan War Epics. Little is known about the historical Homer. Historians date the completion of the “Iliad” to about 750 B.C., and the “Odyssey” to about 725. Both began within the oral tradition, and were first transcribed decades or centuries after their composition.
Who inspired the Trojan War?
The story of the Trojan War—the Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece–straddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity, from Homer, Herodotus and Sophocles to Virgil.
Who was the father of Helen in the Trojan War?
Several of the main characters are direct offspring of the Greek gods (Helen was fathered by Zeus, who disguised himself as a swan and raped her mother Leda), and much of the action is guided (or interfered with) by the various competing gods.
What was the Trojan War?
What Is the Trojan War? The Trojan War was a decade-long war started by the Achaeans (Greeks) against the city of Troy. They sought war after Helen, queen of Sparta, was taken away from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta, by Paris of Troy. This war has been documented in a number of works of Greek literature.
When did the Trojan War take place?
The ancient Greek mathematician, Eratosthenes, was much more specific and claimed that the Trojan War took place around 1184 BCE. The ancient Romans also bought into the story of the Trojan War.
Why is the Trojan War important?
The Trojan War is instrumental to Greek mythology. And its importance helps to show why Greeks were so willing to believe it was more than historical fiction. Still, plenty of classical Greeks believed that Homer’s epic poems had likely exaggerated what really happened to make the war seem more dramatic.
What did the Greeks do to Troy?
Over the following nine years, the Greeks destroyed Troy’s surrounding landscapes and cities. However, Troy was so well protected that it could not be taken down. As a final attempt to penetrate the citadel, the Greeks built the Trojan Horse.
How long did the Trojan War last?
But if we were to start our search for the truth with Homer’s Iliad, we would see that the war between the Trojans and the Greeks lasted for ten years and took place during the Late Bronze Age. After Paris and Helen eloped, the Greeks wanted to punish the Trojans to get Helen back.
Why was Homer so quick to believe this ancient tale?
For example, when a warrior dies, Homer describes how the fish and eels ate him up in the sea.
What did the Trojans decide to do with the horse?
The Trojans then debated if they should accept the gift, burn it, or roll it down the hillside. Eventually, they decided to bring the horse into their city. That night, the soldiers jumped out of the horse and killed the guards. The other Greek soldiers were then able to sneak into the city easily.
Why was the Trojan War passed down?
Thus, the Trojan War myth was passed down, generation to generation, because the ancient Greeks believed that their own ancestors took part in the conflict. The Trojan War continued to be held as a true, historical event for over one thousand years.
Why is the Trojan War retold in Greek literature?
Part of the Trojan War’s retelling in Greek literature is because the ancient Greeks absolutely believed the Trojan War had been a historical event in the past. In the 5th Century BCE, for example, Herodotus, the so-called “father of history,” dated the Trojan War to about 800 years before his own lifetime.
What is the archaeological evidence that suggests a conflict in Troy?
Another piece of evidence that perhaps suggests a conflict in Troy is the archaeological finding of arrowheads on the Troy VII layer. The arrowheads found on this excavation layer could suggest some sort of conflict, especially because they match the time Homer suggested the Trojan War happened.
What evidence is there against the Trojan War?
Evidence against the Trojan War. Although there are a few tidbits of historical evidence supporting some sort of conflict in Troy, there is more evidence that goes against a Trojan War. The first gaping hole is that there is no Greek or Mycenaean archaeological evidence to suggest the destruction of Troy.
When did the Hittites sack Troy?
There is concrete evidence present to tell archaeologists that the Hittites definitely did sack Troy around 1500-1400 BCE. If the Greeks truly were in a major conflict with the Trojans for 10 years and ended up sacking the city, one would think that similar evidence would be found in excavations.
When did Troy VI get earthquakes?
There is evidence to suggest that Troy VI suffered earthquake damage perhaps sometime in the early 1200s BCE, which most likely weakened its defenses. Furthermore, evidence from Troy VII suggests there was a fire that caused significant damage around 1190-1180 BCE.
Was the Trojan War based on a true story?
Homer’s accounts of the Trojan War have the potential to be based on real historical events. Until there is definitive evidence supporting or denying a major Greek–Trojan conflict, the Trojan War will continue to be retold over and over, helping the story to continue to live on for perhaps a thousand more years.
Was Troy a real city?
One thing that is certain is that the city of Troy was a real city that existed during the Bronze Age. We know this because the archaeological remains of the city have been extensively excavated by numerous archaeologists over the past century and a half since the site was first identified at Hisarlik in modern-day Turkey in 1865 by the English archaeologist Frank Calvert (lived 1828–1908).
Was the Trojan War a real event?
The Trojan War was probably not a real historical event, or at least not in the way it is described in ancient Greek literary sources. As the classical scholar John Chadwick concludes in the chapter “Homer the Pseudohistorian” in his book The Mycenaean World, “…oral tradition could perfectly well preserve facts for many centuries, but… it has a habit of distorting the truth and introducing serious errors into the account… We cannot therefore accept the Homeric story as historical as it stands; much of it is unverifiable, but we must estimate Homer’s credibility by testing his account where we have evidence.”
How long did the myth of the Trojan War last?
The myth of the Trojan War was certainly truth for Greek speaking people living 27 centuries ago. They believed that their ancestors took part in the events of the war. Their descendants continued to believe the story was true for about 1000 years.
What are the three groups of myths that are related to the Trojan War?
That is because the Trojan War story falls into the category of myth. Scholars who study the old stories divide them into three groups: myth, legend, and folktale. Myths generally involve the supernatural, in the form of gods, monsters and superheroes. The mythology of a people can help explain their past and define their values.
Overview
Legend
Traditionally, the Trojan War arose from a sequence of events beginning with a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and so arrived bearing a gift: a golden apple, inscribed "for the fairest". Each of the goddesses claimed to be the "fairest", and the rightful owner of the apple. They submitted the judgment to a shepherd they encountered tending his flock. Each of the god…
Sources
The events of the Trojan War are found in many works of Greek literature and depicted in numerous works of Greek art. There is no single, authoritative text which tells the entire events of the war. Instead, the story is assembled from a variety of sources, some of which report contradictory versions of the events. The most important literary sources are the two epic poems traditionally credited to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, composed sometime between the 9th a…
Dates of the Trojan War
Since this war was considered among the ancient Greeks as either the last event of the mythical age or the first event of the historical age, several dates are given for the fall of Troy. They usually derive from genealogies of kings. Ephorus gives 1135 BC, Sosibius 1172 BC, Eratosthenes 1184 BC/1183 BC, Timaeus 1193 BC, the Parian marble 1209 BC/1208 BC, Dicaearchus 1212 BC, Herodotus around 1250 BC, Eretes 1291 BC, while Douris gives 1334 BC. As for the exact day Ep…
Historical basis
The historicity of the Trojan War, including whether it occurred at all and where Troy was located if it ever existed, is still subject to debate. Most classical Greeks thought that the war was a historical event, but many believed that the Homeric poems had exaggerated the events to suit the demands of poetry. For instance, the historian Thucydides, who is known for being critical, considers it a true event but doubts that 1,186 ships were sent to Troy. Euripides started changin…
In popular culture
The inspiration provided by these events produced many literary works, far more than can be listed here. The siege of Troy provided inspiration for many works of art, most famously Homer's Iliad, set in the last year of the siege. Some of the others include Troädes by Euripides, Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer, Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare, Iphigenia and Polyxena by Samuel Coster, Palamedes by Joost van den Vondel and Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz.
Further reading
• Apollodorus, Gods & Heroes of the Greeks: The Library of Apollodorus, translated by Michael Simpson, The University of Massachusetts Press, (1976). ISBN 0-87023-205-3.
• Apollodorus, Apollodorus: The Library, translated by Sir James George Frazer, two volumes, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press and London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Volume 1: ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Volume 2: ISBN 0-674-99136-2.
External links
• Was There a Trojan War? Maybe so. From Archeology, a publication of the Archeological Institute of America. May/June 2004
• The Trojan War at Greek Mythology Link
• The Legend of the Trojan War. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007.