The City of Troy has an uncertain past, but for sure, it was founded by Ilos, son of Zeus and Electra. Ilos drove a cow across the plains until it collapsed, and at that location he built the city of Troy. That same night, a statue of a goddess fell from Olympus into the city. It was the Palladion, and as long as it was in the city, Troy would never fall. Ilos had a son, Laomedon, who later succeeded him. When the gods, Poseidon and Apollo, rebelled against Zeus near the beginning of time, Zeus punished them by later turning them into servants of King Laomedon for a period of time. The king, during this brief period, commanded the two to build walls for the city, which no enemy could ever breach. The two gods, not wanting to endow invulnerability to the city, had a section of the wall built weaker than the rest, the only part of the wall liable to attack.
The king, Laomedon was happy with the job, but when payment was due, he conveniently hid inside the city and refused payment, thinking that the walls would hold fast. Poseidon and Apollo were enraged, and they returned to Mount Olympus in a huff. Revenge was finally meted out to King Laomedon later when he tried to trick the hero, Herakles. Herakles stormed through the vulnerable section of the city walls, and killed Laomedon. Troy was left under the rule of Laomedon's baby son: Priam. Time passed, and Priam grew up, and had himself a son, Paris.
Then came the wedding of the gods, Thetis and Peleus. A golden apple was rolled between the goddesses Aphrodite, Athene and Hera, on it written 'for the fairest'. Each goddess wanting the apple for themselves, approached Zeus, who directed them to Paris, who was mortal and would thus be able to see clearer. Paris did not wish to offend any of the goddesses, and refused to judge, until he was threatened by Hera, and so he finally agreed.
The goddess' took their turn before Paris in private, and each one would offer Paris a bribe for his vote. Hera offered Paris royal power and Athene offered him wisdom. But Paris was finally swayed by Aphrodite's offer, the most beautiful woman in the world, Queen Helen of Sparta. Hera and Athene were furious, but there was nothing they could do. So to fulfill her promise, Aphrodite brought Paris to Greece. Helen was made to fall in love with Paris, and together they left for Troy.
The Greeks felt violated at the departure of their Queen, and many Greek princes like Aias, Diomedes and Nestor gathered to form a fleet of ships to attack Troy. Achilles had other considerations, though. Achilles was the child of Zeus and Thetis, and Thetis had made Achilles immortal by dipping him into the River Styx: the river that marked the boundary of the underworld. Knowing from prophecies that Achilles would die if he fought in the war, she tried to hide it from him, but he finally found out and he too joined the fleet along with Odysseus. Finally the contingent was ready to set out from Greece to attack Troy.
They had many obstacles and casualties along the way, but finally they reached Troy. On landing, they were attacked by defending soldiers. Achilles leapt off the ship and ran straight at the oncoming arrows unhurt, for his skin was immortal. He cleared the soldiers' encampment, and the Greeks proceeded to land safely on the shore and set up camp. The Siege of Troy had begun.
The war was not going to be a quick one, as Zeus had planned. The power on each side was perfectly balanced, with equal armies and heroes on both sides. Even the gods were split, with the spurned Hera and Athene, helping the Greeks against Paris, and with Ares and Apollo giving aid to Troy. Furthermore, Troy and Greece were not alone in the war. Allies from all around helped Troy attack the Greeks, while the Greeks themselves diffused their attention on Troy by pillaging nearby islands. At times, the gods were personally involved in the war, like Aphrodite who went raiding with her son, Aeneas. Diomedes attacked Aeneas, but Aphrodite took part of the blow, injuring her wrist. They needed Apollo to save them later.
After ten long years, neither side had scored any major victory. Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek contingent, grew weary, and gathered all his forces to concentrate on attacking Troy. With all the Greek leaders arriving outside the walls of Troy, there was much strife as quarrels between the heroes grew out of proportions. At one point, Achilles and Agamemnon had an argument, and eventually Achilles refused to fight for Greece anymore.It was when the Trojans were gaining an upper hand, led by the hero Hector, that the gods decided to interfere again. Hera charmed Zeus to bed, as Poseidon guided a falling boulder, thrown by the Greek Hero Aias, towards Hector, whom it killed instantly. The Trojans retreated, and Zeus, realizing this, jumped out from bed and resurrected Hector, while warning Poseidon never to interfere again.
With Hector alive again, the Trojans were out to war again. Achilles, seeing this from his tent, had his friend Patroklos wear his armour and push back the Trojans. Patroklos rode out into the battlefield, and everyone mistook him for Achilles and rallied around him and the Trojans fled. The Greeks pursued them closely, and the Trojans retreated into their city and closed the gates.
The Greeks now set up ladders against the high city walls and started scaling it. Patroklos was the first to reach the top, and when Hector saw him he was terrified, as he thought he was Achilles. Hector knew that if Achilles jumped into the city, Troy would fall. He prayed for intervention from the gods, and Apollo answered his prayer. Apollo tipped Patroklos from his position on the wall, with him falling backwards outside of the city. The impact of the fall threw the helmet off his head, and everyone then realized that he was not Achilles after all. The Trojans pushed forward again, and killed Patroklos, now without his helmet.
Patroklos' death spurred Achilles to fight again. His goddess mother, Thetis, made him a new set of armour, which he wore and strode onto the battlefield in. He called Hector out for a duel. Any god would have easily settled the duel, but Zeus forbade all interference, and realizing this, Hector knew that the first to tire would be the first to lose. He tried to tire Achilles, weighed down by his armour, by running around the city. Eventually, on the third round, Achilles caught up with Hector and killed him. He fastened Hector's body to a chariot and drove around the city three times. All the soldiers stopped in their steps and grew afraid of the savagery of the hero.
Every morning thereafter, Achilles would drag Hector's body around Patroklos' grave three times,
until finally when the Trojans could take it no more, Hector's father approached Achilles and demanded the body. Achilles would only give up the corpse for its equal weight in treasures, and so the exchange was made, and Hector was brought into Troy, and buried.
The prophecy of Achilles death was soon to be fulfilled, when Prince Memnon from Ethiopia arrived. Memnon was on the side of the Trojans, and he killed many Greek heroes. When he finally killed another of Achilles' friend, Achilles was enraged, and went out to do what he had done to Hector. However, after his savage slaughter of Memnon, he bent down to strip the body, and the gods took the opportunity to exploit Achilles' only vulnerability- his heel. When his mother Thetis had rendered him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx, she had held him by his heel, which was not put into the river, thus leaving his heel mortal. Apollo guided Paris' hand to shooting a poisoned arrow towards his heel. The arrow hit and poison filled Achilles' body. Achilles had finally died, and Thetis and the sea nymphs mourned, as the Greeks did. His funeral was held for eighteen days and he was finally burned and his ashes kept in a golden urn made by the god Hephaistos.
Even Achilles, the immortal son of Thetis had fallen. The Greeks were disillusioned and weary after ten years of fighting. Many had left home for many years, and yearned to return home. The Prophet Kalchas beckoned them to hold on, for Troy was fated to fall soon enough. There were a few conditions that had to be in place first: another Greek hero Philoketes had to fire an arrow from the unerring bow of Herakles, which would spark the start of the Trojan defeat. Philoketes had been exiled to a faraway island, and troops were immediately sent to fetch him.
Philoketes soon arrived outside Troy where the Greeks attended to him quickly. When he was told what had happened, Philoketes was furious. He took Herakles bow and went to the gates of Troy and challenged Paris to a duel of bows, to which Paris agreed. Paris took the first shot, and missed. Philoketes took his turn and shot a poisoned arrow, which hit Paris in the ankle. The poison filled his body as Paris screamed in pain. The Trojans hastily dragged their prince into the city and shut the gates. Inside Troy, the soldiers tried to persuade the mountain nymph Oinone,who had been Paris' wife before he left for Helen, for herbs to cure the poison. In spite, she refused, asking him to get
help from Helen instead, since he had left her for Helen. So Paris died, and Oinone later was overcome with grief and threw herself onto the funeral pyre and died together with Paris.
Once Paris was dead, his brothers started quarreling about who should have Helen. Helen wanted neither of them, and she tried to escape, but was discovered by one of the brothers and was eventually threatened into marriage. The other brothers were insanely jealous, and they started trying to find ways to betray the Trojans to the Greeks.
The Greeks now set up ladders against the high city walls and started scaling it. Patroklos was the first to reach the top, and when Hector saw him he was terrified, as he thought he was Achilles. Hector knew that if Achilles jumped into the city, Troy would fall. He prayed for intervention from the gods, and Apollo answered his prayer. Apollo tipped Patroklos from his position on the wall, with him falling backwards outside of the city. The impact of the fall threw the helmet off his head, and everyone then realized that he was not Achilles after all. The Trojans pushed forward again, and killed Patroklos, now without his helmet.
Patroklos' death spurred Achilles to fight again. His goddess mother, Thetis, made him a new set of armour, which he wore and strode onto the battlefield in. He called Hector out for a duel. Any god would have easily settled the duel, but Zeus forbade all interference, and realizing this, Hector knew that the first to tire would be the first to lose. He tried to tire Achilles, weighed down by his armour, by running around the city. Eventually, on the third round, Achilles caught up with Hector and killed him. He fastened Hector's body to a chariot and drove around the city three times. All the soldiers stopped in their steps and grew afraid of the savagery of the hero.
Every morning thereafter, Achilles would drag Hector's body around Patroklos' grave three times,
until finally when the Trojans could take it no more, Hector's father approached Achilles and demanded the body. Achilles would only give up the corpse for its equal weight in treasures, and so the exchange was made, and Hector was brought into Troy, and buried.The prophecy of Achilles death was soon to be fulfilled, when Prince Memnon from Ethiopia arrived. Memnon was on the side of the Trojans, and he killed many Greek heroes. When he finally killed another of Achilles' friend, Achilles was enraged, and went out to do what he had done to Hector. However, after his savage slaughter of Memnon, he bent down to strip the body, and the gods took the opportunity to exploit Achilles' only vulnerability- his heel. When his mother Thetis had rendered him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx, she had held him by his heel, which was not put into the river, thus leaving his heel mortal. Apollo guided Paris' hand to shooting a poisoned arrow towards his heel. The arrow hit and poison filled Achilles' body. Achilles had finally died, and Thetis and the sea nymphs mourned, as the Greeks did. His funeral was held for eighteen days and he was finally burned and his ashes kept in a golden urn made by the god Hephaistos.
Even Achilles, the immortal son of Thetis had fallen. The Greeks were disillusioned and weary after ten years of fighting. Many had left home for many years, and yearned to return home. The Prophet Kalchas beckoned them to hold on, for Troy was fated to fall soon enough. There were a few conditions that had to be in place first: another Greek hero Philoketes had to fire an arrow from the unerring bow of Herakles, which would spark the start of the Trojan defeat. Philoketes had been exiled to a faraway island, and troops were immediately sent to fetch him.
Philoketes soon arrived outside Troy where the Greeks attended to him quickly. When he was told what had happened, Philoketes was furious. He took Herakles bow and went to the gates of Troy and challenged Paris to a duel of bows, to which Paris agreed. Paris took the first shot, and missed. Philoketes took his turn and shot a poisoned arrow, which hit Paris in the ankle. The poison filled his body as Paris screamed in pain. The Trojans hastily dragged their prince into the city and shut the gates. Inside Troy, the soldiers tried to persuade the mountain nymph Oinone,who had been Paris' wife before he left for Helen, for herbs to cure the poison. In spite, she refused, asking him to get
help from Helen instead, since he had left her for Helen. So Paris died, and Oinone later was overcome with grief and threw herself onto the funeral pyre and died together with Paris.Once Paris was dead, his brothers started quarreling about who should have Helen. Helen wanted neither of them, and she tried to escape, but was discovered by one of the brothers and was eventually threatened into marriage. The other brothers were insanely jealous, and they started trying to find ways to betray the Trojans to the Greeks.
One of Paris' brother was Antenor. Antenor sought advice from a prophet of Apollo. The prophet told Antenor that the heavens had three conditions which had to be fulfilled for Troy to fall. Firstly, Pelop's ivory shoulder-bone had to be taken from Pisa. Secondly, Achilles' son had to arrive in Troy to avenge his father's death. Lastly, the Palladion had to be stolen from Troy. The Palladion was the statue that had fallen into the city the night it was founded, and as long as the statue was in Troy, Troy would never fall.
The Greeks found out about this, and they quickly set out to completing the tasks. The first two were relatively simple, but when it came to the stealing of the Palladion, they faced much frustration. The statue was locked in a citadel in the centre of the city, and was guarded by soldiers and shamans well versed in the way of defensive magics. After much futile planning, help came in the form of Antenor, who offered to help them steal the Palladion. Antenor guided them into the city, and bribed the shamans to giving the Palladion to Odysseus and Diomedes when they came for it. So with the three conditions fulfilled, the fall of Troy loomed just over the horizon.
At the end, Odysseus came up with the idea of building a hollow wooden horse to get into Troy. The Greeks hurried to construct a large hollow wooden horse, with a trapdoor concealed so well that only the carpenters knew how it opened. Twenty-four heroes were chosen to hide in the horse, while the rest of the Greeks got onto their ships and sailed away. Before that however, they had piled everything: weapons, tents, food and more, and burned it in one smouldering pile. The Greek ships sailed to a nearby island and moored the ships there, out of sight from the city.
The next morning when the sun lit the sky, the Trojans wandered out of the city in curiosity. They knew not what had driven the Greeks from their city, but what bewildered them more was the large wooden horse that stood outside the city. On the side of the horse was the word 'Offered to Athene, to grant the Greeks safe voyage home'. That was all there was left. There were no Greeks, only the debris which they had left behind, and the horse.
The Trojans were split over what to do with the horse. Some thought the horse sacred to Poseidon, and that they should burn it by the sea to sacrifice it to him. Others thought that the horse should be moved into the city itself where there was a large temple to Athene, since the horse, after all, was for Athene. The prophet Laokoon warned King Priam against moving the horse into the city, for he knew the Greeks had an ulterior motive, unknown to him. Laokoon threw a spear at the horse, and the spear jabbed into the wood noisily, followed by the faint clanging of weapons from within. Priam was unconvinced and decided to move the horse into the city.
Laokoon was not about to give up. He set up an altar by the sea, hoping to pray to Poseidon to know the true intent of the Greeks. Unfortunately, before he was able to carry out the ritual, sea snakes snatched Laokoon off the shore, leaving behind a bloody trail towards the sea. When the Trojans saw this, they thought Poiseidon was angry, and changed their mind to sacrificing the wooden horse to the sea. Just as the command was going to be given to drag the horse away, along came a Greek soldier. Like an actor on stage he had waited patiently for the right moment to deliver his act.
The soldier's name was Sinon, and he begged Priam to spare him. The Greeks had wanted to leave the city for a long time, but were unable to, due to unfavourable winds. Now that the winds had changed, they had left, leaving him behind. Priam was taken in, and he inquired after the purpose of the horse. In a tone of total disdain for the Greeks, he told Priam that the horse was to pacify Athene for stealing the Palladion. The horse was made so large, the Trojans would not be able to pull it into their city. If they did, and dragged the horse into Athene's temple, then the whole Greek fleet would sink beneath the waves.
Just as the Greeks had imagined, Priam was elated and immediately ordered a section of the city walls to be knocked down so that the horse could enter the city, for it was too high for the gates. They had forgotten all about Laokoon's warning, and the rattling within the horse.
That night was of celebration like no other since the war had started ten years ago. Drunk on wine and silly with relief, the Trojans slept soundly that night, as the trapdoor of the horse opened. Out streamed the Greeks who had hidden inside. They lit a beacon by the beach, which signalled to the fleets waiting at the nearby island, to come. The Greeks were merciless. They pillaged and killed the people of Troy, who awoke in shock to see Greeks throughout their city. Slowly, the people of Troy were rounded up, and the loot was brought back to Greece.
The war that was started ten years before by Helen had finally ended with Troy broken. Troy, which had taken many generations to build, and had been at war for ten years, was finally felled overnight. The walls of the city that had been built by the gods had crumbled, and all that the Greeks left behind was Antenor, to rule a small number of peasants who were spared by the Greeks.
The Greeks found out about this, and they quickly set out to completing the tasks. The first two were relatively simple, but when it came to the stealing of the Palladion, they faced much frustration. The statue was locked in a citadel in the centre of the city, and was guarded by soldiers and shamans well versed in the way of defensive magics. After much futile planning, help came in the form of Antenor, who offered to help them steal the Palladion. Antenor guided them into the city, and bribed the shamans to giving the Palladion to Odysseus and Diomedes when they came for it. So with the three conditions fulfilled, the fall of Troy loomed just over the horizon.
At the end, Odysseus came up with the idea of building a hollow wooden horse to get into Troy. The Greeks hurried to construct a large hollow wooden horse, with a trapdoor concealed so well that only the carpenters knew how it opened. Twenty-four heroes were chosen to hide in the horse, while the rest of the Greeks got onto their ships and sailed away. Before that however, they had piled everything: weapons, tents, food and more, and burned it in one smouldering pile. The Greek ships sailed to a nearby island and moored the ships there, out of sight from the city.
The next morning when the sun lit the sky, the Trojans wandered out of the city in curiosity. They knew not what had driven the Greeks from their city, but what bewildered them more was the large wooden horse that stood outside the city. On the side of the horse was the word 'Offered to Athene, to grant the Greeks safe voyage home'. That was all there was left. There were no Greeks, only the debris which they had left behind, and the horse.
The Trojans were split over what to do with the horse. Some thought the horse sacred to Poseidon, and that they should burn it by the sea to sacrifice it to him. Others thought that the horse should be moved into the city itself where there was a large temple to Athene, since the horse, after all, was for Athene. The prophet Laokoon warned King Priam against moving the horse into the city, for he knew the Greeks had an ulterior motive, unknown to him. Laokoon threw a spear at the horse, and the spear jabbed into the wood noisily, followed by the faint clanging of weapons from within. Priam was unconvinced and decided to move the horse into the city.
Laokoon was not about to give up. He set up an altar by the sea, hoping to pray to Poseidon to know the true intent of the Greeks. Unfortunately, before he was able to carry out the ritual, sea snakes snatched Laokoon off the shore, leaving behind a bloody trail towards the sea. When the Trojans saw this, they thought Poiseidon was angry, and changed their mind to sacrificing the wooden horse to the sea. Just as the command was going to be given to drag the horse away, along came a Greek soldier. Like an actor on stage he had waited patiently for the right moment to deliver his act.The soldier's name was Sinon, and he begged Priam to spare him. The Greeks had wanted to leave the city for a long time, but were unable to, due to unfavourable winds. Now that the winds had changed, they had left, leaving him behind. Priam was taken in, and he inquired after the purpose of the horse. In a tone of total disdain for the Greeks, he told Priam that the horse was to pacify Athene for stealing the Palladion. The horse was made so large, the Trojans would not be able to pull it into their city. If they did, and dragged the horse into Athene's temple, then the whole Greek fleet would sink beneath the waves.
Just as the Greeks had imagined, Priam was elated and immediately ordered a section of the city walls to be knocked down so that the horse could enter the city, for it was too high for the gates. They had forgotten all about Laokoon's warning, and the rattling within the horse.
That night was of celebration like no other since the war had started ten years ago. Drunk on wine and silly with relief, the Trojans slept soundly that night, as the trapdoor of the horse opened. Out streamed the Greeks who had hidden inside. They lit a beacon by the beach, which signalled to the fleets waiting at the nearby island, to come. The Greeks were merciless. They pillaged and killed the people of Troy, who awoke in shock to see Greeks throughout their city. Slowly, the people of Troy were rounded up, and the loot was brought back to Greece.
The war that was started ten years before by Helen had finally ended with Troy broken. Troy, which had taken many generations to build, and had been at war for ten years, was finally felled overnight. The walls of the city that had been built by the gods had crumbled, and all that the Greeks left behind was Antenor, to rule a small number of peasants who were spared by the Greeks.
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