2. The Actual Trojan War
Took place from about 1260 BC–1250 BC
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
3.
4. King Peleus marries
sea nymph Thetis
Peleus had to marry Thetis, because it was
prophesized that if Zeus or Poseidon married
Thetis, she would have a son that would be
greater than its father
Thetis has a son with Peleus, his name is
Achilles
Zeus decides to throw a wedding party for
Peleus and Thetis and all the gods of
Olympus are invited, except Eris (evil
goddess of discord)
5. Eris’ Trick
Eris throws a golden
apple with the words
“For the Fairest” into
the banquet hall
Three goddesses claim
the apple (Aphrodite,
Athena, and Hera)
To settle the dispute
Zeus decides to send
them to Paris, prince of
Troy, and to let him
decide who deserves
the apple.
6. The Judgment of Paris
The goddesses appear
to Paris and ask him to
choose.
They each try to bribe
Paris
Hera offers power and
domination over the
continent of Asia
Athena offers wisdom
Aphrodite offers to give
Parris the most beautiful
woman in the world.
8. Complications
What Aphrodite did not
tell Paris was that this
beautiful woman was
already married
Helen of Sparta, married
to King Menelaus
So, on a diplomatic
mission to Sparta, Paris
abducted Helen and took
her back to Troy
9. Helen’s Suitors
Helen had had scores of suitors, and her
father was unwilling to choose one for fear the
others would retaliate violently.
Finally, one of the suitors, Odysseus of Ithaca,
proposed a plan to solve the dilemma.
He suggested that Helen’s father allow Helen
to choose her husband.
It also required all of Helen's suitors to
promise that they would defend the marriage
of Helen, regardless of whom she chose.
10. Off to War
The suitors and
Menelaus (Helen’s
husband) unite with
Agamemnon
(Menelaus’ brother) to
go and bring Helen
back to Sparta.
They launch 1000
ships to Troy
11. Reluctant Soldiers
Thetis was scared of her son, Achilles, going
to war. She dresses him as a woman and
hides him.
Achilles is discovered when he is seen
admiring weapons from a trader.
Odysseus just had a son and did not want to
go to war. So he pretended he was crazy.
When they saw Odysseus acting crazy, they
put his newborn son Telemachus in certain
danger.
When Odysseus went to save Telemachus,
they knew he wasn’t crazy.
12. The Gods Take Sides
TROJANS
(Paris, Hector)
Aphrodite
Ares
Apollo
Artemis
Zeus (favored, but
stayed neutral to
please Hera)
GREEKS
(Achilles, Odysseus)
Hera
Athena
Poseidon
13. The Bloody Battle
War lasts for 10 years
Hand-to-Hand combat
There were periods of truce, where both sides would
bury the dead
There was no fighting after sunset.
14. The ILIAD
The Iliad as told by Homer is about a 41 day period in the 10th
year of the Trojan War.
Agamemnon (Greek Leader) and Achilles argue. Achilles
refuses to fight.
Patroclus, Achilles’ cousin, wears Achilles armor and leads his
men into battle. Patroclus is killed by Hector (Trojan Leader),
because he thinks that he is Achilles. Hector kept Achilles’
armor as a trophy.
Thetis, Achilles’ mother, has Hephaestus make armor for
Achilles.
15. Iliad (Cont.)
Achilles angered over the death of his cousin, challenges
Hector to a duel where Hector is killed.
Achilles ties Hector’s body to his chariot and drags it
around Troy, refusing to give it back to his father, Priam,
for burial.
This angers the gods.
Priam sneaks into the Greek camp and has to beg
Achilles for his son’s body. Achilles finally gives in.
16. After The Iliad
Achilles enters the city of
Troy and begins to kill
everyone he sees
The gods have seen
enough and with their
help, Paris shoots a
poisoned arrow into
Achilles’ heel (his one
weak point).
Achilles, the great Greek
hero, was dead.
17. The Judgment of Arms
A contest is held among the Greeks for who will win
Achilles’ armor.
The two frontrunners are Odysseus and Ajax.
Odysseus beats Ajax in a close contest.
Ajax, mad because he lost to Odysseus, went insane
and killed himself.
18. The Prophecies
The Greeks decide to turn to prophets to help
them destroy Troy
They say that to destroy Troy they need to do
two things:
-Remove the Palladium (a statue of
Athena) from the alter of Troy
-Use the bow of Hercules
19. The Beginning of the End
During the night, Odysseus sneaks into the
city and steals the Palladium.
Philoctetes retrieves Hercules’ bow and uses
it to kill Paris.
However the walls of Troy could not be
penetrated, so another way was needed.
20. Clever Odysseus
Odysseus comes up with the idea to build a
giant wooden horse. (Horses were sacred to
the Trojans).
They built the horse and decided to hide 30
men in the horse including Odysseus.
The rest of the Greeks got in their ships and
sailed just out of sight of the Trojans.
21. Caught?
The plot was almost spoiled by Laocoön, a
Trojan priest, who guessed the Greeks plot.
“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”
Poseidon, wanting to help the Greeks win the
war, sent a sea monster to kill Laocoön before
he would warn the Trojans.
22. The Fall of Troy
The Trojans thinking they won the war, brought the
horse into the city and partied.
That night, the Greek ships came back, while the men
in the horse got out and opened the gates of Troy
The Greeks killed everyone they could and burned the
city to the ground.
23. Sinful Pride
Odysseus glad the war is finally over is ready
to go home.
However, he refuses to give thanks to
Poseidon for helping him win the war.
Odysseus says that he won the war with no
help from the gods.
This angers Poseidon and he will make
Odysseus journey home a hard one.
24. The Odyssey
The Odyssey is an epic poem that is credited
to Homer about the journeys of Odysseus
after the Trojan War.
Odysseus spends 10 more years trying to
reach Ithaca (his home)
Considered one of the greatest stories of
Ancient Greece
25. What is an Epic?
A long narrative poem
Has a central heroic
figure
Contains events of
heroic deeds or
deeds significant to
the culture.
26. Traits of an Epic
Statement of a Theme
The invocation/prayer to the Muse
Beginning IN MEDIAS RES (In the middle)
Vast setting
Supernatural forces
Great deeds of valor and courage
A hero of imposing stature
27. Examples of Epics and Epic
Heroes
Epics
-Star Wars
-Indiana Jones
-Lord of the
Rings
-Harry Potter
-Halo
Epic Heroes
-Master Chief
-Luke Skywalker
-Superman
-Mario
-Link/Zelda
28. Activity 1.2 – Iliad
COPY & ANSWER in your English
notebook.
A.Keeping in mind that she was the most
beautiful woman in the world at the time of
the Iliad, write a one-paragraph description
of what Helen might have looked like.
B.Read the selection on page 17 “Farewell
between Hector and Andromache” and
answer the following questions in Values:
Life Connection on page 20.
