The Trojan War began after Paris, a Trojan prince, judged Aphrodite as the fairest goddess and received Helen, the beautiful wife of Menelaus, as a prize. This led Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon to launch an attack on Troy with their armies to retrieve Helen. The war lasted for 10 years and featured notable figures on both sides, including Hector and Achilles, until the Greeks devised the Trojan Horse trick to infiltrate and burn Troy, ending the war.

1. Beginning of Trojan War
Marriage of Thetis & Peleus
The king of the gods, Zeus, received a prophecy which
stated that any child he had with the sea-nymph Thetis
would cause his death. To prevent this he arranged her
marriage to the human Peleus.
The wedding was a huge event. All the gods were
invited except the goddess, Discord. Discord got her
revenge through a unique gift which sent
reverberations throughout the world.
Thetis and Peleus had a happy marriage and produced
one son: Achilles.
Timeline

2. Apple of Discord
The goddess Discord was unhappy at being the only
divinity who was not invited to the wedding of the sea
nymph Thetis and King Peleus. As revenge, she plucks a
golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and
attaches a tag to the apple which reads: For the Fairest.
Discord then tosses the apple into the wedding reception
and waits to watch the results.
Three goddesses step forward to claim the apple: Hera,
Athena, and Aphrodite. They cannot decide among
themselves who is fairest, so they take their cases to Zeus.
Zeus, husband of Hera and father of Athena and Aphrodite,
refuses to intervene. He tosses the apple over his shoulder.
The apple bounces to earth and lands at the feet of Paris.
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3. Prologue: Judgment of Paris
As the adopted son of a
shepherd, Paris is tending
flocks one day when a
golden apple falls at his
feet. Three goddess then
appear: Hera, Athena, and
Aphrodite. Each goddess
promises a unique gift if he
will declare her the most
beautiful. Aphrodite’s
promise of the most
beautiful in the world sways
Paris to choose her.
Timeline
Judgment of Paris, red-figure vase, unknown, British Museum

4. Trojan War
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In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged
against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after
Paris of Troy took Helen from her
husband Menelaus king of Sparta. The war is one of
the most important events in Greek mythology.
TROY- A great city very rich and powerful, second to
none on earth. The cause of the lasting fame was a war
told of in one of the world’s greatest poems, the Iliad.

5. Achaeans
Mortals
Agamemnon- Commander-in-Chief, the brother of
Menelaus
Achilles- son of Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis
Menelaus- Helen’s husband; king of Sparta
Odysseus- King of the island of Ithaca
Patroclus- he son of Menoetius, grandson of Actor,
King of Opus, and was Achilles' beloved comrade and
The key characters fighting the Trojans in the war include:
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6. Trojans
Mortals
Trojan Royal Family
Laocoon - A Trojan serving as the yearly priest of
Poseidon.
The key characters fighting the Achaeans in the war include:
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7. Trojan Royal Family
King Priam Queen Hecuba
Prince Hector Prince Paris Princess Cassandra
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8. Prince Hector
Prince Hector is the eldest son of Priam and Hecuba
and the leader of the Trojan army. Hector realizes that
the Trojans will likely lose the war, but believes that he
is honor-bound to defend his brother, his city, his
family, and his people.
Timeline

9. Prince Paris
Before his birth, the prophets of Troy foretold that
Prince Paris would cause the destruction of the city.
Consequently, his parents decided to have him left on a
mountainside and let the gods determine his fate. Paris
was found by shepherd and raised as his son.
Eventually, Paris returns to Troy where he is
miraculously recognized by Queen Hecuba as her long –
lost son. The king and queen restore Paris to his
birthright. In his first official duty as a Trojan Prince,
Paris travels to Sparta to negotiate a treaty with King
Menelaus. In Sparta, Paris meets and falls in love with
Helen.
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10. Princess Cassandra
The Trojan princess Cassandra was granted the gift of
prophecy by Apollo due to her beauty. Cassandra,
however, did not return the god’s love. Unable to
revoke his gift, but enraged at his rejection, Apollo
cursed Cassandra to see the future, but not to be
believed.
Cassandra is one of several Trojans who prophesied
that Prince Paris would cause the destruction of Troy.
After the Trojans are defeated, Cassandra is taken as
a war-prize by Agamemnon, whose death she also
correctly prophesies.
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11. King Priam
Priam is king of the city-state of Troy, husband of Hecuba,
and father of Hector, Paris, and Cassandra.
Priam feels guilty about abandoning Paris as a child, thus,
when Paris reappears he reinstates him as a Prince of Troy.
Likewise, when Paris returns from Sparta with Helen, Priam
indulges his son and allows Helen to stay, though he may
lose his life and his city.
After the death and
desecration of Hector,
Priam goes into the
Achaean camp late one
night to beg Achilles to
return the body.
Timeline Priam ransoms Hector,, red-figure vase, unknown, Louvre

12. Helen of Troy/ Helen of Sparta
Simply, Helen is the cause of the Trojan War.
Lawfully, Helen is married to the Achaean Menelaus,
king of Sparta. Throughout the Trojan War, however,
she resides in Troy as the wife of Prince Paris. (Ancient
sources are ambiguous about Helen’s willingness to go
to Troy.) Menelaus (and the other Achaeans) are bound
by oath to fight for Helen, and war ensues.
Helen, the daughter of Zeus, is noteworthy for her
otherworldly beauty, which drives men to do amazing
things.
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13. Achilles
Achilles is the only son of Thetis and Peleus. After Achilles
was born, Thetis dipped him by the heel in the River Styx
which encircles Hades. This unusual baptism provided
protection to Achilles from all weapons. His heel, however,
which Thetis was holding, was not protected.
Homer’s Iliad focuses on the wrath of Achilles. Achilles is
first angry that Agamemnon insults him before the other
Achaeans by taking his war-prize. The death of his close
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friend Patroclus further incites
Achilles, convincing him to return
to the war to avenge his friend.
Achilles kills the Trojan Hector.
Paris (with the aid of Apollo) kills
Achilles by shooting Achilles in
his unprotected heel.
Achilles kills Hector, red-figure vase, unknown, Louvrre

14. Patroclus
Patroclus was brought into the house of Peleus and
raised alongside Peleus’ son Achilles. The two became
the closest of friends.
Once Achilles withdraws from the war in anger, the
Trojans gain an advantage. Patroclus realizes this and
begs Achilles to return to the battle. Achilles refuses to
go himself but allows Patroclus to go in his distinctive
armor to raise the morale of the Achaean fighters.
Hector kills Patroclus. In a rage over his friend’s death,
Achilles returns to the war to hunt and kill Hector.
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15. Briseis & Chryseis
Briseis and Chryseis were women taken as slaves during
an Achaean raid on a town near Troy. Briseis was given as
a war-prize to Achilles, while Chryseis was given to
Agamemnon. The father of Chryseis was a priest of
Apollo. When the Achaeans refused to return his daughter,
he asked Apollo for help. Apollo sent a plague on the
Achaeans. Agamemnon finally agreed to return Chryseis,
if he was compensated with another woman. He chose
Briseis. The appropriation of his war-prize angered
Achilles and he refused to continue fighting without an
acknowledgement of his contribution to the war.
Many Achaeans try to get Achilles to return, but only the
death of his friend Patroclus convinces him.
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16. Odysseus
Odysseus is an intelligent and tricky
character in mythology. He helps
Tyndareus by devising the oath sworn
by Helen’s suitors, and gained one of
Helen’s sisters as his own wife. He was
the mediator in the dispute between
Agamemnon and Achilles. Odysseus
also devised the Trojan Horse and the
plot to infiltrate and destroy Troy.
Odysseus’ famous 10-year journey
home is chronicled in The Odyssey.
Timeline
Odysseus, red-figure vase, unknown, Louvrre

17. Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse was planned by Odysseus to infiltrate Troy
and end the war. The Achaeans built a massive wooden
horse and hid a contingent inside of it. They left one of their
own, Sinon, behind to tell the Trojans that is was a gift to
Poseidon to ensure their safe passage home. The Trojans
take the horse into their city in hopes of gaining the favor of
Poseidon.
The Trojans threw a
grand party. After the
Trojans had gone to
sleep, the Achaeans
slipped out of the
horse and opened the
gates of Troy to the
rest of their army.
Timeline
Trojan Horse, clipart. COM

18. Poseidon – god of the seas
Timeline
Poseidon is one of the gods who takes
human form and fights alongside the
Achaeans during the Trojan War.
Poseidon battles against the Trojans
because when Troy was founded the
first king, Laomedon, promised to
reward the god for building the city’s
wall. Laomedon refused to pay after the
walls were complete and Poseidon
carried a grudge.
Poseidon’s priest, Laocoon, realizes that
the Trojan Horse is dangerous and so
Poseidon sends massive sea-snakes to
carry off Laocoon and his sons.
Poseidon, Oceanus, Thetis, mosaic, unknown, Louvre

19. Hera – queen of the gods
Even before the Judgment of
Paris, Hera hated the Trojans. Her
hatred stemmed from Zeus’ choice
of the Trojan boy Ganymede as his
cup-bearer, casting aside Hera’s
own divine son, Hephaestus.
Hera fights for the Achaeans
during the Trojan War.
After Troy is destroyed, Hera
continues her quest to annihilate
the Trojans by attempting to
shipwreck Aeneas.
Timeline
Hera, unknown, Capitoline Museum

20. Athena – goddess of wisdom
Athena fights on the side of the
Achaeans during the Trojan War
for two reasons: She did not
win the golden apple at the
Judgment of Paris and she is
the patron goddess of the
Achaean hero Odysseus. As the
goddess of wisdom, Athena
appreciates Odysseus’ crafty
approach to problems and his
unique solutions such as the
Oath of Tyndareus and the
Trojan Horse.
Timeline Athena, unknown, Capitoline Museum

21. Ares – god of war
Ares is a rash and
unpredictable god, who enjoys
war for the sake of war. He
fights for the Trojans during
the war because he is in love
with Aphrodite and he
appreciates that Paris could
cause a war so wide-spread.
Timeline
Ares, red-figure vase, Leagros Group, British Museum

22. Comprehension Check
1. Why did the goddess Discord throw the golden
apple on the table during the feast, and why did
this cause a disruption?
2. Explain why Priam sent his son Paris away to
die. What prevented Paris’ death?
3. List the promises the three goddesses made to
Paris as they tried to sway him to pick them.
• Hera:
• Athena:
• Aphrodite: