Download The Iliad and The Trojan War

Please add if necessary to the summary in the
Writing Assignments section of your notebook.
These are the main events of the Trojan War.
What follows…

 Here is a quick “crash course” through the lengthy
Trojan War and Homer’s first epic, The Iliad.
 While this does not include every character, battle,
and event, this provides the main “beats” of the
Trojan War.
What started the war?

 Zeus, king of the gods, saw that the earth was overpopulated, especially by his demigods – children
Zeus fathered with human women.
 The Trojan War was his opportunity to depopulate
the earth.
The Apple of Discord

 This was a golden apple that went up for grabs at the
marriage of Peleus and Thetis (parents of Achilles).
 Everyone was invited with the exception of Eris, goddess
of discord. Angered, she threw the golden apple into the
proceedings of the reception. Inscribed on the apple, was
“for the fairest one.”
 Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite hoped to claim the apple
and asked Zeus to make the decision of who was
“fairest.”
 Instead Zeus, choice Paris, a Trojan mortal, to make the
decision.
Who did Paris choose?

 Hera = vast wealth
 Athena = heroic victories in battle
 Aphrodite = the most beautiful woman in the world
 Enter Helen… the most beautiful woman in the
world…
Helen

 While on a diplomatic mission, Paris immediately
fell in love with Helen.
 Helen’s husband, Menelaus, treated Paris as a royal
guest in his home.
 While Menelaus was at a funeral, Paris stole Helen to
be his wife in Troy.
“The Face That Launched
1,000 Ships”

 Menelaus partners with Greek commander,
Agamemnon to wage war against Troy and reclaim
Helen.
Assembling the Army…

 Agamemnon and Menelaus assemble a fierce army
of Greek soldiers.
 Agamemnon and Menelaus recruit two of the
greatest Greek warriors to help lead their army…
 Achilles
 Odysseus
Achilles

 One of the most powerful and skilled of the Greek
warriors.
 Achilles was dipped in the river Styx at birth making
him invincible all over except the ankle which he
was held by.
Odysseus

 Also one of Greece’s most skilled warriors.
 King of Ithaca.
 His adventures home are chronicled in The Odyssey.
The War Begins…

 The Greeks touched down on Troy with a huge
naval fleet.
 The fight continued for nine long years.
 Neither side was letting up, especially the Greeks.
The Death of Patroclus

 During the war, a close friend of Achilles, Patroclus,
died at the hands of Trojan prince, Hector.
 Patroclus had worn Achilles’ armor in battle that
day, tricking Hector into believing that he was
fighting Achilles.
 Infuriated, Achilles calls out Hector.
 Achilles kills Hector. Afterwards, Achilles ties
Hector to his chariot and drags his body around for
nine days.
The Death of Achilles

 Paris, who was skilled in Archery, launches an arrow
to the only vulnerable spot on Achilles’ body… his
heel.
The Trojan Horse Tactic

 An idea came to Odysseus that could help them
finally win the war…
 Odysseus constructed a giant hollow horse, which
was given to the Trojans as a gift of surrender (the
horse was a sacred animal to the Trojans).
 Unbeknownst to the Trojans, the Greek soldiers are
actually hiding inside the horse…
 The Trojans take the statue into their gates and
celebrate their “victory.”
The Raid of Troy

 While the Trojans are asleep, the Greeks begin their
assault of Troy.
The Fall of Troy…

 With Troy decimated and destroyed, the Greeks set
sail for their respective homelands.
 Odysseus leads his remaining Achaean soldiers
home to Ithaca.