Myth 19 TROY

 

 

Real historical event, c 1200 BC ?

 

HOMER, Iliad

 

The Greeks:

Argives, Achaeans, Danaans

(not the Greeks—a Roman term, or the Hellenes, a post-Homeric term)

 

Trojans:

Troy, “Ilium”, Dardans, Dardanians

 

 

Pre-Story

(pre-Homer—Iliad, 10th year of battle; though lots of back story and front story)

 

 

House of Atreus

Agamemnon and Menelaus

 

 

House of Tyndareus:

 

Helen (wife of Menelaus) Clytemnestra (wife of Agamemnon)

 

Leda—Zeus comes to her as a swan

             4 kids:   Helen and Polydeuces (immortal)

                           Clytemnestra and Castor (mortal)

 

Oath of Tyndareus

 

       Suitors everywhere—who to choose?

             Odysseus, Diomedes, Ajax, Patroclus, Menelaus

 

       Menelaus wins; have a daughter, Hermione

 

Peleus and Thetis

Parents of Achilles

Thetis—sea nymph

 

Achilles heel story

from unfinished Achillied, Statius (1st AD)

Thetis: “Soon will I restore the plains and the fields where the Centaurs roam: by this beauty of thine and the coming joys of youth I pray thee, if for thy sake I endured the earth and an inglorious mate, if at thy birth I fortified thee with the stern waters of Styx – ay, would I had wholly! – take these safe robes awhile, they will in no wise harm thy valour.

      

In Homer, Achilles is not otherwise invincible

 

       Entrusted to Chiron, centaur, for his upbringing

 

Peleus and Thetis

 

But didn't invite Eris “strife”

an Apple for the fairest

 

Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite compete

don't fight at a wedding; take it to Paris

(Lucian’s version, ACM 288 ff)

 

            

House of Troy

 

(Helen of Troy, is of course, not from Troy)

 

Priam and Hecabe (=Hecuba)

       sons: Hector (greatest Trojan) and Paris

            

             The Judgment of Paris

                    they each bribe him

                           Hera—world domination

                           Athena—greatest warrior

                           Aphrodite—the world's most beautiful woman

(only briefly mentioned in Homer, Iliad 24.25ff:

 

Though Achilles in his anger tried to disfigure Hector, the blessed immortals felt pity as they watched, and urged the sharp-eyed Hermes to steal the corpse. Though this thought pleased most of them, Hera, Poseidon and bright-eyed Athene were opposed. They still hated sacred Ilium, Priam and his whole race, because of Paris and his foolish error, in humiliating the two goddesses, at the parade by his shepherd’s hut, when he showed his preference for Aphrodite, praising her for furthering his sad lust.

 

            

             Menelaus receives him well (XENIA)

                    when he steps out, Helen and Paris flee (rape of Helen)

                           she abandons husband and daughter

                    he violates XENIA

 

 

THE WAR

 

       Menelaus gets Agamemnon

             They invoke the Oath of Tyndareus

            

       Odysseus doesn't want to come

             wife Penelope has just had a son: Telemachus

            

       Calchas declares we can't win without Achilles

            

 

Journey to Troy

       Contrary wind: Calchas reveals that Artemis is mad at Agamemnon's boasting

             must sacrifice daughter: Iphigenia

                    “Achilles wants to marry you!”

                           told in Aeschylus, Agamemnon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Homer: The Iliad

 

      

 

Hector and Andromache

 

Achilles and Patroclus

      

 

       New Armor—from Haephastus

 

            

 

 

 

 

Aftermath

 

Ajax and Odysseus

 

Trojan Horse

Only mention in Homer is Odyssey 4.231-309

 

Vergil’s Aeneid