The Trojans
The whole war started with the goddess of discord, Eris, growing angry after not being invited to the marriage
of King Peleus and the nymph Thetis. She throws a golden apple into the hall and upon it was inscribed ' to the Fairest'.
Athena (Athene), Hera (Here), and Aphrodite each believed that the apple was to herself. Zeus, not wanting to be placed in
the wrath of the goddesses, sent them with Hermes to the Prince Paris of Troy to be judged by him as he tended to his flocks.
So they went to the country side of Troy and found the prince. Each tempted him with a bribe, Hera offered kingdoms, Athena
offered wisdom and military glory, and Aphrodite offered the love of the beautiful Queen Helen of Sparta, married to King
Menelaus. Paris, of course being a man who thought with his passions rather then his good sense or good judgement in this
case, chose Aphrodite. Aphrodite instructed her son, Eros the God of Passions, to shoot an arrow of passion into the heart
of Helen when Paris was near her and she instantly fell in love with the prince. They ran off to Troy and Menelaus swore retribution.
The story began in the ninth year of the war when Agamemnon took the priestess Chrysies as a war prize. Her father prayed
to Apollo to help bring back the priestess who served Apollo. Apollo complied and shot arrows at the Greek Camp unless Agamemnon
returned Chrysies. Achilles convinced him to do so for the sake of the camp, but then Agamemnon took Achilles' war prize,
Brisies, in her stead. Achilles was infuriated and his mother Thetis convinced him to submit from the war and keep his
men, the Myrmidons, from the war. Due to this loss, the Greek began losing hope. The next day, the Greeks came into full
on battle, but the Trojans fought hard on. This eventually led to a realization between the armies, that perhaps they should
not fight no longer, let Menelaus and Paris fight since it the woman they desire they are fighting for. Both sides agreed.
Menelaus' sword broke in the battle, but he pulled Paris by the crest of his helmet, and Paris was almost a goner when Aphrodite
whisked Paris from the battle. This was declared a lost for Paris by default and both sides said that Helen was to go to Menelaus.
During htis time, however, Athena inspired the Trojan Pandarus to shoot and arrow at Menelaus, and this act of treachery started
the war again, fiery as ever. Aphrodite intervened again during the war when Aeneas was fighting with Diomedes and Aeneas
was done for. Aphrodite whisked him away, but as she did so Diomedes stabbed her, and she dropped Aeneas. But Apollo picked
him up and took him away from the war. A similar face off with a god and Diomedes took place when Diomedes fought with Hector
and Ares was at Hector's side, but Hera told Diomedes how Ares was a coward and a simple wound would make him flee, so Diomedes
followed the instructions of the gods and indeed, his attack wounded Ares. The war went on till the Myrmidons came back to
the field, led by the great captain wearing his shining armor. Hector met him and fought, and once dead he proclaimed that
he had finally killed the great Achilles, but he discovered that it was not Achilles, but his best-friend Patroclus. By this
act, the real Achilles came, wearing new shining armor and was not mistakened. Hector fought with him and realized he had
to tire Achilles somehow, so he ran around the gates of Troy three times, but three times Achilles still followed. Achilles
eventually slew Hector, and lashed him to the back of his chariot and drove the carcass around the gates of Troy three times.
King Priam was given the pity of Zeus and he sent Priam with the aid of Hermes to the camp of Achilles and persuaded the warrior
to give back Hector, so he would be given a proper funeral.
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The Greeks
After Paris abducted Helen, Menelaus called upon his brother King Agamemnon to assist him in retrieving his wife.
Agamemnon called upon hundreds of men who swore to protect Helen despite her marriage, including King Odysseus of Ithaca,
who managed to find Prince Achilles. They went to Troy and immediately the gauntlets were thrown. During the ninth year, Achilles
ransacked neighboring cities of Troy and Agamemnon took the war prize of Chrysies, but her father prayed to Apollo to request
her return, and Apollo sent arrows at the Greek Camp. Achilles pleaded to Agamemnon to return her. Agamemnon did so, but took
Achilles' war prize, Brisies. At the command of his mother, Thetis, Achilles submitted from the war. That night, Zeus sent
a dream to Agamemnon saying that if he charged the next day, that he would succeed in victory. And Agamemnon followed the
instruction of the dream, but it was far from victory. It was a bloody war which called for a retreat. With Achilles gone,
the leading five warriors in the battle were Agamemnon, Menelaus, Telemonian Ajax( Aias), Odysseus, and Diomedes. Eventually,
the Greeks and the Trojans agreed that Menelaus and Paris should fight over Helen in a single fight. Menelaus almost won until
Aphrodite whisked Paris away. Menelaus demanded that he be declared the victor by default, and the Trojans agreed that was
fair. But suddenly the Trojan, Pandarus, shot an arrow at Menelaus, and they vengenfully attacked. Diomedes eventually fought
with Aeneas and Hector. When he bouted with Aeneas, he almost killed him if not for Aphrodite picking him up, but Diomedes
wounded the goddess and she dropped him, but Apollo picked him up. When Diomedes confronted Hector, he saw Ares at his side.
But he was told by the gods that should he strike Ares, he would immediately flee. He did as he was told and struck Ares,
and Ares fled. The war went on, and the best friend of Achilles, Patroclus, decided that the Myrmidons had watched from the
side for too long. So he placed on the armor of Achilles and rode into battle. Patroclus fought with Hector, who easily defeated
him. As Hector cried out that he was the victor, it was revealed that it was Patroclus. Achilles came himself, with armor
that Thetis had Hephaestus forge, and fought with Hector. Three times he chased Hector around the gates of Troy, and when
he finally slew Hector, three times he dragged the carrion from the behind of his chariot. Achilles kept Hector's body as
a trophy, but King Priam came and submitted to Achilles, pleading that he return Hector for an honorable funeral. Achilles
complied, and King Priam took Hector.
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