Transcript File
Gods, Goddesses, and Mortals The Trojan War The Fall of Troy Note-taking within the Epic Poem Mortals and Immortals The Olympian Gods Zeus – god of the sky, mightiest of all Greek gods, father to many, his weapon is lightning bolt Poseidon – Zeus’ brother, god of sea and earthquakes, his weapon is the trident, he hates Odysseus Hades – Zeus’ brother, god of the underworld and the dead Hephiastos – lame and ugly smith god Apollo – god of music and poetry, twin brother to Artemis Hermes – messenger for the gods, he bears wings upon his feet Ares – god of war The Olympian Goddesses Hera – wife of Zeus, contestant in the beauty contest Hestia – goddess of the hearth/fireside Demeter – goddess of the harvest Athena – goddess of wisdom, and war, she is symbolized by the owl, contestant in the beauty contest Aphrodite – goddess of beauty and love, contestant in the beauty contest Artemis – goddess of the hunt, twin sister to Apollo Persephone – goddess of the underworld, trapped and tricked by Hades The Muses Nine daughters of Zeus who inspire and preside over thought in all forms: epic poetry, history, mime, music, dance, choral poetry, tragedy, comedy, and astronomy. The Mortals Trojans Priam – king of Troy Hecuba – queen of Troy Hector – royal son and the greatest of the Trojan warriors Paris – royal son, abductor of Helen, judge of the beauty contest, his actions spark the Trojan War Cassandra – royal daughter, she is a prophetess who is doomed never to be believed Aeneas – a Trojan who escapes Troy and founds what will later be Rome, his journey is told in the Virgil’s Roman Epic Poem called The Aeneid. Greeks Menelaus – king of Sparta, husband to Helen and he wants her back from Paris Helen – the most beautiful mortal woman, she travels to Troy with Paris and starts a war Agamemnon – general of the Greek army, he is a mighty fighter and brother to Menelaus Clytemnestra – treacherous wife to Agamemnon who kills him when he returns Orestes – their son who kills his mother (Clytemnestra) to avenge his father (Agamemnon) Achilles – greatest of all mortal warriors, full of rage, impervious to injury except in his heel, son to goddess Thetis, his exploits are told in Homer’s Epic Poem The Iliad Neoptolemos – son of Achilles, he kills Priam during the sack of Troy Patroclus – friend and cousin of Achilles, killed by Hector while wearing Achilles armor The Myrimidons – Achilles’ warriors Ajax – second greatest Greek warrior behind Achilles The Trojan War The Trojan War is rooted in the wedding of King Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis. The gods choose not to invite Eris to the wedding; she is angered by this and introduces Discord to the festivities in the form of a golden apple. The words on the apple are “For the Fairest” and naturally in reference to one of the goddesses. These vain goddesses begin to quarrel over who deserved the apple, and the field is narrowed down to Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, is elected to judge who most deserves the apple and is fairest. All three goddesses bribe him. Athena offers success in battle, Hera offers power, and Aphrodite offers the most beautiful woman in the world. Naturally, Paris chooses Aphrodite. Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, happens to be married to King Menelaus of Sparta. While visiting Menelaus, Paris betrays his host’s hospitality and kidnaps Helen. With Aphrodite’s help, Paris brings Helen back to Troy. This is the beginning of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Only noble Odysseus attempts to resist the urge to join the war, thinking of the safety and well-being of his son and wife. Eventually, however, even he joins the war, sailing with the Greeks, united against Troy. The battle goes on for nine years. The Trojans, led by King Priam’s son, Hector, finally gain an advantage when Agamemnon kidnaps the daughter of the Trojan priest Apollo. Achilles has warned against this, and he is justified when Apollo’s fiery arrows nearly destroy the Greek army. When Agamemnon claims that he will only be appeased by taking Achilles prize female slave, Achilles becomes enraged and draws his troops out of the battle. Without Achilles, the Greeks seem doomed. The gods have been evenly split thus far: Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, and Artemis on the side of the Trojans; Hera, Athena, and Poseidon take the Greek side. But Thetis persuades the previously neutral Zeus to help the Trojans. Menelaus defeats Paris in combat, however. Aphrodite saves Paris’ life, and the armies agree to a truce. Hera, however, is bent on war. She manipulates a Trojan named Pandarus break the truce. When the battle begins again, many are wounded. The Greeks fight bravely until Zeus remembers his promise to Thetis and comes down to the battlefield. The Greeks are losing the battle without Achilles and are driven even closer to Trojan ships. Hera decides to seduce Zeus and give the Greeks an advantage. While the two divinities are indisposed, the great Greek warrior, Ajax, nearly kills Hector. Discovering this deception, Zeus angrily commands Poseidon to abandon the Greeks. The Trojans press forward. As the Greeks near defeat, Achilles’ best friend, Patroclus, can restrain himself no longer. He chooses to join the battle wearing Achilles’ armor. Leading Achilles’ men, Patroclus fights valiantly but is killed by Hector’s spear. Achilles grieves this death significantly and decides to return to battle. The Trojans soon retreat into their impenetrable walls. Only Hector remains outside, wearing Achilles’ armor, taken from Patroclus’ corpse. Achilles and Hector, the two greatest warriors of the Trojan war face off at this time. They fight, and Achilles is aided by Athena. He kills Hector with a spear and drags his body over the ground, mutilating it. Such disrespect greatly displeases the gods; they convince Achilles to return the body of Hector to his father, King Priam. Priam speaks to Achilles who sees the error of his ways. The Iliad concludes with Hector’s funeral. The war, however, is not over with Hector’s death. He is replaced by King Memnon of Ethiopia. Memnon and Achilles, in turn, become enemies; war wages on. The Fall of Troy Odysseus devised a new ruse—a giant hollow wooden horse, an animal that was sacred to the Trojans. The hollow horse was filled with soldiers led by Odysseus. The rest of the army burned the camp and sailed away. When the Trojans discovered that the Greeks were gone, believing the war was over, they gleefully brought it into the city, still unsure of what to d with it. Ultimately, they kept it, dedicating it to Athena. The Trojans turned to a night of revelry and celebration. A spy signaled the fleet stationed at Tenedos when it was midnight, and the soldiers from inside the horse emerged, killing the guards. They entered the city and killed the sleeping population. A great massacre followed which continued into the day. Blood ran in torrents, drenched the land, and Troy was truly demolished. Troy is Sacked Note-taking Within the Epic Poem Endeavor to remember the story of gods and goddesses, The Trojan War, Odysseus’ great plan, The Trojan Horse, and the Fall of Troy. Pay close attention to who is speaking at any given moment. Remember that gods and goddesses are often portrayed in disguise. Write speakers’ names in the margins. Place brackets around sections where stories are being told as a whole unit (either those from the past or those that are predictions of the future). Label them with a shorter, understandable title. Take note of elements of characterization for both Odysseus and Telemachus. This will help you when you go to write in class about these men. As usual, look up words that you do not know and use your list of words from the poem for reference. Finally, try to think as visually as possible. This poem is full of graphic scenes; you need only to use your imagination, striving to picture the scene.