Mythology

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Start of Trojan War

Start of the Trojan War

The Trojan War began with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis where the Trojan prince, Paris, was chosen by Jupiter to choose the finest women. His options were Juno, Venus and Minerva. Juno and Minerva bribed him with offers of power and glory but Venus offered him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. He gave the apple to Venus and as promised he was awarded Helen; however Helen was married to Menelaus, who was not happy that she had been carried off by Paris. Menelaus’ brother was the legendary king, Agamemnon, who gather up a group of Greeks to go and find Helen and avenge his brother. This began the Trojan War which lasted from 1194 - 1184 BC.

Helen of Troy

Helen was the daughter of Zeus and was known as the prettiest woman in Greece as well as the patron deity of sailors. She had many suitors from all over Greece that came to her to ask for her hand in marriage. Out of all the suitors she chose Menelaus, who was Agamemnon’s younger brother. However when Menelaus was not there she fled to Troy with Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam. When Paris was killed in the Trojan War she married his brother, Deiphobus, but when Troy was captured she returned to Menelaus and they lived together in Sparta for the rest of their lives.

Agamemnon

Son of Atreus the king of king of Mycenae and his mother Aerope. After his father was murdered by Aegisthus, Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus fled to Sparta to take refuge. Then Agamemnon married Clytemnestra and Menelaus married Helen, the daughters of Tyndareus the king of Sparta. Menelaus eventually took over Sparta and Agamemnon took back Mycenae. One day Paris, the son of king Priam of Troy, took Helen. Agamemnon then asked all the princes to fight against the Trojans. After winning the war Agamemnon he was murdered by Aegisthus.

Aeneas

Aeneas is the son of the goddess Venus and was in line to be a king of Troy. His story is told in Homer’s “The Aeneid”. When Troy was conquered by the Greeks Aeneas was told by his general to found a great city overseas so he took his family along with other Trojans and set sail. In the confusion of trying to leaving the burning city Aeneas’ wife disappeared, her ghost then spoke to Aeneas and told him that he should go west to where the Tiber River flows, which is Rome. He proceeded to visit various lands around the Mediterranean Sea then crashed his ship on the coast of Africa. Here he was welcomed by Dido, a widowed queen. They soon fell in love but Aeneas was then reminded by Mercury that he was on a mission to go to Rome. He left Dido, who committed suicide soon after his leaving, and set sail for Rome. When he reached the Tiber River he was received by Latinus, who was the king of the region. However Latinus’ wife did not like Aeneas and was not happy that her husband had already set up a marriage between him their daughter Lavinia. Turnus, the leader of the Rutuli also hated him and war quickly broke out. After defeating Rome Aeneas founded the city of Lavinium, named after his wife.

Trojan Horse

A huge wooden horse that was used to get access to Troy during the Trojan war. Sinon persuaded the Trojans that it was an offering to Athena. The Trojans believed this and brought the horse behind the city gates. Then part of the Greek army emerged from the horse and opened the gates to let in the rest of the troops.

Odysseus

Odysseus was one of the original suitors for Helen of Troy and when Menelaus won her hand he swore he would defend Helen and Menelaus' marriage, should anything happen. However when Paris took Helen Odysseus pretended to go crazy and planted salt instead of grain in his fields then continuously plowed them so that he would not have to help. He finally agreed to help after his infant son was placed in front of the plow. He was won of the most clever and most brave soldiers in the Trojan war and his tale is told in Homer's The Illiad. He is also the main hero in Homer's The Odyssey, which recounts Odysseus' journey home from the Trojan War.

Cupid and Psyche

Psyche was a beautiful which made Venus very jealous and made Cupid love her. Venus became so jealous she ordered her son to make it so Psyche loved only the worst of men. Instead Cupid put Psyche in a remote place where only he could visit her in complete darkness. One of the nights she lit a lamp and saw that the man beside her was Cupid, as soon as Cupid realized that she had recognized him he fled. Psyche went in search of Cupid which led to Venus finding her. Venus made her do terrible things until Cupid came and rescued her. Then Jupiter made Psyche immortal and Cupid married her.

Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus and Thisbe were lovers who lived next to each other, but were forbidden to see or talk to each other. They talked through a crack in the wall between their houses. The lovers decided to run away and get married. Thisbe was suppose to meet Pyramus under a tree. Thisbe showed up with a veil over her face ready to get married. Then a lion showed up and she dropped the veil and ran away. The lion tore up the veil with his bloody teeth. Pyramus showed up with and thought that Thisbe was dead so then he killed himself. Pyramus came back seeing Thisbe’s dead body and killed herself.

Sisyphus

Sisyphus makes an appearance in Homer’s “The Odyssey” where he is seen as having cheated death. The legend says that when Death came to get him, Sisyphus chained him up so that no one could die. This worked until Mars came to help Death break the chains and Sisyphus had to submit to his death. While Death was chained up Sisyphus told his wife not to bury his body and to stop giving sacrifices to the gods. Since she did this Sisyphus had to return to Earth to punish her; however he did not punish her and instead continued to live his life until he died again. For cheating death he is punished by Pluto by having to roll a stone up a hill only to have it roll back down again while trying to solve an unsolvable puzzle.

Achilles

Achilles was know as the greatest warrior of Agamemnon’s Trojan army. He was said to have been dipped into the river Styx by his mother, a nymph named Thetis, when he was a baby. Having been dipped in the water he became invulnerable except for the back of his heel where she had held him while she put him into the water. He is said to have, after many conquests, been slain by Paris with an arrow led by Apollo into his heel.

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