Background
| Achilles
| Hector |
Paris |
Helen
Agamemnon
| Odysseus
| Priam
| Andromache
| Thetis
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The Trojan War has its roots in the marriage between Peleus and Thetis, a sea-goddess. Peleus and Thetis had not invited Eris, the goddess of discord, to their marriage and the outraged goddess stormed into the wedding banquet and threw a golden apple onto the table. The apple belonged to, Eris said, whomever was the fairest. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each reached for the apple. Zeus proclaimed that Paris, prince of Troy and thought to be the most beautiful man alive, would act as the judge. Hermes went to Paris, and Paris agreed to act as the judge. Hera promised him power, Athena promised him wealth, and Aphrodite promised the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite, and she promised him that Helen, wife of Menelaus, would be his wife. Paris then prepared to set off for Sparta to capture Helen. Twin prophets Cassandra and Helenus tried to persuade him against such action, as did his mother, Hecuba. But Paris would not listen and he set off for Sparta. In Sparta, Menelaus, husband of Helen, treated Paris as a royal guest. However, when Menelaus left Sparta to go to a funeral, Paris abducted Helen (who perhaps went willingly) and also carried off much of Menelaus' wealth. In Troy, Helen and Paris were married. This occured around 1200 B.C. A look at the Players Of Myth ... |
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He was the mightiest of the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War, and was the hero of Homer's Iliad... (more) |
Hector was the mightiest warrior on the side of Troy during the Trojan War, and he led many of the attacks against the Greek troops. (more) |
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Paris was the youngest son of Priam and Hecuba. When he was born, it was foretold that he would be the cause of the downfall of Troy... (more) |
There were a number of different accounts of Helen's relationship with Paris.(more) |
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He was the originator of the Trojan Horse. Odysseus' return from Troy, chronicled in the Odyssey, took ten years and was beset by perils and misfortune ... (more) |
During the seige of Troy, Agamemnon offended the greatest of the Greek warriors, Achilles, when he took the girl Briseis from him. (more) |
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In one of the most moving scenes of the Iliad, Priam courageously entered the Greek camp by night and pleaded with Achilles to return Hector's body for burial.... (more) |
Thetis bore one son, Achilles, whom she tried unsuccessfully to make immortal.... (more) |
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