HELEN OF TROY

“The Face that Launched A Thousand Ships”

Helen of Troy
- originally from Sparta
- the daughter of Zeus and Leda
- beautiful due to her divine lineage

Leda
- Queen of Sparta and wife of Tyndareus
- was seduced by Zeus who was in the form of a swan
- slept with Tyndareus in the same night
● Laid 2 Eggs: one with Zeus’ children and one with Tyndareus
a. Zeus: Helen and Pollux
b. Tyndareus: Castor and Clytemnestra

The Siblings of Helen

a. Clytemnestra - married Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae
b. Castor and Pollux - part of the crew that searched for the golden fleece

Theseus, King of Athens

- made a deal with his friend, Pirithous, to marry the daughters of Zeus
- together, they kidnapped the 9-year-old Helen
- she was rescued by Castor and Pollux

The Oath of Tyndareus

- Helen would choose her husband and the other suitors would vow to protect their union
- Helen had 45 suitors
- sealed with the sacrifice of a horse
- proposed by Odysseus, who realized Helen was not as wise

Menelaus
- husband of Helen and the King of Sparta
- Helen’s love for him would prove weak
- quiet, less imposing, and less arrogant

Agamemnon
- King of Mycenae
- Brother of Menelaus
- selfish and arrogant

Paris
- the Trojan Prince and described as having god-like beauty
- traveled to Sparta to claim the prize (Helen) promised by Aphrodite
 - had a feast with them as the Trojan ambassador

Odysseus
- the King of Ithaca
- the wisest Greek commander and the smartest guy in Greece
- married to Penelope, who was much more wise than Helen

Paris and Helen

- the Spartan queen was charmed by Paris’ beauty at first sight and trembled at his sight
- fell in love and left Sparta together when Menelaus was away, along with the treasures of Sparta

The Delegation
- Odysseus and Menelaus
- spokespersons sent to negotiate with King Priam of Troy for Helen
- sent to get Helen back and the Spartan treasures

● The Trojans refused and the Spartans sent an army to attack them.
● Menelaus told his brother that Helen was abducted.
● As Paris’ ship was sailing away, they were tested by the ocean as Poseidon sided with Sparta

The Sacred Deer of Artemis

- Agamemnon killed the goddess of the hunt’s sacred stag
- fueled with fury, Artemis refused to let them chase after the Trojan couple
- Calchas, a seer and prophet of the Greeks, told Agamemnon he needed to sacrifice to appease the
goddess
- Iphegenia, his daughter, was the sacrifice to Artemis

Helen
- loved Paris so much but wanted to return as she was bound to her duty
- was scared of Agamemnon
- allowed to stay by King Priam
 THE ILIAD
“If he lives to adulthood, he will lead Troy to its destruction”

Background on The Iliad

- “Ili” means Troy and “ad” means something related (something related to Troy)
- the war lasted 10 years
- in media res (no beginning)
- written at the end of the war, using flashbacks

The Greeks
a. Achilles
- son of Peleus and Thetis
- dipped in the River Styx as a baby, except his right heel
- the King of the Myrmidons and the mightiest of the Greek warriors
- disguised himself as a woman because he didn’t want to participate in the war
- revealed his true self because of Odysseus who brought him gifts and spread news about
war
- invincible against any weapon and military combat, aside from his right heel
● Flaws: prideful and arrogant
● Prophecies:
1. He will live an uneventful life and die of old age
2. He will be a mighty warrior but die in war
3. The war will not succeed without Achilles and Odysseus
b. Agamemnon
- killed the sacred deer of Artemis
- the reason it took 10 years to arrive at Troy due to the anger of Artemis
- known for his stupidity and arrogance
c. Odysseus
- wanted to stay in Ithaca with his wife and son (Penelope and Telemachus)
- stated that “no war should be over a woman”
- pretended to be a crazy woman by planting salt on the field but was tested by Menelaus
- mastermind behind the Oath of Tyndareus
- mediator between Achilles and Agamemnon
d. Menelaus
- a brave warrior
- tested Odysseus by putting his young son on the field
- wanted Helen back, much to her nonchalance
e. Ajax the Greater
- second to Achilles in martial prowess
- son of Diomedes
f. Patroclus
- the closest companion of Achilles
- the man Achilles loved most in the world
The Trojans
a. Hector
- the main commander of the Trojan army
- brother of Paris
- resents Paris for bringing war to Troy
b. Paris
- lacked the spirit of battle
- was just in his room with Helen during the war
- did not participate in the war he caused
- self-centered and cowardly
c. Aeneas
- the only survivor of the Trojans
- founded Rome, Italy
d. Priam
- father of Cassandra, Hector, Paris, and Diophobos
- despises Paris
- the aged King of Troy
e. Andromache
- begged her husband, Hector, to no longer participate in the war
f. Hecuba

The Gods Siding with The Greeks

a. Athena
- daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom
b. Hera
- wife of Zeus, Queen of the gods
c. Thetis
- mother of Achilles and Queen of the Sea Nymphs
d. Hephaestus
- some say he was neutral
- described as the ugliest and married to Aphrodite
- had a hunchback and was thrown by Hera from Olympus
e. Hermes
- messenger god
- guides Priam through the Greek camp

The Gods Siding with The Trojans

a. Aphrodite
- goddess of love and lust
b. Apollo
- very prideful
- patron of the arts and archery
- god of prophecy
c. Ares
 - there out of his love for Aphrodite
- god of war and destruction
d. Artemis
- sister of Apollo
- goddess of the hunt and moon

Setting
a. City of Troy
- Apollo and Poseidon built its walls for Laomedon, father of Priam
- Apollo fell in love with Cassandra and gifted her the power of prophecy
- main city of destruction
b. Mt. Ida
- where Paris was abandoned and raised because of a prophecy
- where everything can be seen
c. Sparta
- kingdom of Menelaus
d. River Styx
- where Achilles was submerged by Thetis to be invulnerable against mortal combat,
except for his right heel

The Landing at Troy

- the first casualty of the war, courtesy of Hector, was Protesilaus, one of the former suitors of
Helen
- he was shortly revived to see his wife but she had already committed suicide

The Statement of War

- the war lasted nine years
- there still was no clear victor
- the Trojan allies were attacked by Achilles (north) and Ajax (south)

Book 1: The Plague

- the daughters of Chryses (a priest of Apollo), Chryseis and Briseis, were taken as bride prizes
- Agamemnon took Chryseis and Achilles took Briseis
- Chryses begged on his knees for the return of his daughter, Chryseis
- the god Apollo sends deadly arrows of the Plague to the Greek camp, per the ask of Chryses
- the plague lasted 9 days
● Calchas- the prophet of the Greeks did not want to reveal the fact that the plague was caused by
Apollo
● Achilles vs Agamemnon
- after returning Chryseis, Agamemnon takes Briseis who belonged to Achilles
- dishonored, Achilles refuses to fight and recalls his troops, the Myrmidons
- Achilles wanted the Greeks to realize that they could not win without him and his troops

Book 2: Zeus Intervenes

 - on behalf of her son, Thetis asks Zeus for a punishment to be sent to the Greek army
- Zeus relents as he owes Thetis a great favor from the uprising of the gods
- Thetis asked Zeus to turn the tide of the war in favor of the Trojans
- Zeus sends a dream to Agamemnon, telling him to attack Troy, but the Greek army lose without
the Myrmidons

Book 3: Menelaus vs Paris

- Paris challenged the Greeks to go against him
- Menelaus and Paris set a duel between each other
- the duel was meant to decide the ending of the war
● Aphrodite’s Intervention
- Menelaus was the clear winner
- just as Paris is about to be finished off, the goddess of love snatches Paris and takes him
to the chambers of Helen

Book 4: Athena Intervenes

- Zeus wants the war to be finishe
- Hera and Athena believe that Paris has not been punished enough and are determined to have
Troy destroyed
- disguised as Pandarus, she breaks the truce and shoots an arrow at Menelaus
- many men die that day amidst the rage

Book 5: The Gods Fight

- Diomedes and Athena vs Pandarus and Aeneas and Aphrodite and Apollo
- Ares and Hector vs Diomedes and Athena
- Diomedes vs Ares
- Ares vs Athena

Book 6: Diomedes and Glaucus

- they challenged one another into combat
- become friends after learning of their common lineage
● Hector and Paris
- Hector chastises Paris after discovering him in bed with Helen
● The Farewell Between Hector and Andromache
- Andromache, the ever devoted wife, tries to persuade for Hector not to return to battle
- out of his duty and honor, Hector had no choice but to return
- Astyanax, their son, is told “greater is he than his father” by Hector
● Helen’s Guilt
- she wishes that she had been the wife of a better man (Menelaus)
- she scolds Paris as she realizes he could never be a man she could depend on

Book 7: Hector and Ajax

- fought a duel with no winner
- a truce is called
 - Paris refuses to return Helen which would end the war (suggested by Antenor)
- the gods are forbidden from intervention by Zeus

Aristeia - excellence; finest moment in battle

Book 8: Hector’s Aristeia

- from Mt. Ida, Zeus decides to give Troy a victory
- Hector slays hundreds of men
- the Greeks retreat to where they started 10 years ago, the shores of Troy

Book 10: The Game of Spies

- Diomedes was sent by the Greeks to spy on the Trojan troops
- Troy also sends their own spy, Dolon, to the Greeks
- Dolon is caught by Odysseus and Diomedes and is killed after giving up information

Book 11: Agamemnon’s Aristeia

- Agamemnon sweeps the battlefield but the Greeks are still defeated without Achilles
- Nestor told Agamemnon to ask for the forgiveness of Achilles

Book 12: The Greeks Retreat

- the Trojans sweep the Greeks with the support of Zeus, as he promised to Thetis
- the Greeks return to their ships

Book 13: Aristeia of Idomeneus

- the Cretan king holds off the Trojan forces
- the Trojans are used to fighting on plains and not near the ships

Book 14: Poseidon Intervenes

- disguised himself as the prophet Calchas
- stirred the Greeks to defend their ships and fight

Book 15: Hera seduces Zeus

- the Queen of Olympus borrowed the girdle of Aphrodite
- the girdle made anyone who wore it irresistible
- using the girdle, Zeus was seduced by Hera
- after which, Morpheus, god of sleep, lulled Zeus to a slumber
- Hera wanted to sway the tide in favor of the Greeks

Book 16: The Death of Patroclus

- he tried to persuade Achilles to go back and participate in the war
- Patroclus dons Achilles’ armor with permission
- his aristeia kills many Trojans, including Sarpedon (son of Zeus)
- warned by Achilles to defend the ships but stormed the Trojan walls
- was pierced by Hector who had the help of Apollo, which led to his death
Book 17: Aristeia of Menelaus
- Menelaus protected the body of Patroclus and brought it to camp
- he killed many Trojans who tried to mutilate the body

Book 18: Achilles Mourns

- he vows to avenge the death of Patroclus
- he decides to return to battle, driven by revenge and grief

Book 19: Achilles Returns to War

- he wants to attack right away but is stopped by Odysseus
- the wise King of Ithaca advises to rest and eat first
- Achilles refuses to do so until he gains his revenge on the Trojans

Book 20: Aristeia of Achilles

- Driven by revenge, he kills thousands of men
- Aeneas, Aphrodite’s son, was nearly killed but saved by Poseidon from the order of Zeus
- The son of the goddess of love would be the sole Trojan survivor and will be the founder of Rome

Book 21: Achilles and the gods

- Achilles kills Scamander, the river gods in Troy and Lycaon, the son of Priam
- he nearly kills Agenor but Apollo saves him
- Athena defeats Ares and Aphrodite
- Hera braided Artemis
- Poseidon and Apollo square off

The Death of Hector

“There are no pacts between lions and man.”
- King Priam senses the impending danger and calls Hector to come inside the city
- Hector was resolved to face Achilles in single combat as he was challenged to a duel
- Boys by his duty, Hector fought and protected Troy even if he didn’t want to
- His family and comrades tried to stop Hector from leaving
- once faced with Achilles, Hector saw the rage in his eyes and in a panic, ran around the walls of
Troy thrice
- Zeus takes pity on Hector and asks the scales to decide the fate of Hector
- The scales tip to Hector’s impending death and Zeus cannot do anything to change it
- Hector proposes a pact wherein whoever dies, their family and comrades get to hold a proper
funeral for them but Achilles refuses
- Athena disguises herself as Diophobos, Hector’s brother and urges him to fight
- However, the goddess of wisdom assists Achilles, retrieving a spear whenever necessary
- Achilles stabs Hector with a fatal thrust using his spear
- The corpse of the Trojan prince was brutally mutilated by the Achaens
- Achilles pierces Hector’s heel and ties him to his chariot
- He dragged the Trojan corpse around the walled city of Troy 21 times
Book 23-24: The Funeral of Patroclus
- 12 Trojans were to be sacrificed and burned with the body of Patroclus
- Achilles refuses to wash the blood off his body until Patroclus’ body is burned
- Furthermore, the deceased Trojan prince was dragged around Patroclus’ funeral pier for 11 days
- King Priam, escorted by Hermes, crosses the battlefield to retrieve his son’s body.
- Priam wanted to show that Trojan Valor did not die with Hector
- Understanding the ways of war, he knelt on his knees and kissed the hands of Achilles, the man
who had killed so many of his sons
- While talking to Priam, Achilles remembers his father and wonders if he would do the same
- Achilles and Priam forgave each other
- Achilles instructs his men to wrap the body of Hector, which had been protected by Apollo and
Aphrodite, in a white cloth
- Achilles also releases Briseis
- the Trojans were granted 12 days of truce for Hector’s funeral

Funeral of Hector
- all Trojans lamented Hector’s death
- they gathered wood in the mountains and burned Hector’s body
- his bones were then placed into a golden chest
- when Hector was buried, the hope of Troy was buried with him as well

● Though unclear when Agamemnon raped Helen in front of Menelaus

● The King of Mycenae also raped the prophetess Cassandra in the temple of Athena
● The deities in the story are characterized by deceit, secrecy, partiality, and manipulation
● Zeus wanted the war to happen because he thought the world was overpopulated