...Mythology, one of the most famous stories – is the Trojan War, the fight between Troy and the Achaeans. Throughout the years, there have been numerous representations about this grand tale, from a beautiful amphora portraying Achilles and Ajax playing a board game, created around 500 B.C. (Arts) and the epic poem, Homer’s Iliad describes in great details the last few weeks of the war, written in 800 B.C. A more modern take on the war is the famous movie Troy with actors Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, released in 2004. Here we have three different mediums, an amphora, a long poem and a modern film, yet they all tell the tragic bloody tale of the Trojan War. I will discuss the overall theme that these three pieces share,...
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...deserved the apple and since Hera had been turned away, they had no way of finding out the intended recipient of the gift. None of the gods wanted to judge, because choosing one would invite the wrath of the other two. Finally, the conflict took them to Hermes, who led them to Paris, who was a prince of Troy. The three goddesses appeared naked to Paris, but he was still unable to judge them. Then they tried to influence him by offering him bribes; Hera offered him control of Asia Minor (Anatolia) and political power, Athena offered him the abilities of the greatest warriors, skill in battle and wisdom, while Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta (who came to be known as Helen of Troy when she eloped with Prince Paris). Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite, not knowing that Helen was already married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Top Elopement of Paris and Helen Source: Francesco Primaticcio (artist), via Wikimedia Commons (PD) As part of a Trojan delegation to Sparta, Paris encountered and seduced Helen. She fell in love with him after being shot by a golden arrow from Eros (Greek equivalent of Cupid), Aphrodite's son. At that time, Menelaus had left for Crete to attend his uncle's funeral. When the Trojan delegation left, Paris and Helen eloped. Menelaus was furious upon discovering his wife's infidelity, and asked...
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...Trojan War Trojan War, in Greek legend, famous war waged by the Greeks against the city of Troy. The tradition is believed to reflect a real war between the Greeks of the late Mycenaean period and the inhabitants of the Troad, or Troas, in Anatolia, part of present-day Turkey. Modern archaeological excavations have shown that Troy was destroyed by fire sometime between 1230 bc and 1180 bc, and that the war may have resulted from the desire either to plunder the wealthy city or to put an end to Troy's commercial control of the Dardanelles. Legendary accounts of the war traced its origin to a golden apple, inscribed “for the fairest” and thrown by Eris, goddess of discord, among the heavenly guests at the wedding of Peleus, the ruler of Myrmidons, and Thetis, one of the Nereids. The award of the apple to Aphrodite, goddess of love, by Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, secured for Paris the favor of the goddess and the love of the beautiful Helen of Troy, wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Helen went with Paris to Troy, and an expedition to avenge the injury to Menelaus was placed under the command of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. Agamemnon's force included many famous Greek heroes, the most noted of whom were Achilles, Patroclus, the two Ajaxes, Teucer, Nestor, Odysseus, and Diomedes. After the Trojans refused to restore Helen to Menelaus, the Greek warriors assembled at the Bay of Aulis and proceeded to Troy in 1000 ships. The siege lasted ten years, the first nine of...
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...developed to depict events of the Trojan war. The setting is around the time of 1250 B.C, with most of the scenes taking place in Troy. However, it does begin with scenes from Greece. The basis of the movie tells the story of the war, which begins because of Helen ( king of Greek’s wife) falls in love with prince of Troy, Paris. After peace has been between Troy and Greece ,this sparks an uproar and the Greeks go to Troy via ships to attack, behind their best fighter Achilles. In summary, in the end the Greeks conquer Troy by entering hiding in a giant Trojan horse. The main character of Troy and the Trojan War was Achilles, who was the greatest warrior. He was also the son of Thetis and said to be immortal. Other main characters include Paris and Hector, both princes’ of Troy, Achilles killed Hector and Paris killed Achilles. These played significant roles in the dynamics of the far and sparked certain events of the war. Two other main characters are the kings, king of Troy, Agamemon, and king of Greeks, Menalous. Another important character was Prious, the cousin of Hector and Paris. Achilles and Prious fall in love. The movie Troy was created to display events of the Trojan War, however it is controversial on if the war or events of the war ever really happened. With no written records, it is hard to compare the movie with actual historical events. Scientists are believed to have found Troy , which could give more insight on the said Trojan war. The major event in the movie...
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... Trojan War . In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably through Homer's Iliad. The Iliad relates a part of the last year of the siege of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war's heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems, which have survived through fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid. The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen's husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris,...
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...Daughter of Thaumas who helped both sides during the Trojan war equally. Helped Hector find war plans of the Greeks and helped Achilles enter a temple. Ithaca This is home to the mythological hero Odysseus and is located in the Ionian sea in Greece Laocoon In Greek and Roman mythology, he was a seer and priest of the god Apollo in the ancient city of Troy. He played a notable role in the last days of the Trojan War; he and his twin sons, Antiphas and Thymbraeus were killed by a giant sea serpent. Menelaus king of Sparta and husband of Helen, the woman who caused the Trojan War. Mycenae In Greek legend, Agamemnon, leader of the combined Greek forces, was king of this place during the Trojan War. Myrmidons They are very brave and skilled warriors commanded by Achilles Nestor He was an Argonaut, helped fight the centaurs, and participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. He and his sons, Antilochus and Thrasymedes, fought on the side of the Achaeans in the Trojan War Odysseus He was one of the most influential Greek champions during the Trojan War. When Agamemnon, to test the morale of the Achaeans, announced his intentions to depart Troy, He restored order to the Greek camp. Palladium An image of Palla Athena that was sacred to Trojans. During the war it was stolen by Odysseus and Diomedes. It was said that Troy would not fall as long as the Palladium stayed within its walls. Aphrodite/Venus Paris chose her over the other two goddesses as the most beautiful, and...
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...A war text is a text in which major characteristics of war prevail; scenes of war, heroes are described in action, military leaders, and courage are depicted in such text. The story of the Iliad by Homer describes fifty latter days at the Trojan War. The book is a classical epic poem that vividly describes brass armaments and mortal blows in combat. It also glorifies battle, violence, bloodshed, relates vicissitudes of fortune and the prominence of god intervention in human affairs. The book is a great war book in a sense that the story takes place in a war environment, it has leaders, heroes, who demonstrate courage throughout the book. A-Presence of a war For a Great War text to exist, it must be a war. There was definitely a war in the Iliad by Homer: the Trojan. This War began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta, spouse of King Menelaus, by the Trojan prince Paris. This was an insult to the king. Then all the Achaeans (Greeks) got together to fight the Trojans in order to take Helen back from the Trojans. Everything started because of a selfish act from Paris. Nine years of war, thousands of people dead from both sides, just because one person decides to please himself, regardless of the consequences. War is described in a complex way by Homer. On one hand he is condemning the war by painting a very morbid and perverse image of it. Indeed, Homer starts the Iliad by describing all the pain felt by the Achaeans and the deaths, of thousands of men...
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...Troy home to the Trojans around 3,000 B.C- 500 A.D, in the ancient Greek times was situated in what is now known as Turkey, than known as the Asia Minor. Troy is most notably recognized for its part in the Great Trojan War. This is especially described in Homer’s Greek epic Cycle and The Iliad, Which are two Great works of art and are taught in most schools and universities around the world. Most Historians place the Trojan War in the 12th, 13th, 14th century B.C. As told in the Iliad the Achaeans, declared war against the city of Troy when Paris the prince of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus the King of Sparta. According to Homeric Troy, Achaeans set up their camp near the mouth of the river Scamander, with approximately 12,000 ships, equaling anywhere from 70,000-130,000 men. Troy stood against such a large force due to its strategic location. Troy itself stood on a hill, across the plain of Scamander, which is where most of the Trojan battles most likely took place. Another aspect to the war is Greek mythology, they believe that the war originated because of an argument between the goddesses Athena, who is the goddess of wisdom and crafts, Hera the goddess of marriage, women, child birth, family, and known as the Queen of Gods, and Aphrodite the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. This argument was began when Eris the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple also known as the apple of discord marked only “for the fairest.” The King of all...
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...yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride”. This quote means that everyone messes up at some point, however the ones who acknowledge their mistakes and strive to improve upon them are considered honorable, unlike those who ignore their mistakes due to a fear of tainting their prestige. Both epic poems, The Iliad by Homer and The Aeneid by Virgil affirm this idea because throughout each book, characters that learn from prior mistakes are successful when faced with challenges, whereas those who practice prideful thinking eventually reach a shameful downfall. In The Iliad, one prominent leader who fights during the Trojan War that demonstrates admirable qualities was Achilles. Seen in Book 18, this great Greek fighter acknowledges his arrogance for withdrawing himself from the war and sending his comrade Patroklos, to his death. Achilles and Patroklos shared a mentor-mentee relationship where Patroklos admires this great warrior, however by Achilles displaying such selfishness, his heroic status diminishes. After recognizing the disgrace of his actions, Achilles assures his fallen comrade, Patroklos that he will redeem his status by avenging Patroklos’s death. This decision justifies Achilles as an honorable person because after admitting his mistakes, he goes on to fix them. Achilles’s heroic redemption is seen in Book 24 of the text when he not only kills his comrade’s murderer, but he also goes on to return the enemy’s corpse. After...
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...this story is almost three thousand years old? The story of Achilles as a Trojan War hero is chronicled in The Iliad and is estimated to have been written Homer around 700 B.C.E. I’d like to spend the next hour or so discussing what the film version has in common with the ancient story as well as those sections that may have been altered to make the film more exciting. We will discuss this historical timeline behind Achilles’ entrance into the Trojan War, his perceived “invulnerability,” and the two phases of his involvement in the final battles. Much like Homer’s Iliad, the film is focuses on the hero Achilles of the Trojan War, but each story has a slightly different time span. The Trojan War was started over the abduction of Helen (of Sparta) wife to Menelaus, brother of the Mycenaean king, Agamemnon. Paris the youngest prince of Troy visits Sparta, seduces Helen, and sets sail for Troy with Helen at his side. According to the myths of Achilles’ life it wasn’t until the Trojan War started that Achilles’ mother, Thetis, received a prophecy that revealed Achilles would die at Troy and as a result attempted to hide Achilles from the war. The myth portrays him as approximately nine or ten years old when his mother sends him to the court of Lycomedes at the onset of the war. It isn’t until the last year of the war, roughly nine years later making him 18 or 19 years old, that Achilles joins the war described in The Iliad. For my mother Thetis the goddess of silver feet...
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...No matter what religion someone believes, who their family is, or what they look like, all people are people, and everyone should be treated equally. This belief can be seen thousands of years back in time, even in some of the earliest writings of literature, such as The Iliad and The Odyssey, two Greek epics written by Homer. In The Iliad, the story takes place during the end of the Trojan War, where the Trojans and Greeks do see themselves not only as superior but do not even treat their enemy as their equal. Greeks believed that Trojans were savages or less than human, and the Trojans felt the same way about their opponent. In Homer’s Iliad, However, he writes in an unbiased way, using symbolization, figurative language and dialogue to...
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...In the era of Homer, divine intervention was thought to be typical, and one of his foremost works, The Iliad, reflects this. Nearly all of the Greek gods are involved in the outcome of the Trojan War, which happens to be the background story of this epic poem. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. Evidently, the gods will be a powerful source of divine intervention and their actions certainly have significant outcomes on the Trojan War, and more importantly, the story of The Iliad. Zeus, very untypical of a Greek god in his lack of involvement in the Trojan War for selfish reasons, was portrayed as the father figure, being impartial and fair to both sides of the war. He remains this way to serve as a check for the other god's involvement in the war. Without the presence of fate controlling the inner circle of Olympus, it is likely that the activity of the Trojan War would have become chaotic, possibly even becoming a playground of war for the gods. The power of fate, above all of the other gods combined, is a power that not even divine intervention can prevent. This theme of fate and how it controls the god’s actions is quite befitting to the storyline of The Iliad. The Iliad, in essence, recounts the story of part of the tenth year of the Trojan War. It recounts of the anger of Achilles, the greatest warrior present at Troy, and of the background battle that is ensuing. The reoccurring theme in the Iliad is that no matter whom the character...
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...SUMMARY OF ILIAD In the tenth year of the Trojan War, tensions are running high among the Achaeans. First, the priest Chryses comes to ask their leader, King Agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom Agamemnon was holding captive. When Agamemnon refuses, the priest prays to the god Apollo to send a plague against the Achaeans. After nine days of plague, the Achaeans assemble again and demand that Agamemnon give the girl back. Agamemnon eventually agrees, but only if he gets to take Briseis, the girlfriend of Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Achaeans. Even though Achilles gives her up, he becomes so enraged that he refuses to fight any more. That and he prays to his mother, Thetis, who happens to be a goddess, to pull some strings with the other gods so that the Achaeans will start getting defeated in battle and realize how much they depend on him. Achilles’ mom definitely spoils him. She gets Zeus, the king of the gods, to agree to Achilles’ request. Sure enough, the next day the Trojans makes a successful counterattack, led by Hector, their greatest warrior. Several days of violent fighting follow, at the end of which the Trojans have the Achaeans pinned against the beach, and are threatening to burn their ships. At this point, Achilles’ best friend Patroclus asks for permission to go into battle in Achilles’ place. Achilles grants Patroclus request, and even lets him wear his armor. Patroclus gambit is successful – when the Trojans see him, they think he must be Achilles...
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...The painting, The Dispute between Minerva and Neptune over the Naming of the City of Athens by René-Antoine Houasse, can relate to the book, The Odyssey by Homer, because when looking at the painting many predictions can be made about The Odyssey in relation to the painting. For instance, the most noticeable fact when looking at this painting is the possible conflict between the characters (a man vs man conflict). Almost all the characters are holding a type of a weapon, but what makes this conflict interesting is that no one is holding their weapons in a threatening way or in a way that makes it seem like they are going to attack each other. The painter may have done this to show that this conflict might not be at least start out as a physical...
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...Rahat Hasan War, Love, and Glory “And his loving father laughed, his mother laughed as well, and glorious Hector, quickly lifting the helmet from his head, set it down on the ground, fiery in the sunlight, and raising his son he kissed him, tossed him in his arms, lifting a prayer to Zeus, all you immortals! Grant this boy, my son, may be like me, first in glory among the Trojans, strong and brave like me, and rule all Troy in power” (6.562-69) In Book 6 of The Iliad, Homer describes the highly acclaimed Trojan warrior, Hector, returning from the battlefield to the city of Troy, where he meets his wife Andromache, and his infant son Astyanax. The excerpt displayed above describes the meeting of Hector with his family and serves an important purpose in The Iliad because it humanizes and reveals the positive traits of the great warrior; the audience can relate to Hector as he returns from war and suddenly embraces Astyanax upon seeing him. Homer is able to achieve a great level of emotional depth in this excerpt because he employs imagery that vividly conveys Hector’s return to his family. When Hector hastily removes his helmet upon seeing how it frightens Astyanax, Homer writes a series of clauses containing thoughts, feelings, and emotions which make the audience realize that Hector, who previously affirmed his devotion to the war, has a tender and loving side as well. Hector’s sudden display of emotion may seem questionable to the audience at first, because in...
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