The Trojan War has long been debated on historical accuracy by experts on whether or not it actually happened. In Barry Strauss ' book, The Trojan War, he draws from multiple sources to illustrate what occurred during this time period. Strauss utilizes archeological evidence and descriptions from poets, such as Homer, surrounding the Trojan War to argue what probably happened and what was likely made up.
Barry Strauss organizes his summary of the Trojan War by referencing Homer 's the Iliad and the Odyssey and compares it to the historical contexts of what he thinks happened. Most scholars agree that the Trojan War dates back around 1200 B.C. during the Bronze Age. The most popular tale of how the Trojan War starts is when Paris, Prince of Troy, goes to visit Sparta to mend relations. In Sparta, Paris is welcomed by Menelaus, King of Sparta and his beautiful wife Helen. According to ancient sources, Menelaus went to Crete for business and foolishly left Helen all alone with Paris (Strauss, 15). Afterward, Helen is seduced by Paris and flees Sparta to accompany him back to Troy, along with bountiful treasures.
There are various accounts for why Helen left Sparta and to why Paris abducted Helen. Some attribute the abduction as a means to power and politics. According to Strauss, Anatolia was a place that offered women more political freedom (Strauss, 16). Freedom and power alone could have enticed Helen to leaving her husband and running off with Paris. Homer heavily
The Trojan war was a ten year siege on the city of the city of Troy at the hands of the Greek forces led by a psychopathic king, Agamemnon. This conflict, which took place about 1200 B.C has become one of the most well known Greek mythology events in history. In the 13th century B.C, Troy and Sparta had stopped their wars and become allies, this was until Paris the youngest prince of Troy seduced Helen, the Queen of Sparta and left with her back to Troy. When Menelaos (The King of Sparta) found out what had happened, he vowed
The Trojan all began with a kidnapping of a women. Aphrodite said that if Prince Paris gave him the golden apple then Aphrodite would give him the most beautiful girl in the world(McDonald). Although when he gave Aphrodite the golden apple Paris did not know that the women was already married to Menelaus(McDonald). So Paris went and kidnapped her, when Menelaus asked for Helen back Paris Refused. Two boys fighting over one girl started a famous war.
Helen's situation is also distinguished by the fact that she is the only woman targeted by the Trojan women themselves for hatred and condemnation. They accuse her of being the cause of the war that has brought death to all the Trojan warrior heroes and has culminated in the downfall of Troy itself. She is also considered to be the nuisance of her own kinsmen, the Greeks. In the eyes of the Trojan women, including Hecuba, Helen lacks “womanly virtues” and is completely bereaved of refined sentiments. Her renowned beauty is a trap that she deliberately and opportunistically utilizes to manipulate men like Paris in her greedy quest for bodily pleasures and luxurious
One of of the causes or reasons that the Trojan War happened was when the youngest of Troy, Paris, have dishonoured all the means of hospitality by running off with Helen the wife of the king of Sparta, King Menelaus. This got the king angry because of his decision he decided to go to his brother King Agamemnon, for his assistance. King Agamemnon finally had the chance to take overTroy as it was always what he wanted but however he was frequently stopped by his brother and however given by thin opportunity, he took it and finally took over this beautiful city. Helen of Sparta is referred to in Homer's writings to have had the face that launched a thousand believed to be the most beautiful woman during the time.
The suspected start of the war- over the abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta- was caused entirely by a godly conflict over who was the most beautiful- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, was selected to judge. He chose Aphrodite, who in turn gave him Helen, who was her equivalent in beauty amongst humans. In both versions, Paris is portrayed as a wife stealing, thief in the night. His brother Hector and he were on a peace mission in Sparta on behalf of Troy visiting the king, Menelaus, when Paris ran off with Menelaus' wife, Helen. This action divides the Gods who constantly meddle with the mortal's lives. Naturally, Aphrodite is on the Trojans' side, as was her lover and God of War, Ares, and Apollo. Although Zeus, King of Gods, tried to be neutral, he was pro-Trojan. Hera, Queen of Gods, and Athena help the Greeks because they were mad that Paris chose Aphrodite. Poseidon, God of the Sea and Zeus' brother, also sided with the Greeks whenever Zeus was not looking. An example of this constant intrusiveness of the Gods in the Iliad was when King "Menelaus hurls his spear, lightly wounding Paris. Paris' helmet strap becomes caught at his chin and Menelaus has nearly dragged him away before Aphrodite intervenes, breaking the strap. She then wraps Paris in a mist, sets him in his own perfumed bedchamber, and hurries to catch Helen" (Bloom 13). Of
The war started after Paris, the king of troy, kidnapped the Spartan Queen Helen. King of Sparta king Menelaus was furious and asked his brother to help lead a retrieval mission. There where many greek heroes that joined Agamemnon ,Menelaus brother, two of them were Achilles and Odysseus.
The Trojan War. Confined totally to the pages of Homer's The Illiad, the indulgent fantasy of a Greek poet who lived over two and a half thousand years ago- or a historic fact at the centre of the most famous quarrel ever? The Illiad is the ancient tale of a mighty city called Troy that lay at the edge of Asia Minor whose prince abducted Helen, the most beautiful woman of all time, from the king of Greek Sparta, causing the Greeks to send an army in a thousand ships to attack and lay siege to Troy for 10 years. Historians have long doubted the credibility of Homer as a reliable historical source. However evidence has been uncovered by archaeologists to suggest that The Iliad has some basis in truth
After going through many variations of both stories online, I came to believe that Helen was kidnapped by Paris. The reason for my conclusion is: it is thought in many versions of this story that before her kidnapping, Helen and Menelaos had a daughter Hermione. Despite me believing that Helen was kidnapped, there are also other stories that say Aphrodite, the Goddess of love helped Paris seduce Helen, convincing her to go with him to Troy. Perhaps she may have gone willingly with Paris, leaving behind her young daughter and her home. I remain with the conclusion that Helen was kidnapped by
The Trojan War was a conflict fought between the Greeks and the Trojans. The war lasted for ten years and it happened from 1194 to 1184 BC (timelessmyths.com).The war began around 1194 BC, at the time the kings of the rivaling cities were King Priam of Troy, and King Menelaus of Sparta. Furthermore, Priam had several wives at the time having around 50 sons and many daughters, while Menelaus had one wife named Helen and two kids by the name of Hermione and Nicostratus (Iliad). Know that when most people think of the beginning of the Trojan War, they think it started with Paris, Priam’s son took Helen away from Sparta. Some believe that Helen went willingly and thus the war began.
A brief overview of the whole story, Trojan War is to compete for the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, caused by army of Agamemnon and Achilles. They attacked
The existence of a war in Troy is undeniable; however it is not the Trojan war of Homer’s Iliad. It is believed that Homer’s account may have been based on a real event therefore having some truth but due to the mythological nature of the source, the unreliability of oral transmission and the exaggerated romantic theme, the account is not a valid source for historians. Written evidence such as the Hittite records and the different theories presented by archaeologists Schliemann, Dorpfield, Blegen and Korfmann strongly suggest the occurrence of a war in troy and have some links to the Iliad. Despite these links, there is only enough evidence to support the existence of a war in Troy but not explicitly Homer’s
The Trojan war is a standout amongst the most imperative occasions in Greek folklore. The war was done against the city of Troy by the Greeks after Paris of Troy took Helen from her better half the King of Sparta otherwise called Menelaus. The war started after a debate between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. Eris the goddess of disagreement and strife gave them a brilliant apple otherwise called the Apple of Discord whom the "most attractive" was to guarantee.
Though historians don’t know exactly how the Trojan War began, they believe it began with Queen Helen of Sparta in 45 BC. Helen was abducted by the Prince of Troy, Paris, thus incurring the wrath of her husband Menelaus. Menelaus convinced his brother, Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae to form an army and bring his wife back to him. Agamemnon was accompanied by famous Greek heroes such as Achilles and Odysseus in his pursuit of Helen. With more than a
During the Bronze age of time (1184-1194 BC) one of the most important events happened in Greek mythology. It has been addressed many times in both literature and through oral speech. There are many different versions of this story because no one has managed to keep the same thoughts. The two most famous ones are the Odyssey and Iliad. This one is going off of the Iliad by Homer.
After the readings, I believe that there was not a historical Trojan War. I believe Homer’s poems were historically inaccurate and just a fictional form of writing. These poems were mythical and made as a story for the public. Also, archaeological evidence fails to show proof of a major war, but instead shows that Troy may have been a major trade center which can cause tension and conflict between societies.