The Trojan War E-Book

50MINUTES

• Herausgeber: 50Minutes.com
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: History
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 29

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the history of the Trojan War in next to no time with this concise guide.

50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the Trojan War. When Menelaus, king of Sparta, returned home after visiting his dying father in Crete to discover that his beautiful wife, Helen, had been kidnapped by Paris and taken to Troy, he was furious. He declared a war on Troy that would last ten years, lead to a considerable loss of life, and eventually end in the famous saga of the Trojan horse.

In just 50 minutes you will:
• Understand the context surrounding the Trojan War, leading up to the fearless kidnapping of Helen, the wife of Menelaus, by Paris
• Discover the sacrifices made by both sides and the intricacies of ancient warfare, particularly in the face of the impenetrable defence of the walls of Troy
• Recognise the final blow to the Trojans when the Greeks sent in their famous wooden horse, and finally captured the city and recovered Helen

ABOUT 50MINUTES.COM | History & Culture
50MINUTES.COM will enable you to quickly understand the main events, people, conflicts and discoveries from world history that have shaped the world we live in today. Our publications present the key information on a wide variety of topics in a quick and accessible way that is guaranteed to save you time on your journey of discovery.

Leseprobe

The Trojan War

Key information

When: mid-13th century BC, or early 12th century BC.Where: in Greece and Asia Minor.Context: during a diplomatic mission to Greece, Paris, the son of the king of Troy, kidnapped Helen, the queen of Sparta. The Greek cities thus sent their armies to Troy in order to rescue the young woman. According to Homer, a ten-year war ensued.Key protagonists:Helen, queen of SpartaMenelaus, king of Sparta, Helen’s husband and Agamemnon’s brotherAgamemnon, king of Mycenae, Menelaus’s brotherAchilles, king of the MyrmidonsPatroclus, Achilles’ friend and cousinOdysseus, king of IthacaPriam, king of TroyHector and Paris, princes of Troy.Outcome: after many twists, the Trojan War ended in the capture and destruction of the city by the Achaeans (the name given to the Greeks at the time). The brave soldiers, both Achaeans and Trojans, fell one by one during battle. Achilles himself, who was a demigod, died from an arrow shot into his heel. Those who survived scattered across the Mediterranean and founded illustrious cities. This was notably the case for Aeneas, whose descendent Romulus founded the city of Rome.

Introduction

The Trojan War, the epic saga of Greek Antiquity, originated from the struggle between men and the gods. Aphrodite had promised Paris the love of the world’s most beautiful woman. With her support, he kidnapped Helen, whom he believed to be the most stunning woman in the world, and fled with her to Troy.

Menelaus, who wanted his wife back, called upon his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, the most powerful Greek city at the time. He united armies from every city behind him and launched the largest military campaign ever led by the Greeks against Troy. The formidable armada landed on the Trojan shores. The attack was repelled several times, as Hector organised a fierce resistance behind the city’s high walls, which were reputed to be impenetrable. With the decisive help of Achilles and the Myrmidons, after many epic battles and the famous ruse of the Trojan horse, the city was finally captured and pillaged. Helen was taken back to Sparta. Many heroes, including Achilles, Hector and Paris, died during the battle, but their legendary adventures have lived on through the centuries.

Context

Helen’s marriage and Tyndareus’s promise

When Helen, the daughter of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, came of age, her legendary beauty attracted many suitors. All the Achaean kings and war leaders sought her hand. Tyndareus did not want to anger these powerful kings, as a blunder on his part could revive internal disputes between the cities. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, suggested a way to escape this predicament, undoubtedly in the hope of impressing the father to win his daughter. Following his advice, a horse was sacrificed and its skin thrown on the ground. All of Helen’s suitors were then invited to gather around it. This was a symbolic gesture: they had to promise to form a coalition alliance which would fight anyone who tried to take Helen from her new husband. This ingenious promise enabled Tyndareus to be sure that none of them would disrupt the stability in Greece after Helen was married.