The Trojan Saga

The Trojan Saga - Transcript

CLA 102 Lecture 24 The Trojan Saga the Iliad
1 The Basic Story 2 Gathering of Army at Aulis 3 The War

Map of Eastern Mediterranean

1 The Basic Story
a Judgment of Paris at wedding feast of Peleus Thetis parents of Achilles goddess Eris Strife came uninvited She threw an apple inscribed for the most beautiful goddesses Hera Athena Aphrodite each claimed it was for them Paris son of King Priam of Troy asked to be judge Each goddess promised gifts to Paris if he chose them

1 The Basic Story cont
a Judgment of Paris cont 1 Hera political power 2 Athena victories in war 3 Aphrodite marriage to Helen most beautiful woman in world Paris chose Aphrodite s gift Helen already married to Menelaus of Sparta

1 The Basic Story cont
a Judgment of Paris cont Paris thus visited Sparta ran off to Troy with her theft of Helen caused Trojan War since at the time that Menelaus married Helen other suitors for her were warriors from all over Greece they had pledged to come to the aid of whoever won Helen should they be needed

1 The Basic Story cont
b Gathering of Army at Aulis Before sailing for Troy Greek army met at Aulis leader of expedition was Agamemnon of Mycenae Menelaus brother Agamemnon angered the goddess Artemis by killing stag sacred to her as punishment Artemis becalmed the fleet at Aulis

1 The Basic Story cont
b Gathering of Army at Aulis cont to appease Artemis get winds to take fleet to Troy Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigeneia to Artemis Iphigeneia had been lured to Aulis by being told that she was to be married to Achilles

Central Greece Peloponnese

Aulis Temple of Artemis

Aulis Harbour

Channel between Euboea Mainland

1 The Basic Story cont
c The War lasted 10 years finally taken by the device of Trojan horse d Theme of Iliad anger of Achilles takes place in the 10th year of war concerns quarrel between Agamemnon Achilles Agamemnon had been forced to give up one of his concubines Chryseis daughter of a priest of Apollo Because Achilles insulted Ag Ag took from Ach his concubine Briseis

1 The Basic Story cont
Ach then withdrew from battle along with his troops With absence of Achilles Trojans get upper hand only when his best friend lover Patroclus who entered battle in Achilles armour was killed by the Trojan hero Hector did he re enter battle Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector after his father had come to Ach in the middle of the night to beg for the return of his son s body The gods play a significant role in the Iliad even entering into battle to support their favourites Movie Troy is based very loosely on the saga of Troy makes many changes from the story of the Iliad

2 Was there a Trojan War
a Literary Evidence Homer Iliad Odyssey summaries of lost poems that completed stories about the war Greek tragedies such as Aeschylus Agamemnon Sophocles Ajax Euripides Trojan Women tell of events after the Trojan War b Archaeological Evidence Troy 1st excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in late 19th century excavations continue today either Troy VI destroyed ca 1250 BCE or Troy VIIA destroyed ca 1180 BCE are candidates Troy traded with Mycenaean Greeks

2 Was there a Trojan War
Linear B tablets at Pylos in Peloponnese talk about 500 women slaves from Asia Minor who work in flax linen industry c Hittite Evidence Hittite documents mention city of Wilusa Wilios Ilios where they had a war Prince of Wilusa was Alaksandus Alexander Paris refer to Ahhiyawa Akhaiwoi in Linear B tablets Achaeans name given by Homer for Greeks d Conclusion may reflect various raids of Mycenaeans on coast of Asia Minor including at Troy exaggerated into a 10 year war by generations of oral poets

Ancient Troy
Map of Ancient Troy

Archaeological Site of Troy

Archaeological Site of Troy walls of Troy VI

Archaeological Site of Troy walls of Troy VI

Schliemann wife c jewelry from Troy II

Archaeological Site of Troy

Archaeological Site of Troy