TROY IN MYTHOLOGY
We first come across the name of Troy in Homer's epic
poem Iliad. This poet of the 8 Century B. C. recounts
to us the events which took place four centuries before
his time. A war between the Trojans and the Achaeans -
proved by archaological finds -took place about 1200 B.
C. In Homer's Iliad, which is a good source both on Troy
and history itself, the casus belli is given as the abduction
of a woman. While this is so in the epic, the economic
conditions then obtaining in Greece must have forced the
Achaeans to dominate the Dardanelles (Canakkale Bogazi)
and to capture Troy which was at a strategic point. The
real cause of the war lay not in the carrying off of a
queen, but in economic reasons. Our belief too lies in
this direction. Because it became imperative toward the
end of the 12nd millenium. B. C. to possess the Straits
and Troy, which dominated them, to meet the demands of
the expanding Achaean trade. It was of course only natural
for Homer to embellish the war, in his imagination, with
such an agreeable abduction to render his account, which
he declaimed in his flowing style in castles and kings'
palaces, more interesting and in accordance with the fashion
of time to mention the Gods who took an important part
in the fighting. As a matter of fact, had such not been
the case, we many not have had an epic poem called The
Iliad.
The
descriptions, places and names mentioned in the great
Homer's Iliad are not entirely imaginary, very many are
real or very close to reality-archaeological excavations
have brought to light the fact that a war did take place
about 1200 B. C. and that Troy was set on fire razed to
the ground. Thus it would be impossible for us, here,
not to mention The Iliad.
In
the epic, abduction of a woman is shown as the cause of
the war. According to this, the beautiful Helen, wife
of Menelaus the King of Sparta, is carried off by Paris,
the son of Priam, King of Troy.
The
infuriated Menelaus begs his brother Agamemnon, who is
the King Mycenaea, to punish Paris and Troy and have his
wife brought back. King Agamemnon, aided by their kings,
comes to Troy with a large Achaean army which he formed.
The ships anchor in Besike Bay. It is from this point
onwards that the Iliad shows us the way.
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| The
Wooden Horse at Troy |
It
is here that Agamemnon insults Apollo because of a slave
girl and Apollo, incensed, rains his arrows on the Achaeans
for nine days. Subsequently, Apollo is calmed down. But
now, Agamemnon takes the beautiful slave of Achilles,
the King of Phthia, away from him and the latter retires
to his tent in anger. His mother, the Goddess Thetis asks
Zeus not to allow Agamemnon any victories until he honours
her son. The God Zeus agrees to this plea and denies him
victory for 9 years and then, one day he advises him to
attack the Trojans in a dream. The two armies meet in
battle array. But Paris, saying that he caused the war,
rushes forward. But when he sees Menelaus in font of him,
he runs away, his heart shaking. His elder brother Hector
scolds him and forces him to battle. Paris and Menelaus
will represant the two armies and the victor will possess
Helen and all the treasures Paris throws his spear first.
Hitting the shield, the spear becomes twisted. Now, Menelaus
has taken action. The spear which he throws pierces Paris's
shield, holding him by his plume and turning him like
a top, he starts dragging him on the ground, Just then,
Aphrodite saves Paris and takes him to his room. Thus,
Paris is declared vanquished. According to the agreement,
the treasure and Helen are to be given to the Achaeans.
But the Goddess Athena, who wants Troy destroyed, causes
the agreement to be violated by inciting the Trojans.
The war starts a new. On one side is the Achaean army,
a hundred thousand strong; on he other, the Trojans and
their allies. The two armies start a confused battle.
In this war the Gods participate from time to time, wanting
to ensure victory for the side from the city they love.
Now
the Trojans, with the help of the Gods chase the Achaeans
right up to their ships. The helpless Agamemnon asks Achilles
for his help Achilles, refusing the offer, retires again
to his tent. Agamemnon is obliged to fight personally,
is wounded and leaves the battle field. The Achaeans are
terribly hard pressed, finally the Goddess Hera rushes
to their rescue. They chase the Trojans as far as the
walls of Troy, but the God Zeus enables Hector to re-enter
the fight by healing his wounds and once again, the Achaeans
are repulsed and their ships are set on fire.
Patroclus,
seeing his comrades annihilation, after receiving Achilles,
permission, dons his armour and weapons and dives among
the Trojans. Hector retreats, but the God Apollo tells
him it is only Patroclus and urges him to fight. Patroclus
is killed in fighting. Upon hearing this, Achilles becomes
mad with grief. To revenge him, he starts killing everyone
he meets. With many deeds of courage he routs the Trojans
and putting many to the sword, chases them as far as Troy.
The survivors take refuge within the city walls. Only
Hector remains outside, waiting for Achilles. But when
Achilles approaches he runs away in panic, with Achilles
hot in pursuit. They circle the walls several times. Finally
Hector is exhausted. They meet. Achilles hurls his spear
first, barely missing Hector. At the end of the struggle,
Achilles plunges his spear into Hector's neck and tying
his corpse to his choriot, starts dragging it. He finally
takes the corpse along to his ships.
Priam takes the corpse of his unfortunate son back to
Troy for the final rites.
The Iliad comes to an and with Hector's body burning.
What happens after this?
Paris inveigles Achilles to the vicinity of the Temple
of Apollo and kills him with an arrow. At last, the Achaeans
have realised that they will not be able to take Troy
by war. The Goddess advises them to use a stratagem. Accordingly,
the Achaeans build a wooden horse filled with soldiers
and present it to the Trojans. Then, they hide themselves
behind an island, giving the impression that they are
through with fighting.
The Trojans start victory celebrations and having gorged
themselves with food and drink, fall profoundly asleep.
While they are sleeping, the soldiers in the wooden horse
open the city gates wide. The Achaeans, who have returned,
enter, through the open gate and put the sleeping Trojans
to the sword till the morning; very few people survive
to escape. The Priest Laocoon has told that the wooden
horse was a ruse, but the Gods have caused him to be strangled
by sending two serpents. Thus, Troy which resisted the
100.000 strong Achaean army for ten years, fell in one
night through the treachery of the wooden horse.
The women are made prisoners. Among the prisoners are
Hecuba, the wife of the brave Hector Andromache was carrying
Hector's younger son in her arms. The Achaeans take this
small child and throw him down from the high walls, then
they bring the broken body of her son to his mother After
this, Polyxena, the most beautiful daughter of Priam,
is sacrificed at the grave of Achilles by having her throat
cut. Finally, King Priam's hour of destiny has arrived.
Priam, the King of Troy, is killed by Pyrrhus, the son
of Achilles.,
Thus Troy, which lived for thousands of years, is razed
to the ground by fire and demolition and with the killing
of the aged king. Menelaus is fully revenged. The Achaeans,
taking beautiful Helen with them, return to their ships
to begin to voyage home.
The survivors of this massacre, with heavy hearts, start
rebuilding their still smouldering city.
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