Robert E.

Bell
Helen of Sparta was perhaps the most inspired character in all literature, ancient or
modern. A whole war, one which lasted for ten years, was fought over her. Not only
that, nearly all the myths of the heroic age were threaded together in such a way that
this most idealized of all wars was the culmination of various exploits, including the
Argonaut, the Theban wars, and the Calydonian boar hunt. It is as though this event
was in the destiny of every dynasty formed from the beginning of things.

Helen, the face that launched a thousand ships, was a tantalizing enigma from the very
first. She was flesh and blood certainly, but she was also immortal, since her father
was none other than Zeus. Her mother was the beautiful Leda, queen of Sparta, who
was ravished by the father of the gods in the form of a swan. Leda's husband was
Tyndarecus, who later the same night, unaware of his feathered predecessor, also
impregnated his wife. She produced two eggs, one of which yielded Helen and
Polydeuces and the other of which contained Castor and Clytemnestra. While a swan's
egg can be accepted for the sake of myth, it has never made much sense that the part
of her pregnancy initiated by Tyndareus should produce an egg as well. This most
curious of births has been subjected to all manner of combinations over the years. As
delicious as the story of Leda was, some commentators even went so far as to suggest
that Helen and the Dioscuri were conceived at Rhamnus in Attica by Zeus and
Nemesis, the usually rather stern and sexless goddess whose job it was to curb
excesses. Nemesis, not happy with being raped by a swan, laid an egg and left it. Leda
found it, and when the egg hatched it produced Helen and the Dioscuri. In that case,
Clytemnestra was not even a sister of Helen.

It is difficult to imagine the childhood of the famous egg-born quartet. Two of them
could be injured, perhaps, but not fatally; two had special gifts that made them
physically and mentally superior. Apparently there was no jealousy among them.
Castor and Polydeuces were so closely attached they swore to die together, even if
Polydeuces could not hope to fulfill this resolve. The relationship between Helen and
Clytemnestra was not so simple. Helen was stunningly beautiful, and this must have
caused Clytemnestra some wistful moments when inevitable comparisons were made.

When the sisters reached puberty, Helen was kidnapped. Both the aging Theseus, king
of Athens, and his friend Peirithous, king of Larissa, wanted to have sex with one of
Zeus' daughters before they died. Theseus chose Helen, whose remarkable beauty was
already talked of far and wide. The abductors took her to Aphidna, a small city north
of Athens, and left her in the safekeeping of one of Theseus' vassals. He put his
mother, Aethra, with her as a guardian and companion. Inevitably, stories arose that
Theseus took her into safekeeping to do Tyndarcus a favor. One of Tyndarcus'
nephews was persistently pursuing her as a suitor, even at her very young age.
Another story said the sons of Apharcus, Idas and Lynceus, stole her, which caused
the famous fatal battle between them and the Dioscuri. There can be little question
that Theseus took Helen’s virginity. After all, that was the object of the kidnapping.
Some suppose that he planned to keep her intact until she reached marriageable age.
But the more realistic writers even gave the couple a child. Interestingly, but
improbably, the child was Iphigeneia.

We cannot know how long Helen was at Aphidna. Theseus had accomplished his
goal, so he left her and went with Peirithous to Hades to steal Persephone. This was
foolhardy as it turned out, for both were imprisoned, Peirithous forever. The Dioscuri
meanwhile raised an army and marched on Athens. The Athenians knew nothing of
the outrage to their sister, but one Academus had knowledge of the facts and revealed
the hiding place. The brothers razed Aphidna and delivered Helen, whom they carried
home to Sparta, along with Aethra and Peirithous' sister as personal slaves to their
sister.

Clytemnestra married during this time, first to Tantalus, son of Thyestes, and later to
Agamemnon, who killed Tantalus. If Helen did bring a baby back from Aphidna, it
made good sense for Clytemnestra to adopt it, since Helen was still considered a
virgin. If the child was Iphigeneia, some of the drama of sacrifice at Aulis would be
diminished, and Clytemnestra's revenge motive would not be as strong. It is probably
best to go with the common story that Helen had no child by Theseus and that
Iphigeneia was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.

Upon Helen's return to Sparta, an avalanche of suitors started to arrive. It would be

interesting to explore the dynamics of this mass courting. Every red-blooded male in
Greece who had heard of the gorgeous Helen dreamed of possessing her. But acting
on such ambition had a price tag. One had to be able to afford an impressive
appearance, complete with attendants, gifts, and other evidence of affluency. It must
be pointed out that the suitors were really wooing Tyndarcus, not Helen. Their
expense was nothing to what the process cost the father. The suitors and their
attendants had to be lodged and entertained, and the laws of hospitality probably did
not allow for limits on the duration of one's stay.

The roll call of suitors shows that they came from all parts of Greece and represented
the finest stock of heroes and heirs to property and wealth. They were Odysseus, son
of Laertes; Diomedes, son of Tydeus; Antilochus, son of Nestor; Agapenor, son of
Ancaeus; Sthenelus, son of Capaneus; Amphimachus, son of Cteatus; Thalpius, son of
Eurytus; Meges, son of Phyleus; Amphilochus, son of Amphiaraus; Menestheus, son
of Peteos; Schedius and Epistrophus, sons of Iphitus; Polyxenus, son of Agasthenes;
Peneleus, son of Hippalcimus; Leitus, son of Alector; Ajax, son of Oileus; Ascalaphus
and Ialmenus, sons of Ares; Elephenor, son of Chalcodon; Eumelus, son of Admetus;
Polypoetes, son of Peirithous; Leonteus, son of Coronus; Podaleirius and Machaon,
sons of Asclepius; Philoctetes, son of Poeas; Eurypylus, son of Euaemon; Protesilaus
and Podarces, sons of Iphiclus; Menelaus, son of Pleisthenes (or Atreus); Ajax and
Teucer, sons of Telamon; Patroclus, son of Menoetius; and Idomeneus, son of
Deucalion. There were other lists, of course, with considerable variation in the names.
In later years it was probably socially advantageous for one to be able to claim an
ancestor who had been one of Helen’s suitors, in much the way descendants of the
Argonauts could probably have filled three ships with their ancestors.

It is interesting to learn that some of the suitors did not appear in person but sent
representatives with offers of handsome dowries. Ajax the Greater promised
considerable property, some of it not his own but to be acquired if he was chosen.
Odysseus took no gifts, not expecting to win. Idomeneus of Crete appeared in person,
depending on his extraordinary good looks to overcome the competition. Tyndareus
was at a loss as to how to proceed, because he feared reprisal from the unsuccessful.
Happy to settle for Tyndareus' niece, the wily Odysseus offered a solution in
exchange for Penelope, a match Tyndareus was able to arrange with his brother
Icarius. Odysseus suggested that each suitor swear an oath to stand behind whomever
Tyndarcus selected and be ready at any time in the future to defend the favored
bridegroom against any wrong done to him in respect to the marriage. Everyone
agreed to these terms, and Tyndareus promptly chose Menelaus, whom he had
probably had in mind all along.

It may be important to realize that Helen really had little say-so in this arrangement.
Menelaus was a political choice on her father's part. He had wealth and power, mainly
through his brother Agamemnon, but for Helen he did not offer the good looks and
glamor of some of her other suitors. It was her lot to grace the palace and the kingdom
Menelaus soon inherited.

She gave birth to Hermione, Aethiolas, Maraphius, and Pleisthenes, and, according to
some, Nicostratus, although many claimed he and Megapenthes were the sons of
Menelaus by Pieris, a slave. In that case, we can took at an additional reason for her
own infidelity: (She had no way of knowing about another amorous adventure
Menelaus was having in Crete during the time he was attending his grandfather's
funeral.)

According to some writers, Sparta experienced a plague during the early years of their
marriage, and Menelaus was advised by an oracle to go to Troy to observe
propitiatory rites at the graves of Lycus and Chimaereus, sons of Prometheus, who
were buried there. Menelaus did so and was accompanied on his return by Paris, who
had accidentally killed his best friend in an athletic contest and needed purification.
The two arrived in Sparta, and during the several days necessary for the purification
ceremony, Paris had many opportunities to see the gorgeous woman who had been
promised to him. About the time the absolution was completed, Menelaus had to leave
unexpectedly for Crete to attend funeral ceremonies for his grandfather Catreus.
Ingenuously he left the handsome visitor to be entertained by his wife. Helen had been
utterly charmed by the stranger. He was by nature already handsome, but Aphrodite,
as if to guarantee the success of her project, had made him even more irresistibly
beautiful. In addition, he possessed manners and charm, and it was impossible for
Helen not to fall in love with this superb young man. He, of course, had fallen under
her spell the instant he laid eyes on her.

Menelaus had not been gone long before the lovers departed. Some say they left the
very next night, but some preparation must have been necessary. Paris had his own
ship, and certainly he had retainers with him befitting his royal status. Helen required
her own attendants, who included Aethra, the mother of Theseus; Thisadie, sister of
Peirithous; and Astyanassa, Clymene, and Electra, servants. According to some
reports, Paris helped himself to the royal treasury. It does not speak too well for
Menelaus' authority that his security forces would have allowed this flagrant
plundering. He must have left a considerable army behind when he went to Crete. It is
likely Helen had a sufficiently large number of loyal subjects that she could come and
go without question. Undoubtedly many of the palace guards were secretly in love
with her.

Inevitably there were the stories that sought to make Helen look sinned against rather
than sinning. According to these, she was taken by force. One silly version even
suggested that Aphrodite deceived her by giving Paris the appearance of Menelaus. It
was Aphrodite herself, though, who had pronounced a curse on Tyndarcus that his
daughters Clytemnestra, Timandra, and Helen would be adulteresses, and she
probably did not allow for such an excuse as involuntary adultery.

At Gythium, the port of Sparta, they embarked after Paris dedicated a sanctuary to
Aphrodite Migonitis in appreciation for her assistance. They were barely under way
before they stopped at the island of Cranae, still within view of Gythium. So far the
couple had not been to bed together, even though there was ample opportunity after
Menelaus left. Perhaps Paris felt comfortable in robbing the treasury of his host but
not further violating the code of hospitality by sleeping with his wife in his own
house. For some similar moral reason, Helen may have held him off until they had left
the mainland. Or maybe it made good sense to erect the sanctuary at Gythium to
Aphrodite, who might otherwise give them trouble at a later time. Paris could have
had in mind to make for Onugnathus, farther down the Laconian Gulf and more or
less out of immediate range of any pursuers, but biological urgencies probably forced
him to cast anchor immediately. The consummation stuns the imagination. What a
sublime moment for Paris, who now lay with the most desired woman in the entire
world. Undoubtedly his passion was heightened by Aphrodite, who must have
considered this her most inspired achievement. As for Helen, there could have been a
bittersweet response to the great moment. Until then she had experienced sex with
only the aging Theseus and the prosaic Menelaus. This virile young man must have
given her bliss she had not imagined, but certainly the shadow of her infidelity and the
abandonment of her children must have cast itself across the love couch.

The trip thereafter has been variously described. The temptation to embroider on the
already rich tapestry was too strong to resist. The ship went to Egypt and Phoenicia.
According to one account, Proteus, king in Egypt, took Helen from Paris and gave
him a phantom image of her, restoring the real Helen to Menelaus on his return from
Troy. This inane account would then make the Trojan War a total mockery. Another
similarly tiresome account had Paris robbing the king of Sidon, who had offered the
party hospitality on their way up the coast. Already disgraced in most eyes, Paris
would then have been little more than a pirate.

Whatever minor adventures befell them, the company came at last to Troy. The
Trojans, even those who had criticized the rashness of Priam’s son, could only marvel
at the divine beauty who stepped off the ship. A wedding ceremony took place, and it
was as though Helen was marrying Troy, since her destiny became at that moment
interlocked with the destiny of the city. Even Priam was fully won over and vowed to
protect her as long as she wanted to remain.

The lovers had barely left Sparta before couriers were running swiftly to all parts of
Greece. The unthinkable had happened. Menelaus came swiftly back from Crete,
where his loitering with a nymph had allowed the elopers ample time to outdistance
any possible pursuit. Agamemnon was furious. Not only was his family dishonored,
but he took the insult almost personally. One suspects he himself was in love with his
sister-in-law. Swift action was taken. Menelaus, Odysseus, and, according to some,
Acamas, the son of Theseus, went to Troy to demand that Helen be returned.
Incidentally, this above all would seem to silence the versions that had Paris and
Helen taking months to reach Troy. Though counseled by such advisers as Antenor
and Aeneas to surrender Helen, Priam stubbornly held to his promise to her.
Moreover, he recalled the reverse situation when his sister Hesione had been
kidnapped by Heracles and Telamon, and the Greeks had turned deaf ears to entreaties
for her return.

The envoys returned to Greece, and preparations for war began. The former suitors of
Helen were reminded of the oath they had sworn. Armies were recruited and ships
were built. Men who had been boys when Helen married came forward to enlist in a
cause that the gods transported her to Elysium. This was the most fitting end of the
story since Helen was, after all, immortal. Consequently, Menelaus could scarcely
have carried out his intention of killing her when he was reunited with her at Troy.
Immortal or not, her physical remains and those of Menelaus were supposed to be
buried at Therapne in a temple dedicated to them. Writers even followed her into the
afterworld, where they had her marry Achilles, making him her fifth husband,
following Theseus, Menelaus, Paris, and Deiphobus. From there she was even said to
have blinded the poet Stesichorus for writing unflattering things about her; she
restored his vision when he recanted and composed a poem in her praise.

The most fascinating thing about Helen was her story. It was far better than she was.
We do not see any real character development in her and have to regard her as a pawn
of the gods. The larger story is involved with the people around her, their rise and fall.
She herself seemed almost oblivious to the horrors that surrounded her. She displayed
very little emotion and no remorse. She seemed removed and largely unaffected by
the outcome of the war. In most accounts of her final years she was not even made to
pay for her part in the calamity that touched virtually every family in Greece. It is
small wonder some writers contrived alternative versions in which she was made to
pay a debt to society.

From Women of Classical Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary. Copyright © 1991

by Robert E. Bell.

Plot[edit]
The film retells the story of the Trojan War in In 1100 B.C., albeit with some major changes from the
Iliad's storyline: Paris of Troy (Jacques Sernas) sails to Sparta to secure a peace treaty between the
two powerful city-states. His ship is forced to return to Troy in a storm after he has been swept
overboard on the shore of Sparta. Paris is found by Helen, Queen of Sparta (Rossana Podestà),
with whom he falls in love. He goes to the palace where he finds Helen's husband, King Menelaus
(Niall MacGinnis), Agamemnon (Robert Douglas), Odysseus (Torin Thatcher), Achilles (Stanley
Baker) and many other Greek kings debating whether to go to war with Troy. Menelaus, who is
denied by Helen, sees that his wife and Paris are in love and, pretending friendship, plots Paris'
death.
Warned by Helen, Paris flees and, after they are both nearly caught by the Spartans, takes Helen
with him to Troy. Under the pretense of helping Menelaus regain his honor, the Greeks unite, and
the siege of Troy begins. Much blood is shed in the long ordeal, with the Trojans blaming their plight
on Paris and Helen until it turns out that the Greeks are solely after Troy's riches, not Helen. The
siege culminates in Greek victory through the ruse of the legendary Trojan Horse. While trying to
flee, Helen and Paris are cornered by Menelaus. Paris faces the Spartan king in single combat, but
just as he wins the upper hand he is stabbed from behind, denying him a fair trial by arms. Helen is
forced to return with Menelaus, but she is serene in the knowledge that in death she will be reunited
with Paris in Elysium.

Major Figures in the Trojan

War

Achilles with Hector and Patroclus. Clipart.com

By N.S. Gill
Ancient/Classical History Expert

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Updated August 21, 2016.

 Agamemnon
Agamemnon was the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. He was the brother-
in-law of Helen of Troy. Agamemnon was married to Clytemnestra, the sister of
Menelaus' wife, Helen of Troy.

 Agamemnon
Ajax
Ajax was one of the suitors of Helen and so was one of the members of the Greek force
against Troy in the Trojan War. He was almost as skilled a fighter as Achilles. Ajax killed
himself.
 Ajax
Andromache
Andromache was the loving wife of the Trojan prince Hector and mother of their son,
Astyanax. Hector and Astyanax were killed, Troy destroyed, and (at the end of the
Trojan War) Andromache was taken as a war bride, by Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, to
whom she bore Amphialus, Molossus, Pielus, and Pergamus.
 Andromache
Cassandra
Cassandra, a princess of Troy, was awarded as a war bride to Agamemnon at the end
of the Trojan War. Cassandra prophesied their murder, but as was true with all her
prophecies because of a curse from Apollo, Cassandra was not believed.

 Cassandra
Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon. She ruled in his stead while Agamemnon
went off to fight the Trojan War. When he returned, after having murdered their
daughter Iphigenia, she killed him. Their son, Orestes, in turn, killed her. Not all version
of the story has Clytemnestra slaying her husband. Sometimes it is her lover.

 Clytemnestra
Hector
Hector was a Trojan prince and the leading hero of the Trojans in the Trojan War.
 Hector
Hecuba
Hecuba or Hecabe was the wife of Priam, King of Troy. Hecuba was the mother
of Paris, Hector, Cassandra, and many others. She was given to Odysseus after the
war.
 Hecuba
Helen of Troy
Helen was the daughter of Leda and Zeus, sister of Clytemnestra, Castor and Pollux
(the Dioscuri), and wife of Menelaus. Helen's beauty was so overwhelming that Theseus
and Paris abducted her and the Trojan War was fought to bring her back home.
 Prince Paris of Troy, shipwrecked on a mission to the king of Sparta, meets and falls for
Queen Helen before he knows who she is. Rudely received by the royal Greeks, he must
flee...but fate and their mutual passions lead him to take Helen along. This gives the Greeks
just the excuse they need for much-desired war.

- Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

 The Greeks are plotting to invade Troy to steal the treasures of the Trojans. Meanwhile
Prince Paris is assigned by his wise father and King of Troy to travel to Sparta and shows
the peaceful intentions of his people. Along his journey, he falls into the sea during a storm
and is rescued on the shore by the Queen of Sparta, Helen. When he recovers, he believes
that she is a slave and they fall in love with each other. When he arrives at the Spartan
palace, he is arrested by King Menelaus but Helen helps him to escape. They travel together
to Troy and give the excuse the Greeks need to start the war and put Troy under siege for
years. The Greeks are unsuccessful in their intents, until they listen to the cunning Ulysses.
The Greeks then withdraw their one thousand ships from the Trojan waters and offer a
wooden Horse of Troy as a gift to the winners.

- Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 The Iliad's story of the Trojan war, told from the Trojan viewpoint.

- Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

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In Greek myths, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. By marriage she was
Queen of Laconia, a province within Homeric Greece, the wife of King Menelaus. Her abduction
by Paris, Prince of Troy, brought about the Trojan War. Elements of her putative biography come
from classical authors such asAristophanes, Cicero, Euripides and Homer (both The Iliad and The
Odyssey).
In her youth she was abducted by Theseus. A competition between her suitors for her hand in
marriage sees Menelaus emerge victorious. An oath sworn beforehand by all the suitors (known as
the Oath of Tyndareus) requires them to provide military assistance in the case of her abduction; this
oath culminates in the Trojan War. When she marries Menelaus she is still very young; whether her
subsequent involvement with Paris is an abduction or a seduction is ambiguous.
The legends recounting Helen's fate in Troy are contradictory. Homer depicts her as a wistful, even a
sorrowful, figure, coming to regret her choice and wishing to be reunited with Menelaus. Other
accounts have a treacherous Helen who simulates Bacchic rites and rejoices in the carnage.
Ultimately, Paris was killed in action, and in Homer's account Helen was reunited with Menelaus,
though other versions of the legend recount her ascending to Olympus instead. A cult associated
with her developed in Hellenistic Laconia, both at Sparta and elsewhere; at Therapne she shared a
shrine with Menelaus. She was also worshiped in Attica, and on Rhodes.
Her beauty inspired artists of all time to represent her, frequently as the personification of ideal
beauty. Christopher Marlowe's lines from his tragedy Doctor Faustus (1604) are frequently cited:
"Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships/And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?" Images of
her start appearing in the 7th century BC. In classical Greece, her abduction by—or elopement
with—Paris was a popular motif. In medieval illustrations, this event was frequently portrayed as a
seduction, whereas in Renaissance painting it is usually depicted as a rape by Paris.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
….

Helen's Husbands

The legendary beauty of Helen attracted men from afar and also those close to home
who saw her as a means to the Spartan throne. The first likely mate of Helen
was Theseus, hero of Athens, who kidnapped Helen when she was still young. Later
Menelaus, brother of the Mycenaean King Agamemnon, married
Helen. Agamemnon and Menelaus were sons of King Atreus of Mycenae, and were
therefore referred to as Atrides. Agamemnon married the sister of Helen, Clytemnestra,
and became king of Mycenae after expelling his uncle. In this way, Menelaus and
Agamemnon were not only brothers but brothers-in-law, just as Helen and Clytemnestra
were not only sisters but sisters-in-law.
Of course, the most famous mate of Helen was Paris of Troy (about which, more
below), but he wasn't the last one. After Paris was killed, his brother Deiphobus married
 Helen. Laurie Macguire, in Helen of Troy From Homer to Hollywood, lists the following
11 men as husbands of Helen in ancient literature, proceeding from the canonical list in
chronological order, to the 5 exceptional ones:
1. Theseus
2. Menelaus
3. Paris
4. Deiphobus
5. Helenus ("ousted by Deiphobus")
6. Achilles (Afterlife)
7. Enarsphorus (Plutarch)
8. Idas (Plutarch)
9. Lynceus (Plutarch)
10. Corythus (Parthenius)
11. Theoclymenus (attempt - thwarted -- in Euripides)

Paris and Helen

Paris (aka Alexander or Alexandros) was the son of King Priam of Troy and his
queen, Hecuba, but he was rejected at birth, and raised as a shepherd on Mt. Ida. While
Paris was living the life of a shepherd, the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite,
and Athena, appeared to him asking him to award the "fairest" of them the golden apple
that Discord had promised one of them. Each goddess offered Paris a bribe, but the
bribe offered by Aphrodite appealed to Paris most, so Paris awarded the apple to
Aphrodite. It was a beauty contest, so it was appropriate that the goddess of love
and beauty, Aphrodite, had offered Paris the most beautiful woman on earth for his
bride. That woman was Helen. Unfortunately, Helen was taken. She was the bride of
Menelaus.
Whether or not there was love between Menelaus and Helen is unclear. In the end, they
may have been reconciled, but meanwhile, when Paris came to the Spartan court of
Menelaus as a guest, he may have aroused unaccustomed desire in Helen, since in
the Iliad, Helen takes some responsibility for her abduction. Menelaus received and
extended hospitality to Paris. Then, when Menelaus discovered that Paris had taken off
for Troy with Helen and other prized possessions Helen may have considered part of
her dowry, he was enraged at this violation of the laws of hospitality. Paris offered to
return the stolen possessions in the course of the Iliad, even when he is unwilling to
return Helen, but Menelaus wanted Helen, too.
Agamemnon Marshals the Troops
Before Menelaus won out in the bid for Helen, all the leading princes and unmarried
kings of Greece had sought to marry Helen. Before Menelaus married Helen, Helen's
earthly father Tyndareus extracted an oath from these, the Achaean leaders, that
should anyone try to kidnap Helen again, they would all bring their troops to win back
Helen for her rightful husband. When Paris took Helen to Troy, Agamemnon gathered
together these Achaean leaders and made them honor their promise. That was the
beginning of the Trojan War.

Biography of Main Characters

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People:

Achilles
greatest of the Greek warriors in the Trojan War. He was the son of the sea nymph Thetis and Peleus,
king of the Myrmidons of Thessaly. When he was a child his mother dipped him into the River Styx to
make him immortal. The waters made him invulnerable except for the heel by which his mother held him.
Achilles fought many battles during the 10-year siege of Troy. When the Mycenaean king Agamemnon
seized the captive maiden Briseis from him, Achilles withdrew the Myrmidons from battle and sulked in his
tent. The Trojans, emboldened by his absence, attacked the Greeks and drove them into headlong
retreat. Then Patroclus, Achilles' friend and companion, begged Achilles to lend him his armor and let him
lead the Myrmidons into battle. Achilles consented. When Patroclus was killed by the Trojan prince
Hector, the grief-stricken Achilles returned to battle, slew Hector, and dragged his body in triumph behind
his chariot. He later permitted Priam, king of Troy, to ransom Hector's body. Achilles fought his last battle
with Memnon, king of the Ethiopians. After killing the king, Achilles led the Greeks to the walls of Troy.
There he was mortally wounded in the heel by Paris. The quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, the
subsequent battle, and the ransoming of Hector's body are recounted in the Iliad.

Agamemnon
king of Mycenae and commander of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. He was the son of Atreus and
suffered the curse laid on his house. When the Greeks had assembled in Aulis for their voyage to Troy
they were held back by adverse winds. To calm the winds, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia
to the goddess Artemis. His quarrel with Achilles over the captive princess Briseis and the consequences
of that quarrel form much of the plot of Homer's Iliad. After a 10-year siege, Troy fell and Agamemnon
returned in triumph to Mycenae. With him came the Trojan princess Cassandra, who had been awarded
to him by the victorious Greek army.Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, greeted him with protestations of
love, but while he was in his bath she threw a net over him. Her lover Aegisthus struck Agamemnon with
a sword and while he was stunned from the blow, Clytemnestra beheaded him with an ax. His death was
avenged seven years later by his son Orestes. The story of Agamemnon's death is told in the first play of
the trilogy Oresteia, by the ancient Greek poet Aeschylus.

Helen
in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in Greece, daughter of the god Zeus and of Leda, wife of
King Tyndareus of Sparta. When a child, she was abducted by the hero Theseus, who hoped in time to
marry her, but she was rescued by her brothers, Castor and Pollux. Later, her fatal beauty was the direct
cause of the Trojan War.
The story of the ten-year conflict began when the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite asked
the Trojan prince Paris to choose the most beautiful among them. After each of the goddesses had
attempted to influence his decision, Paris awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, who had promised him
the love of a woman of surpassing beauty.
Soon afterward Paris sailed to Greece, where he was hospitably received by Helen and her husband,
Menelaus, king of Sparta. Unfortunately, Helen, as the fairest of her sex, was the prize destined for Paris.
Although she was living happily with Menelaus, she fell under the influence of Aphrodite and allowed
Paris to persuade her to elope with him, and he carried her off to Troy. Menelaus then called upon the
Grecian chieftains to help him rescue his wife and with few exceptions they responded to his call. During
nine years of indecisive conflict, Helen sat at her loom in the Trojan palace weaving a web of her own sad
story. Then Paris and Menelaus decided to meet in single combat between the opposing armies, and
Helen was summoned to view the duel. As she approached the tower, where the aged King Priam and
his chieftains sat, her beauty was still so matchless and her sorrow so great that no one could feel for her
anything but compassion. Although the Greeks claimed the victory in the battle between the two warriors,
Aphrodite helped Paris escape from the enraged Menelaus by enveloping him in a cloud and taking him
safely to Helen’s chamber, where Helen came to comfort him.
After the fall of Troy, Menelaus was reunited with his wife, and they soon left Troy for their native Greece.
They had, however, incurred the displeasure of the gods and were therefore driven by storms from shore
to shore in the Mediterranean, stopping in Cyprus, Phoenicia, and Egypt. Arriving at length in Sparta,
Menelaus and Helen resumed their reign and lived the rest of their days in royal splendor. They had one
daughter, Hermione.

Paris
also called Alexander, in Greek mythology, son of Priam and Hecuba, king and queen of Troy. A
prophecy had warned that Paris would someday be the ruin of Troy and, therefore, Priam exposed him on
Mount Ida, where he was found and brought up by shepherds. He was tending his sheep when an
argument arose among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite as to who was the most beautiful.
The three goddesses asked him to be the judge. Each tried to bribe him, Hera promising to make him
ruler of Europe and Asia, Athena to help him lead Troy to victory against the Greeks, and Aphrodite to
give him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris
favored Aphrodite, even though at the time he was in love with the nymph Oenone. His decision made
Hera and Athena bitter enemies of his country. This and the abduction of Helen, in Menelaus’s absence,
brought about the Trojan War.
In the tenth year of the siege of Troy that followed, Paris and Menelaus met in hand-to-hand combat.
Menelaus would easily have been the victor except for Aphrodite, who enveloped Paris in a cloud, and
carried him back to Troy. Before the fall of the city, Paris was mortally wounded by the archer Philoctetes.
Paris then went to Oenone, who had a magic drug that could cure him. She refused him, but when he
died, Oenone killed herself out of misery.

Hector
in Greek mythology, the eldest son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, and husband of
Andromache. In the Iliad of Homer, Hector is the greatest of the Trojan warriors. As commander of the
Trojan forces he is instrumental in holding off the Greek army for nine years and finally is able to force the
Greeks back to their ships. During the battle, however, Hector kills Patroclus, the bosom friend of Achilles,
the greatest of the Greek warriors. Achilles has withdrawn from the fighting because of a quarrel with King
Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces, but in order to avenge the death of his friend, he returns to
the battlefield. Grief-stricken and frenzied, Achilles pursues Hector three times around the walls of Troy,
kills him, and then ties his lifeless body to his chariot and drags it around the walls and back to
Patroclus’s funeral pyre. Learning that the Greeks are withholding burial rites from his son, Hector’s
father, the sorrowing Priam, with the aid of the god Hermes, goes to Achilles and begs him to relinquish
Hector’s corpse. Moved by the sorrow of the aged king, Achilles agrees to yield the corpse and declares a
truce to permit the Trojans to honor Hector with a suitable burial. A description of the funeral honors paid
to Hector concludes the Iliad. In contrast to the fierce Achilles, Hector represents the chivalrous warrior.

Priam
in Greek mythology, king of Troy. He was the father of 50 sons, notably the great warrior Hector, and 50
daughters, including the prophet Cassandra. As a young man Priam fought with the Phrygians against the
Amazons, but by the time of the Trojan War he was too old to fight. The conflict had begun when the
Greeks set out to recapture Helen of Troy, who had been abducted by Priam’s son Paris. During the ten
years of fighting, Priam anxiously watched the course of battle from the walls of Troy with his wife, Queen
Hecuba. After his son Hector was slain by the Greek hero Achilles, Priam went to the Greek camp to beg
for his body. Achilles spared Priam’s life and gave him Hector’s body for burial, but during the sack of
Troy, Priam was killed by Achilles’ son Neoptolemus

Menelaus
king of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and husband of Helen of Troy. When Helen was
abducted by the Trojan prince Paris, Menelaus organized an expedition to bring her back. Under the
leadership of Agamemnon, Menelaus and the other Greek kings set sail for Troy. At the close of the
ensuing Trojan War, Menelaus was one of the Greeks who hid in the wooden horse and sacked the city.
After being reconciled with Helen, Menelaus attempted to return to Greece. He and Helen wandered for
eight years in the eastern Mediterranean before they reached Sparta. There Menelaus prospered greatly,
and he and Helen enjoyed a long and happy life.

Odysseus
in Greek legend, a Greek hero, ruler of the island of Ithaca and one of the leaders of the Greek army
during the Trojan War. Homer’s Odyssey recounts Odysseus’s adventures and ultimate return home ten
years after the fall of Troy. Initially, Odysseus was mentioned as the son of Laertes, king of Ithaca,
although in later tradition Sisyphus, king of Corinth, was considered his real father, his mother having
later married Laertes. At first Odysseus refused to accompany the Greeks to Troy, feigning madness by
sowing his fields with salt, but the Greeks placed his son Telemachus in front of the plow, and Odysseus
was compelled to admit his ruse and join the invading army. Throughout the Iliadof Homer, he is
portrayed as a brave, sagacious, cunning warrior, and he is awarded the famous armor of the Greek
warrior Achilles on the latter’s death. Odysseus was responsible for bringing the Greek heroes
Neoptolemus and Philocetes to Troy for the final stage of the conflict. In the Odyssey it is said that he
proposed the strategem of the Trojan Horse, the means by which Troy was conquered.
In the works of later classical writers, particularly those of the Greek poet Pindar, the Greek playwright
Euripides, and the Roman poet Vergil, Odysseus is characterized as a cowardly and scheming politician.
In Latin his name is rendered as Ulysses.

Aeneas
in Greek mythology, messenger of the gods, the son of the god Zeus and of Maia, the daughter of the
Titan Atlas. As the special servant and courier of Zeus, Hermes had winged sandals and a winged hat
and bore a golden Caduceus, or magic wand, entwined with snakes and surmounted by wings. He
conducted the souls of the dead to the underworld and was believed to possess magical powers over
sleep and dreams. Hermes was also the god of commerce, and the protector of traders and herds. As the
deity of athletes, he protected gymnasiums and stadiums and was believed to be responsible for both
good luck and wealth. Despite his virtuous characteristics, Hermes was also a dangerous foe, a trickster,
and a thief. On the day of his birth he stole the cattle of his brother, the sun god Apollo, obscuring their
trail by making the herd walk backward. When confronted by Apollo, Hermes denied the theft. The
brothers were finally reconciled when Hermes gave Apollo his newly invented lyre. Hermes was
represented in early Greek art as a mature, bearded man; in classical art he became an athletic youth,
nude and beardless.
Patroclus
in Greek mythology, dearest friend of the hero Achilles whom he accompanied to the Trojan War. In the
tenth year of the conflict Achilles withdrew his troops, the Myrmidons, from combat because of a quarrel
with Agamemnon, commander of the Greek forces. Without Achilles, the Greeks began to lose to the
Trojans. Finally, as the Trojans began to burn the Greek ships, Patroclus persuaded Achilles to allow him
to lead the Myrmidons to the rescue. Clad in Achilles’ armor, Patroclus led the Greeks to victory, forcing
the Trojans back to the walls of their city. In his moment of glory, however, Patroclus was slain by the
Trojan commander, Hector. To avenge his friend’s death, Achilles rejoined the battle and killed Hector.

Diomedes
in Greek mythology, king of Argos, and the son of Tydeus, one of the warriors known as the Seven
Against Thebes. Diomedes was one of the outstanding Greek heroes of the Trojan War. He killed several
Trojan warriors, and, with the assistance of the goddess Athena, wounded Aphrodite, goddess of love,
and Ares, god of war, both of whom were aiding the Trojans. When he returned from the war and
discovered that his wife had been unfaithful, Diomedes went to Apulia, where he remarried.
Teucer
the name of two heroes, one Trojan and the other Greek. The Trojan Teucer was the son of the river god
Scamander and the nymph Idaea, and was the first king of Troy. He is thought to be a hero invented by
the Teucri, the founders of the city of Troy. Teucer the Greek was the son of Telamon, king of Salamis,
and of Hessione, daughter of King Laomedon of Troy. He accompanied his half brother Ajax to the Trojan
War, in which he distinguished himself by his archery. After the war Teucer was banished by his father
because he had not prevented the death of Ajax, whereupon he sailed to the island of Cyprus and there
founded another Salamis.

Telmonian Ajax
In Homer's Iliad he is described as of great stature and colossal frame, the tallest and strongest of all the
Achaeans, but for his cousin Achilles in skill-at-arms, and Diomedes to whom he lost a sparring
competition as well as the 'bulwark of the Achaeans'. He was trained by the centaur Chiron (who had also
trained his father, Telamon, and Achilles' father Peleus), at the same time as Achilles. Apart from Achilles,
Ajax is the most valuable warrior in Agamemnon's army (along with Diomedes), though he is not as
cunning as Nestor, Diomedes, Idomeneus, or Odysseus. He commands his army wielding a huge shield
made of seven ox-hides with a layer of bronze. He is not wounded in any of the battles described in
the Iliad.

Ajax the Lesser

in Greek mythology, chieftain from Locris in central Greece. He fought in the Trojan War. After the fall of
Troy, he violated the temple of Athena by dragging the prophet Cassandra from the altar of the goddess.
Athena appealed to the sea god Poseidon to avenge the sacrilege. When the Greeks sailed for home,
Poseidon sent a great tempest. Ajax was shipwrecked, but managed to swim to shore. Clinging to a
jagged rock, he boasted that he was a man whom the sea could not drown. Angered by his words,
Poseidon split the rock with his trident, and Ajax was swept away by the waves.

Nestor
in Greek mythology, king of Pylos, son of Neleus and Chloris. In his early life, Nestor was a distinguished
warrior and participant in many of the great events of the day. He took part in the fight of the Lapiths
against the centaurs, was among the Calydonian boar hunters, and sailed with the Argonauts in quest of
the Golden Fleece. Although well advanced in years when the Trojan War began, he sailed with the other
Greek heroes against Troy. Having ruled over three generations, he was renowned for his wisdom and
justice, and he served as wise counselor to the Greeks during the war. After the fall of Troy, Nestor
returned to Pylos and welcomed Telemachus when the youth came for information about the fate of his
father, Odysseus.
Telemachus
in Greek mythology, son of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his wife, Penelope. The constant companion of
his mother during the long years of Odysseus's wanderings after the fall of Troy, Telemachus watched
with increasing unhappiness as the many ill-mannered suitors for the hand of his mother lived riotously on
his father's estate. Unable to bear the taunts of these men any longer, the youth set out for Pylos to learn
from the old king Nestor the fate of Odysseus. Although the old man could not help him, he sent
Telemachus to Menelaus, king of Sparta, from whom the boy learned that his father had been held
prisoner by the nymph Calypso. Still uncertain as to whether his father was alive or dead, Telemachus
returned to Ithaca only to discover that during his absence Odysseus had returned home. The king had
not revealed himself, however, having been disguised as a beggar. After a joyous reunion, Telemachus
helped Odysseus kill the suitors and make himself known to Penelope. According to a later legend,
Telemachus married the sorceress Circe or her daughter Cassiphone.

Gods

Zeus
the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. Zeus corresponds to the Roman god JUPITER (q.v.).
Zeus was considered, according to Homer, the father of the gods and of mortals. He did not create either
gods or mortals; he was their father in the sense of being the protector and ruler both of the Olympian
family

>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Coolidge, Olivia. The Trojan War. Boston: Houghton

Mifflin. 1980.
On the exam, there will be questions about the main characters and about the
important events in the Trojan War. One question will be an essay (long-answer)
question describing a character's traits and giving evidence for what you say. Main
characters include Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, Paris, Helen, Odysseus,
Clytemnestra, and Menelaus. An on-line review (Trojan War Names and Places) is
athttp://www.quia.com/jg/431540.html and a challenge game (It All Started With a
Golden Apple) is at http://www.quia.com/cb/51884.html

Summary of Events
As you review for the exam, you may find this summary useful. Click here for a list of
the events that the sixth graders consider most important.

Part 1: Prologue

Chapter 1 - The Golden Apple

Zeus, father of the gods, desired the nymph Thetis. However, a prophecy said she
would have a son who was greater than his father. Zeus decided to marry her to
Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. At the wedding dinner, the goddess Discord, angry
she was not invited, threw an apple on the table. On it was written, "For the Fairest."
The goddesses Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite fought over who was most beautiful, and
chose the young shepherd Paris as the judge.

Paris was actually the son of the king and queen of Troy. A prophecy said he would
cause Troy's destruction, so his parents Priam and Hecuba abandoned him in the wilds
of Mount Ida, where he lived with the nymph Oenone. Paris chose Aphrodite as the
fairest goddess and she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world as his
wife.

Chapter 2 - Helen

The most beautiful woman in the world was Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.
Paris came to visit and fell in love with Helen when he saw her. She left with him in
the middle of the night, and they returned to Troy.

Chapter 3 - The Madness of Odysseus

Menelaus was the overlord of Greece. When the Trojans would not return Helen,
Agamemnon, the brother of Menelaus and king of Mycenae, told him to call all the
kings of Greece to Aulis to get ready for war against Troy. Many kings did not want
to come, including Odysseus.

Agamemnon sent Palamedes to bring Odysseus to Aulis. Odysseus pretended to be

insane, driving his oxen on the seashore, plowing the sand, and throwing salt on the
ground. Palamedes threw Odysseus's son under the feet of the oxen and Odysseus had
to stop.

Chapter 4 - The Discovery of Achilles

Achilles was the son of Thetis and Peleus. His mother tried to protect him from a
prophecy of early death by dipping him into the River Styx, which would make him
invulnerable. However, she held him by the heel so his heel was unprotected. She sent
him to hide in the court of the king of Scyros, where he was disguised as a girl and
married the princess Deidamia. Odysseus disguised himself as a traveling merchant,
and tempted Achilles into revealing himself using a beautiful sword.

Chapter 5 - Iphigenia
In Aulis, the wind was coming from the wrong direction. The prophet Calchas told
Agamemnon the gods wanted him to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in order to get a
fair wind. When Agamemnon ordered Iphigenia killed, his wife Clytemnestra swore
vengeance.

Part 2: Opening

Chapter 1 - The Trojan Princes

The Trojan princes argued over what they should do. Priam's son Hector said war was
inevitable. Antenor thought Hector just wanted revenge against the Greeks. Aeneas
thought Troy would win because a prophecy foretold success for him. Priam said
there was no choice.

Cassandra, Priam's daughter, was a priestess of Apollo with a gift of prophecy. She
was cursed by Apollo so that no one would ever believe what she said. She predicted
that Hector would die and Troy would burn.

Chapter 2 - The Foremost Man

The Greeks Laodamia and Protesilaus were married. Protesilaus joined the war
against Troy but left a sculpture of himself to keep his wife company. One night she
dreamed that she was with him as they approached Troy. He was the "foremost man"
to leap from his ship onto the shore, and was killed. Laodamia knew this was a vision
of the future. She prayed to Zeus, and he granted her three hours with her husband
before he died, by making the statue come to life. Then Laodamia herself died.

Chapter 3 - The Host Musters

Agamemnon walked through his forces on the shore of Troy. He argued with Achilles
and accused Achilles of holding back a prisoner. Achilles said he had captured the
boy, Priam's son Lykaon, the night before behind Troy. The gods too watched the
war.

The battle began. Achilles fought with Cycnus, the son of Poseidon. No weapon could
pierce him. However, Achilles strangled Cycnus by the straps of his helmet.

Chapter 4 - Troilus and Cressida

Cressida was the daughter of Calchas, the Trojan prophet who joined the Greeks. He
left his daughter behind with her uncle Pandarus. Troilus, a prince of Troy, fell in love
with her and gave her his shield. The Greeks exchanged a captive for Cressida and
though she swore to return to Troilus, she gave the shield to the Greek hero Diomede
instead.

Chapter 5 - The Time of Discouragement

After many years, the war was still not over. Palamedes seized power over the Greeks
while Agamemnon was away. Odysseus told Agamemnon he would spread a rumor
and plant evidence that Palamedes had sold out to the Trojans, and Agamemnon
agreed to the plan.

Part 3: The Wrath of Achilles

Chapter 1 - The Quarrel

The god Apollo made the Greeks sick. Calchas said it was because Agamemnon
refused to release a captive girl (Chryseis) who was the daughter of a priest of Apollo
(Chryses). Agamemnon said if he had to give up his captive, he would take Achilles'
favorite captive Briseis. Achilles said if that happened, he would refuse to fight for
Troy.

Chapter 2 - The Combat

Paris challenged Menelaus in single combat for Helen. They fought, and Menelaus
was winning, but Aphrodite saved him.

Chapter 3 - Hector and Andromache

The mighty Hector rallied the Trojans and they fought off the Greeks. Hector and his
wife Andromache talked. She asked him if he could say, but he told her he was fated
to be killed, and she was fated to end her days as a slave. He returned to the battle.

Chapter 4 - A Night Adventure

Odysseus and Diomede set off by night to do something to encourage the Greeks.
Meanwhile, the Trojans sent Dolon the Wolf as a scout to find out what the Greeks
were planning. Odysseus and Diomede captured Dolon, got information about the
Trojans (including their password) and killed him. Then they killed the Thracian king,
who was coming to help the Trojans, and stole the king's horses.

Chapter 5 - The Death of Patroclus

Agamemnon, Diomede, and other Trojans were wounded in battle, but Achilles still
refused to fight. He sent his friend Patroclus, wearing the armor of Achilles, to lead
the Myrmidons in battle. Patroclus killed Sarpedon and then chased after the Trojans.
Hector killed Patroclus and took his armor.

Chapter 6 - The Death of Hector

Achilles mourned the death of Patroclus, and rejoined the battle. He confronted
Hector, and chased him around the walls of Troy. Hector asked him to return his body
to the Trojans if he were killed, but Achilles refused and killed him. Then he dragged
Hector's body behind his chariot, and decided to give Patroclus a great funeral.

Chapter 7 - Funeral Games

After the funeral pyre of Patroclus, the Greeks held funeral games. In the chariot race,
Diomede won and Antilochus edged out Menelaus with reckless driving. Menelaus
refused to take last place because he said it was unfair, and Antilochus let him have
second prize. In the wrestling, Odysseus defeated Ajax by hitting him behind the
knee. Odysseus also beat Ajax in the foot-race. Achilles was still mourning the death
of Patroclus.

Chapter 8 - The Ransom

Achilles still refused to release the body of Hector. Priam drove out by himself in a
chariot and threw himself in front of Achilles in his tent, asking Achilles to think of
his own father. Achilles gave Priam the body and finally was at peace.

Part 4: The Close of the War

Chapter 1 - The Queen of the Amazons

Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, joined the Trojans with her army of women
warriors. She killed the men of Protesilaus and pushed the Greeks back to their camp.
Achilles killed her with a spear. He realized that he could have loved her.

Chapter 2 - The Last Fight of Achilles

Memnon, king of the Ethiopians, killed Nestor's son Antilochus. Achilles fought and
killed Memnon. Then he chased the Trojans back to the gates of Troy. Apollo tells
Paris to shoot a poisoned arrow at Achilles. It would have fallen short, but Achilles
turned and the point of the arrow entered his heel. He fell and his body was trampled.

Chapter 3 - The Armor of Achilles

Thetis commanded the Greeks to burn her son's body, and she gave his possessions as
prizes in the funeral games for Achilles. The Greeks awarded Achilles' armor to
Odysseus because the Trojans said they feared Odysseus more than Ajax. Ajax plotted
to kill Odysseus and Agamemnon, but Athene made him go insane instead, and he
attacked the sheep and captured the rams. When dawn arrived, he regained his sanity
and killed himself.

Chapter 4 - Pyrrhus

Calchas told the Greeks a prophecy said they must be led by the son of Achilles,
Pyrrhus. Odysseus went to Scyros to get Pyrrhus, and recognized him by his speed
and strength. Pyrrhus returned with Odysseus despite Deidamia's pleas.

Chapter 5 - The Bow of Heracles

Calchas says the Greeks still needed the Bow of Heracles. It was in the possession of
Philoctetes, who was abandoned by Odysseus on a deserted island. Odysseus and
Pyrrhus went to get the bow. Odysseus told Pyrrhus to lie to Philoctetes and say he
had fought with Odysseus. When Odysseus appeared, Pyrrhus felt sorry for
Philoctetes, but the dead hero Heracles appeared himself and told Philoctetes to go
along with the Greeks.

Chapter 6 - Oenone

Paris was wounded, and had himself carried up to Mount Ida to ask the nymph
Oenone to heal him. Oenone was still angry with him for leaving her for Helen, but
even as he was dying he could not tell her she was more beautiful than Helen. She
sent him away, and he died on the way back to Troy, even though she changed her
mind and followed him.

Chapter 7 - The Taking of the Palladium

A prophecy said that Troy could not be taken as long as the Palladium stood in the
citadel. Odysseus entered Troy disguised as a beggar, and Helen took him in. She told
him how the Palladium was guarded, and he escaped out the Skaian Gate. On the first
dark night, Odysseus and Diomede approached Troy. Odysseus gave Diomede a boost
up the wall but Diomede refused to pull Odysseus after him, going on by himself to
get the Palladium. Odysseus was angry with Diomede.

Part 5: The Fall of Troy

Chapter 1 - The Trojan Horse

The Greeks built a wooden horse, which they filled with warriors. Then they sailed
away and hid. The Trojans came out and argued whether to take it inside the city. The
Greek spy Sinon told them it was a gift from the Greeks, and would make the Trojans
rulers of all Greece. Laocoon, the priest of Poseidon, warned them not to take it in, but
Poseidon sent serpents to kill Laocoon's sons and Laocoon himself. The Trojans took
the horse into the city.

Chapter 2 - The Sack of Troy

At night, Sinon lit the signal and released the heroes from the horse. Priam and
Hecuba took refuge on the altar, but Pyrrhus killed Priam's son and then Priam
himself. Aeneas and most of his family managed to escape and left to become the
founder of a great city.

Chapter 3 - The Women

The Trojan women were divided up as prizes. Hecuba was to be the slave of
Odysseus. Hecuba's youngest son was killed by the King of Thrace, who was
supposed to be keeping him safe. Hecuba would kill the Thracian king herself later
on. Agamemnon took Cassandra, who didn't mind because she could see his future.
Troy was demolished, but the Trojan Antenor (who had helped the Greeks) was
allowed to move to a nearby city.

Part 6: The Return of the Heroes

Chapter 1 - Agamemnon's Death

In Mycenae, Clytemnestra had taken a lover, Agamemnon's cousin Aegisthus. When

Agamemnon returned with Cassandra, Clytemnestra made a big fuss over him. She
had him walk on a red carpet, and invited him in for a bath. She took his sword, threw
a net over him, and killed him with an axe. Then she set off with the axe to Cassandra,
who knew what was going to happen and was happy because she had her revenge on
Agamemnon.

Chapter 2 - The Adventures of Menelaus

Menelaus took Helen and headed for home. His ships were scattered by a storm and
he ended up in Egypt, but could not get any further. A sea nymph told him to ask the
god Proteus for help, but he had to catch and hold the god in order to get his aid.
Menelaus grabbed Proteus, who turned into a snake, a leopard, a board, water, and
finally a tree while Menelaus held on. Proteus told him to return to Egypt and make
offerings to the gods for a fair wind, and told him of the deaths of Ajax Oileus and
Agamemnon. Menelaus returned home and lived happily ever after with Helen.

Chapter 3 - Nestor at Home

Odysseus's son Nestor visited Nestor of Pylos, accompanied by the mysterious

Mentor. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, was being pestered by suitors who want to
marry her because they believed Odysseus was dead, but she was stalling them by
pretending to weave a shroud for her father. Nestor gave Telemachus news of the
Greek heroes. After this, Mentor rose into the air, turning into a black eagle, and
Nestor and Telemachus realized he had been a god (it was actually Athene).

Chapter 4 - In the House of the Swineherd

A mysterious old beggar visited the house of Eumaeus, the swineherd of Odysseus.
The beggar told the swineherd about the wanderings of Odysseus, and said Odysseus
will take revenge on the suitors. Eumaeus did not believe him but gave him a bed for
the night. The next day Telemachus came to the swineherd's house and the beggar
reveals himself as Odysseus.

Chapter 5 - The Bow Is Bent

Penelope said she would marry the man who could string the bow of Odysseus and
send an arrow through the holes of twelve axes set in a row. The suitors tried but
failed, and the beggar asked if he could try. He did easily, and then shot Antinous, and
then he and Telemachus killed the rest of the suitors. Penelope did not believe it was
her husband, and tried to trick him by asking that the marriage bed be brought out, but
Odysseus knew it had been built around a living tree.

Now that Odysseus had returned home, the Trojan War was truly over.

>>>>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Disc I.

Troy. A young girl named Cassandra runs to her parents shouting: "Kill him! Kill
him!" Her mother Queen Hecuba of Troy has just had a male child. King Priam asks
Cassandra how did she know that it was a boy child before anyone else knew? "Have
you had another of your visions?" Yes. The boy will be named Alexandros. Dad
asks: "What else did you see?" Cassandra hesitates then says firmly: "If he lives,
Troy will burn." Priam believes in Cassandra's ability to see into the future so he
gives the order to take his son into the mountains and throw him off the highest
peak. The queen strongly objects to this, but the boy is taken from her. The servant
takes the boy, but just leaves the boy by the edge of the cliff. Another man has been
watching what is going on and he goes up into the mountains and takes the baby. He
says the baby will be named Paris.

Paris as a young man is a goat herder. A goat gets away from him and Paris has to go
into a cave after him. He stops in the coolness to rest. Three goddesses greet
him: Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty; Hera the goddess of wealth; and Athena the
goddess of power. They ask him to choose between the three of them. Paris selects
Aphrodite. The goddess of beauty shows him an image of a young woman named
Helen, who lives in Sparta and is the daughter of the King of Sparta. At the same time
she shows Helen the image of Paris. The two people fall in love with each other

Helen's brother, Pollux, comes to get Helen for she has to get prepared for the
wedding of her sister Clytemnestra to Agamemnon. They watch as King Atreus of
Mycenae, the father of Agamemnon, leads the wedding party to Sparta. Besides
Agamemnon rides his younger brother Menelaus.

Also coming to the wedding is King Theseus of Athens, who believes Helen to be the
most beautiful girl in the world. He is accompanied by one man.

The King of Sparta Tyndareus greets the Mycenaean wedding party. He introduces
his daughter Clytemnestra to the King of Mycenae. Agamemnon steps up and
says: "I hereby claim you as my wife." Just then Pollux and Helen
arrive. Agamemnon is bowled over by the beauty of Helen. Tyndareus is upset with
Helen and describes her to everyone as "an untamed and disrespectful
daughter". Menelaus is equally as shaken as Agamemnon by the beauty of
Helen. He volunteers to be Helen's escort.

Pollux takes Helen to get cleaned up for the wedding. She tells her brother that she
will marry a shepherd. One day, her beloved will find her. Pollux says yes, but for
now she can be meeting a lot of different men, all of whom will desire her.

At the wedding both Agamemnon and Menelaus stare at Helen. She is bothered by
this, so she walks out of the wedding. She runs right into King Theseus of Athens,
who, with the help of his assistant, kidnaps Helen. On a break from riding, Theseus
and the other man throw the dice to see who takes Helen. Theseus wins. The other
fellow leaves. Theseus tells Helen that he is going to marry her. Perhaps to humble
Helen a little, Theseus tells her the truth that although she is Queen Leda's daughter,
Tyndareus is not her father. This shocks Helen and she asks how does Theseus know
this? He says that Queen Leda threw herself from the west wall of the palace after she
had given birth to Helen. She had been raped when her husband was away and got
pregnant.

By force the Trojans take a bull from Paris. He had raised that bull from it's
infancy. The bull is to be the grand prize for the winner in a series of combats
between two men. Paris is very upset about the loss of his bull.

Helen asks to be told more about her mother. Theseus tells her Tyndareus was away
in Egypt. Her mother had been disgraced as everyone saw her pregnant, while her
husband was away. This is why she killed herself shortly after the birth of
Helen. Helen gets upset and runs away. Theseus follows her. She flops down on the
ground. Theseus comes up to her and she asks him who is her father? Theseus tells
her that Zeus is her father and that's why Helen is so beautiful. The King of Athens
now asks her to let him be her friend. Helen says yes, as long as Theseus accepts that
she must always know the truth. Theseus agrees, saying: "Always."

Paris asks his father why do the Trojans treat them so badly? He is determined to win
the bull back. Troy then was the richest city in the world. People and products from
all over the area came to Troy. The city controlled all the trade north and south of the
Aegean. And it would be Paris who would control the fate of Troy.

Paris comes to Troy. He sees his bull. but he is pushed away by a guard. He goes and
signs up for the competition. He tells the registrar that he is from Mount Ida and, no,
he doesn't have any armor or helmet. The registrar tells someone to get this man some
used armor. Not that Paris is going to win, says the registrar, but the armor and
helmet will help somewhat. Paris asks: "Why can't I win?" The registrar
answers: "No one ever beats Prince Hector." Paris doesn't realize it, but Hector is his
biological brother.

The first fight for Paris is against a man known as Pres Byterian. In the fight,
Cassandra senses that the young man is her brother Alexandros. She is very alarmed
at this. She gets out of her seat to get a better look at this man called Paris. In the
fight Paris gets knocked down. They have to revert to fighting each other with their
bare fists. Paris knocks out his opponent. Paris of Mt. Ida is declared the winner by
King Priam.

Prince Hector comes over to the stranger and tells him that he needs better armor. In
fact, he says Paris shouldn't even be fighting because he has been wounded. Paris
says he has to fight because he wants to get back the bull the Trojans stole from
him. Hector tells others that he can't fight a wounded man, referring to Paris.
Paris now fights Damien of Argus. He wins again. While waiting for his next fight,
his adoptive father comes over to tell him to please come home for Paris is his only
child. Paris will fight again.

The third fight is with Hideus of Seronea. Paris wins again. While waiting for the
match with Hector, Cassandra tells the adoptive father that he is not the father of
Paris. Paris is Alexandros. She adds that Paris should be dead. Paris doesn't know
what this crazy woman is telling him.

Now it's brother against brother. Cassandra whispers to Hector: "You must kill
him. He is baby Alexandros." Hector chooses to fight Paris with daggers. Priam is
shocked by his move. He hears Cassandra hissing: "Kill him! Kill him!" He has
heard these words before and senses that Alexandros must be Paris. The two men
fight and again Paris is the winner. Now Cassandra comes forward to say this Paris is
Alexandros. Paris turns to his father for help, but his adoptive father has to tell
him: "You are home." He explains to the king that he found Alexandros on the
mountain and took him home with him. The queen sobs and then hugs
Alexandros. She says: "You have brought home our son."

Prince Hector now announces "Prince Paris of Troy" to the audience. He then says
quietly to Paris: "Because you live, we all must die!"

Helen tells the king of Athens that she is now ready to make love. Theseus tells her
that some day she will find a better man to be her husband. This really upsets Helen
and she reminds Theseus that he had told her that they would be wed. She becomes
angry and runs away. In doing so, she runs right into her brother Pollux. With him
are some soldiers and they now go after the king of Athens. The king does well for
awhile, but one of the soldiers gets the end of a whip around the king's neck and he
pulls him up against a pole. Pollux then stabs the king of Athens who goes down. As
Pollux relaxes, the king has just enough energy to stab Pollux in the gut. Both men
die.

Tyndareus now has no male heir. So he seeks someone to replace Pollux. Odysseus,
King of Ithaca, is the first to come forward, but he is followed by many others,
including the strong man Achilles of the Myrmidons. Menelaus also makes himself a
candidate. Tyndareus is furious with Helen because she shows no grief over the loss
of her dead brother. Dad drags Helen over to the competing rivals for her brother's
place. (Brief nudity through translucent blouse.) Tyndareus says that he will leave
Helen to the man who will be king of Sparta.

Menelaus makes it evident that he wants Helen very much. The other men say that
Helen would be a curse on any husband of hers. Agamemnon wants Helen but he is
married to her sister. What he is concerned about is the unification of the Grecian city
states. He says Greece should be united. Achilles objects that Agamemnon does not
command an army at all. Agamemnon replies that their father King Atreus will die in
a matter of days and Agamemnon will become the new king. Achilles toasts to
Agamemnon saying in that case "we greet you as our new high king". They all toast
to the mighty Agamemnon of Mycenae.

With that settled the men swear an oath that whoever marries Helen, if something
happens to her, they will all come to the aid of the husband. Agamemnon makes sure
that all the men present swear to the oath. But who will get Helen? They all put their
seals (their rings) into a large cup. The seals will be thrown up into the air over an
open container. The seal that falls closet to the jar will claim the bride. One seal falls
right into the container. Menelaus wins! Menelaus can hardly believe his ears. Helen
is his. (His brother Agamemnon does not look happy about it.)

Helen is sad, but her sister tries to cheer her up. She says that now they will not only
be sisters, but also sisters-in-law.

Hector comes to Paris to tell him that their father is sending him to Sparta. Paris is to
be on a peace mission, but by this action he will also find out if the Greeks are
thinking about waging war against Troy.

Paris arrives in Sparta. Meanwhile, Menelaus has a naked Helen come into the room
of influential men with him to show her off. She walks in like a model and then goes
to stand on top of a large pedestal. Paris comes into the big room and sees Helen on
the pedestal. Helen sees him too. Bingo! The two recognize each other. (Very brief
nudity.) Paris and Helen look at each other once more.

Meanwhile, Menelaus and Agamemnon argue about how they should respond to the
Trojan envoy. Agamemnon is very agitated. Menelaus has a cooler head and tells his
brother that it is obvious that the Trojans have sent the envoy to divide the two
brothers. Agamemnon is very rude to Paris.

Helen leaves the room. She gets dressed and walks up onto the parapet of the Spartan
fortress. She is about to jump off the parapet, when Paris grabs her and pulls her
back. He tells her: "I have come for you." She responds: "It's too
late." Nevertheless they embrace. She says something about his loving her, kills
her. Paris promises: "I will never leave you." Clytemnestra followed Helen and now
she overhears the talk between Helen and Paris. She hears Helen tell Paris that he
must leave her and never see her again.
When Helen is alone Clytemnestra comes up to her and slaps her across the face "for
consorting with an enemy, a Trojan". She then tells Helen that Agamemnon and
Menelaus will question the Trojan envoy and get all the information they can from
him. Then Menelaus will kill him.

Agamemnon plays with his young daughter. Menelaus talks with Paris. He asks Paris
if the walls of Troy are made with gold? No. Agamemnon goes over to see
Helen. Her sister sees Agamemnon touch Helen's hair wistfully. Later Clytemnestra
tells Agamemnon: "No man can possess all he desires." Agamemnon doesn't like this
remark so he grabs his seer. The seer tells him that Agamemnon will rule the
Aegean. He points this out to Clytemnestra and then strongly tells her to never again
interfere in his affairs.

Paris and his two companions are made prisoners. Helen finds out and she gets into
the room where the captives are being held and gives Paris a dagger. He frees himself
and his companions by killing the guards. Helen tells him: "Go now. You are
free." Paris tells her that he is nothing without her. Helen replies that she begs him to
please go. So Paris and his companions get on the ship heading to Troy. Helen
watches from the dock. As the ship pulls out, Helen dives into the water and swims to
the ship. Paris fishes her out of the water. Helen asks him: "What have we done?"

Menelaus goes to his brother telling him that he will have the head of the Trojan on
the end of a spike. Agamemnon says that he will lead the coalition to fight Troy, but
Menelaus must agree that he will get no spoils other than Paris and Helen. Menelaus
doesn't like it, but he has no choice but to agree.

The ship which carries Paris and Helen runs into a bad storm.

It's now been two months and the wind is still against the sailing of the Greek ships
for Troy. Agamemnon asks his seer what it will take to make the winds favorable for
him? The seer says that the gods will give him fair winds, but he will have to
sacrifice his daughter to them. And Agamemnon must hold the killing knife
himself. The gods demand it. Agamemnon tells his gathered men that they soon will
have the winds with them. The king now sends soldiers to grab his little
girl. Agamemnon kills his daughter (no bloody scene shown). Immediately fair
winds arise and the soldiers and sailors roar in approval.

Disc II.
The ship carrying Paris and Helen ran aground on an island. They have been stranded
there until the ship gets repaired. In the meantime they enjoy taking long walks along
the beach. When the ship is repaired the group prepares to continue their
journey. Just then someone announces that many ships are headed passed them. Paris
and Helen take a look and see a massive Greek fleet (carrying 10,000 men) headed to
Troy. Paris and Helen know they must immediately sail for Troy to warn them of the
oncoming Greeks.

Paris and Helen arrive in Troy ahead of the Greeks. Hector is furious with his
brother, saying: "It is you who bring harm to Troy." When they come in front of
King Priam, he yells at Paris: "You steal the King of Sparta's wife?" In his defense,
Paris explains: "I did not take her." Helen is brought in wearing a fresh
outfit. Cassandra goes a bit crazy shouting that Helen must go. "She will kill us
all!" When Helen speaks she says: "I wish to return to my husband."

Menelaus and Odysseus come to talk with King Priam. Menelaus demands that the
king return Helen. King Priam asks: "For what purpose?" Menelaus is flabbergasted
and in a threatening tone demands Helen's return. Odysseus interferes saying that
Menelaus is blinded by love and cannot state his case clearly. He basically answers
Priam's question by saying: for the purpose of love. Priam says that this was a good
answer, but it will be tomorrow morning before the Greeks will get their answer to the
request of Menelaus.

The king speaks with Helen in private. He asks her: "Do you love my son?" She
answer "With all my heart." He then asks if he gives Helen back to the Greeks, will
this stop the oncoming war? Helen answers no, because she knows Agamemnon and
what he wants is to dominate all the Aegean. He is a man so determined for fame and
power that he even killed his own daughter just to get some fair winds from the
gods. King Priam then says that she will become a part of Troy and she will be
known as Helen of Troy. Helen accepts the offer. Cassandra is mad, furious with her
father and disillusioned. She senses death all around her.

In the morning the Trojans do not come and Menelaus says: "It appears they will
keep her." Then he raises his sword and shouts to his men: "To Troy!" The men roar
in approval.

The Greek troops start landing. They are met with a heavy rain of arrows falling upon
them. Quite a few men are killed, but there are too many Greeks to kill. They push
the archers back and back. Then Trojan regular troops try to stop the flow. They too
are pushed back. Meanwhile, Agamemnon and Achilles with a group of Greeks climb
up on top of the cliffs of Troy. With cloaks hiding their uniforms and faces, they head
for the center of the town of Troy.
As news spreads of the onslaught of the Greeks, people in the town start to panic and
start running. They rush into the Trojan fortress. Reaching the market area,
Agamemnon and the others push their way through the market. Soon after this the
regular group of Greek soldiers nears the fortress of Troy. Agamemnon has his men
take off their cloaks. A big fight begins between Agamemnon's men and Trojan
soldiers.

Up on the parapet, King Priam calls for his archers. They start firing their arrows at
the oncoming Greeks. For Menelaus, it seems that time stops. He sees Helen up on
the parapet with the King and Queen of Troy. He looks around at the time-frozen
men fighting for their lives. The action begins again.

Paris fights against Agamemnon and his men, but things seem to be going the way of
the Greeks. Hector saves his brother by grabbing his hand and pulling him up and
onto the frame beams of the merchant selling booths. This removes Paris from the
fighting. The Greeks try to kill Paris, but Agamemnon is forced to fall back because
Trojan archers arrive. Paris and Hector get back into the fortress and yell: "Close the
gates!" Paris tells Hector that he owes his brother his life. Hector merely says: "We
are blood."

Cassandra now tells her family that the Greeks will be held back for ten years. In this
time they will grow rich and powerful from the spoils of war on the nearby villages
and the town of Troy. She also says that she sees the image of the city of Troy
flooded with tears. She cries out that they must listen to her. Hector says that
Cassandra is simply mad (in the head). She adds that a creature will come that eats
men and they will eat the people of Troy. "You all will die!"

10 years pass. The Greeks are growing very exhausted from ten years of waiting for
victory over Troy. Most of the men want to go home. Everyone agrees that ten years
is just too long a time. Agamemnon then says that they must finish this war or go
home. Agamemnon says he has an idea on how to win.

Back at home in Sparta, Clytemnestra tells her servant that when the outcome of Troy
is known, she wants to know immediately.

Paris receives a message. Agamemnon proposes peace. Hector asks: "At what
price?"

Paris and Hector go to talk with Agamemnon, Menelaus and Odysseus. It is decided
that Paris will fight a match with Menelaus in single combat. Whoever wins will
claim Helen. Agamemnon says that no matter who wins, the Greeks will
leave. Menelaus chooses to fight with javelins. Agamemnon gives Menelaus four
javelins owned by their father. Paris throws his javelin at Menelaus but
misses. Menelaus throws his javelin partway through the shield of Paris. As Paris
pulls the javelin out of his shield, he cuts his left forearm on the tip of the
javelin. Another exchange of javelin throws hurts no one. So the two men use their
swords. In the fight Paris gets spun around and suddenly starts getting very dizzy. He
tries to shake it off, but he can't. Menelaus knows that Paris has been weakened. He
watches as Paris falls to the ground.

Agamemnon urges his brother to finish off Paris and revenge the House of
Atreus. Menelaus grabs Paris by his helmet and pulls him along the ground until the
helmet gets ripped off of the head of Paris. Menelaus sits on the ground. He says
some substance was used to weaken Paris. (Most likely it was smeared on the heads
of the javelins Agamemnon handed to Menelaus.) Menelaus swears to Paris that he
did not know about the substance on the javelins. He then asks Paris: "Do you
honestly believe that you deserve her more than I do?" Yes, says Paris. Menelaus
then asks if Helen has spoken of him? Paris thinks no, but stays silent. The topic
switches to Agamemnon. Menelaus says that his brother wants Troy, not
Helen. Paris says: "Then why are we trying to kill each other?" He says that maybe
Menelaus should defy his brother some day. (The javelin was rubbed with a
substance the Thracians use to kill monkeys.)

Menelaus comes out of the alleyway first to the great hurrahs of the Greeks. Then
Paris comes out and the shout goes up: "Paris lives!" Agamemnon says that the two
will fight again tomorrow. Hector doesn't like the idea so he challenges Agamemnon
to fight in single combat, but this time without the poison. Achilles steps up to fight
Hector on behalf of Agamemnon. King Priam from the parapet pleads to Hector not
to hand over his life to that brutal, war-loving dog Achilles. But Hector insists on
fighting Achilles. Achilles makes it easy on Hector by turning his back to him, but
Hector says he doesn't fight that way. Achilles says that Hector should have taken the
opportunity, because he, Achilles, does fight dirty. He swings around and throws his
javelin into Hector's body. Achilles then grabs Hector and ties his feet feet to his
chariot. He drives away with Hector being dragged behind him. He shouts: "Today I
feed your son to my dogs." The Queen and Helen both cry.

Helen goes to see Cassandra, who has been locked up. Cassandra doesn't want to see
Helen and shouts at her: "Leave me!" She says that Helen brings ruin to her
house. Helen takes it and asks Cassandra to tell her what she can do to save
Paris? Cassandra tells Helen to come up really close to her. She then tells Helen that
Achilles dies, Ajax dies, Odysseus is wounded, Agamemnon is wounded so that only
Menelaus is left to lead the Greeks. She then says if Helen surrenders to
Agamemnon, the Aegeans will leave. Helen asks what about Paris? Cassandra says
he will not die today.
At night, Helen starts out to see Agamemnon. The guards see her and tell Paris that
Helen has left the palace. The Greeks are still celebrating the death of
Hector. Achilles still drags the body, but he drive sthe chariot around and around in a
small circle. Paris goes alone to get Helen. Helen comes to Agamemnon and says: "I
come to end this war." Agamemnon asks: "Just like that?" She says she wants a
trade. She will give him the daughter of Zeus for the body of Hector. Agamemnon
asks Helen: "Did my daughter die in vain? Can you imagine?" He talks about how
trusting his daughter was and then he stabbed her. She had a terribly confused and
hurt expression on her face. He shouts: "There is no trade. Not you, not Troy, not
even my own life." Helen criticizes Agamemnon and he becomes furious. She grabs
a spear to keep him away from her and she then runs out of the tent. Agamemnon
grabs a cloak to hide his face and goes after her.

Paris is there and he wants to fight Agamemnon now. But Achilles is also there and
he says he stands for Agamemnon. He tries to run over Paris with his chariot, but
Paris dives out of the way, grabs a bow and arrow and shoots the arrow into the heel
of Achilles. The huge man screams out in pain and dies. Now Paris grabs Helen and
makes a run for it. When they stop, however, Agamemnon comes out of nowhere to
stab Paris. Helen asks Paris to please stay with her, but he dies.

The funeral pyre burns the body of Paris. The queen tells the king that he wouldn't
believe Cassandra's prophecy and now look at what's happened. A messenger comes
to King Priam and says: "My king, the Greeks have sailed." A boy walking towards
the coastline runs into an absolutely humongous wooden horse. He shouts for his
mother. A big crowd gathers around the huge horse. Helen tells the king don't trust
the Aegeans or their gifts. The king has his archers shoot their arrow into the
underbelly of the wooden horse, but nothing happens. The king orders that the
wooden horse be burned, but a man steps forward to say that the horse may be some
type of offering to the gods. He then takes the king over to see a foreign man buried
up to his neck in sand, left there by the Greeks. They start asking the man what
happened? He confirms the idea of the horse being an offering -- in this case to the
goddess Athena. The foreigner also says that the Greeks said that the Trojans would
never be able to get the horse into Troy. This challenges the pride of the Trojans and
it is decided that the wooden horse will be dragged into the fortress.

Men set to work knocking down the top part of the wall enclosing the gates. They
don't have to cut too much because the horse's head is thin and doesn't take up a lot of
room. They can squeeze it through a small opening in the wall.

In her jail cell, Cassandra sees the horse suddenly come to life. Helen comes in to see
Cassandra again. She wants to know if Cassandra can see what happens. Cassandra
says she sees Helen where she belongs (back in Greece). Helen tells her that she gave
herself up to the Greeks, but it didn't save Paris. Cassandra asks: "But you didn't
surrender, did you?"

The foreigner goes under the horse and stands there for awhile. This is the signal that
it's time for the Greeks inside the belly of the horse to come out soon and fight. The
men inside start putting on their armor. The foreigner kills a Trojan guard and throws
a lit torch over the parapet. This is the sign to the Greeks hiding in the dark outside
the fortress to start their attack. The foreigner now goes back to the horse and taps on
one of its leg. The Greeks let themselves down by ropes from the belly of the
horse. They immediately start killing Trojan guards. They also start setting fires and
let the other Greeks into the fortress. A group of them go to the chambers of the king
and queen. Agamemnon stabs King Priam and the soldiers start hacking away at him
with their swords.

Agamemnon orders that Helen be brought to him. Menelaus watches as Helen is

brought over to his brother. Agamemnon grabs Helen by her hair and throws her up
on a table. He starts raping her. Menelaus tries to stop him from raping Helen but
two soldiers hold Menelaus back.

All of a sudden Clytemnestra makes an appearance in the palace. She makes her way
to the indoor pool. There she sees Helen naked and all beaten up and her husband
together with a nude woman. The other woman leaves quickly. Now Clytemnestra
tells Helen to go. In the water Agamemnon does not like this and he says that he told
Clytemnestra before that she in never to interfere in his business. Clytemnestra tells
Agamemnon that she went to the place where he killed their daughter. She then
quickly grabs a net and a sword, rushes over to Agamemnon and throws the netting
over her husband. She then starts stabbing Agamemnon over and over again. The
water starts turning red from Agamemnon's blood.

As narrator Menelaus says: "War is waged by nations, but it is human beings that pay
the price." Helen walks over to the place where Paris was killed by
Agamemnon. Menelaus walks over to her. She moves her head away from her neck
ready to have it lopped off by Menelaus. He says that surely she doesn't think that he
would kill her? Helen replies: "I do not thank you for my life." She adds: "I cannot
love you." Menelaus asks her: "What will you do?" She answers: "I will
follow." He responds: "I accept." He starts walking away and Helen follows him.

Menelaus as the narrator says the traditional story of Helen of Troy didn't happen the
way it has been told. He says he knows this since he was there. Now he will tell
everyone the real story of Helen. So I was expecting a twist on the old story, but
found that though some of the details might be a bit different, the story was still
largely and basically the same. The film is on two discs so more time is spent on the
story itself, but the story was still familiar. Although I know the story well, I still
enjoyed watching this version. Sienna Guillory was good as Helen and she is
definitely pretty, but the most beautiful woman in the world? I think titles like this are
meaningless, because the tastes of men and women vary so much as to what they
consider beautiful. And this makes deciding who is the most beautiful woman
exceedingly difficult. So whey even use the title? Sienna looks like a model and is
very pretty. It's best to leave it at that.

The film makes it clear that a war was not really started because of a beautiful
woman. King Agamemnon wanted to attack Troy even before he knew Helen. Troy
was the richest city in the Aegean and Agamemnon wanted it conquered. Helen just
provided a nice cover for the start of the war. He could use Helen as a way of getting
the Greeks to unite around a common cause. King Priam realized this and considered
giving up Helen. Giving her up would have changed nothing, except for its effect on
Paris. So he had Helen stay with them.

What a difference between this Helen and the Helen of the Euripides play The Trojan
Women. In this film she is reasonably compassionate, but in the latter film, Helen is
regarded as a terrible monster with no feelings at all for the fate of others. So to this
extent, the film was different a bit.

Patrick Louis Cooney, Ph. D.