Trojan War: Fall of Troy

OK recap:
MVP's death: "Paris's death"
New MVPs: Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, and Helenus

To War:
Still seeking to gain entrance into Troy, Odysseus (inspire by the Goddess Athena) ordered a large wooden horse to be built. The plan was to open Troy's gates, so they could bring the main body of the Greek army into the city. Odysseus was the leader of this company. Its insides were to be hollow so that soldiers could hide within it. Once the statue had been built by the artist Epeius; thirty soldiers and two spies in its mouth, along with Odysseus hid in the Trojan horse's belly. The rest of the Greek fleet sailed away to isle of Tenedos, so as to deceive the Trojans.
A Greek spy, Sinon, was deliberately left behind, who would try to convince the Trojans that the Greeks had sailed home, and that Trojans should bring the horse inside their walls. When the Trojans came to marvel at the huge creation, Sinon pretended to be angry with the Greeks, stating that they had deserted him. He assured the Trojans that the wooden horse was safe and would bring luck to the Trojans.
The two Trojan seers (Cassandra and Laocoon) tried to warn them not to listen to Sinon. Princess Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. Cassandra was also the sister of Hector, Paris and Helenus, who also had the gift of prophecy. Laocoon is a Trojan priest of Poseidon, whose rules he had defied, either by marrying and having sons, or by having committed a sin by making love with his wife in the presence of a cult image in the Sanctuary of Poseidon. A huge sea-serpent send by Poseidon, killed Laocoon and his two sons. This sign was that Aeneas and his followers knew that Troy was doom. So they withdrew to Ida. The Sea God's intervention had convinced the Trojans that they had won the war, so they brought the wooden horse within Troy's walls.
The Trojans decided to keep the horse and turned to a night of mad revelry and celebration. Sinon signaled the fleet stationed at Tenedos when it was midnight and the clear moon was rising and the soldiers from inside the horse emerged and killed the guards. The Greek A-team opens the gate to allow the Greek army entrance into the sleeping city. Agamemnon returned with the main body of the Greek army, and entered the city.
The Greeks entered the city and killed the sleeping population. A great massacre followed which continued into the day. The Trojans, fueled with desperation, fought back fiercely, despite being disorganized and leaderless. With the fighting at its height, some donned fallen enemies' attire and launched surprise counterattacks in the chaotic street fighting. Other defenders hurled down roof tiles and anything else heavy down on the rampaging attackers. The outlook was grim though, and eventually the remaining defenders were destroyed along with the whole city.
By the early morning, Troy had fallen. The males of royal family were killed. Neoptolemus had killed Priam either in the palace or at the temple of Zeus. Menelaus killed Helen's new husband, Deiphobus. Astyanax, Hector's son, was flung to his death at the top of Troy's wall either out of cruelty and hate or to end the royal line, and the possibility of a son's revenge.
Rape and pillaging the city:
The Greeks then burned the city and divided the spoils. Cassandra was awarded to Agamemnon. Neoptolemus got Andromache, wife of Hector, and Odysseus was given Hecuba, Priam's wife.
Disaster fell upon the Greeks, during the sacking and looting of the great city.  Cassandra, daughter of Priam and Hecuba, clung to the statute of Athena, but the Lesser Ajax raped her. Odysseus, in vain, tried to persuade the Greek leaders to put Ajax to death, by stoning. Odysseus hoped to divert the goddess' anger. Ajax, however, saved himself by throwing himself upon the very image he had just desecrated.
Athena and Poseidon were two of the most powerful allies of the Greek forces throughout the war. However, the failure of most of the Greek leaders to punish Ajax the Lesser for the sacrilege of her (Athena's) altar, resulted in the destruction of most of the Greek fleet. Athena called upon Poseidon to bring a violent storm upon the Greek fleet. While many ships were destroyed by sudden storm, some leaders were killed on their way home.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

History of Homosexual: Ancient Greece

Daily life of Roman life: Slavery

History of GLBT in the World