Trojan war
Allie Zimmerman
Background
The trojan war is in the category of the myth. It was believed by Greeks who lived 27 centuries ago. They believed their ancestors took part in the war, and they believed the story was true for about 1,000 years.
It started when Peleus married the Greek sea-goddess, Thetis. They did not invite the goddess of Discord, Eris, so Eris was outraged and showed up at the wedding. She threw a golden apple onto a table and said that it belonged to whomever was the fairest. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all reached for the apple. Zeus made Paris, the prince of Troy, the judge of who deserves the apple. Paris was thought to be the most beautiful man alive. Hera promised Paris power, Athena promised him wealth and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman alive. Paris choose Aphrodite as the winner of the apple. Aphrodite promised him Helen, wife of Menelaus who is the king of Sparta.
Achilles
Achilles was a major player in the trojan war. He is the son of the sea-goddess, Thetis. When Achilles was a kid, Thetis held him by his heel and dipped him into the River Styx. The River Styx is supposed to make you immortal, so Achilles was immortal except for his heel.
The war
Menelaus knew that someday Helen would be taken from him since she had been taken before their marriage by many Achaean leaders. Menelaus had made all Helens past suitors promise to come to his aid if Helen was ever taken from him. So when Paris took Helen, all of her past suitors were forced to join forces with Menelaus. But most of the suitors weren't eager to join Menelaus, Odysseus faked mental illness and Achilles pretended he was a women but Menelaus saw through their disguises. Each brought their own troops, weapons and ships. The war lasted nine years and eventually on the tenth year the war changed. Agamemnon, Menelaus's brother and king of Mycenae, lead all the Achaeans. He captured a priestess of Apollo and would not give her back to her father. Apollo created a plague on the army and Agamemnon decided he would give her back but only if he could have Achilles girl, Briseis. Agamemnon took Briseis from Achilles. Achilles was outraged and pulled him and his army out from the war. Patroclus, Achilles close friend, wanted him to rejoin the war because he knew Achilles was a great fighter that he could turn the tides of the war, but he said no. Patroclus put on Achilles armor and lead Achilles' army into war. He killed many great Trojans fighters but when he went up against the greatest of the trojan warriors, Hector who mistook Patroclus as Achilles, and he killed him. Achilles got over his annoyance with Agamemnon and remembered who the real enemy was. Agamemnon returned Briseis and Achilles and his men rejoined the war. Achilles killed hector, but he was still grieving over Patroclus so he tied hectors dead body to the back of his chariot and rode around. Priam, Hector's father and the King of Troy, visited Achilles and persuaded him to give Hector's body back so he could have a proper burial. Achilles was also killed. He was shot with a arrow by Paris right through the only spot he was not immortal, his heel. Paris was not a good marksman and the only way he good have hit him in the heel was with the help of Apollo. Paris was killed soon after. Odysseus had a genius idea, to hide soldiers and sneak them into the camp in a giant statue of a horse. The Greeks built the horse and hid some of their men in it. Then they sailed off so that the Trojans would believe they had given up and went home. The Trojans happy that they had won, took the horse through the gates and into their city. After nighttime came, the Greeks got out of the horse and opened the gates so the rest of their army could get into the city. The Greeks torched the city, killed the men and took the women as prisoners. Menelaus took back Helen and the war was over.