According to Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged by Greece against Troy so that a Greek King could re-acquire his wife, who was taken by (or, awarded to, by a goddess) a Trojan prince. A number of Greek gods and goddesses also influenced the mythological conflict. Following are the Trojan War Greek characters and key figures who played important roles in the war, based on the works of Homer and Virgil.
Although the numbers of basic troops for both sides were vast in the war, according to myth, it was the skill, action, and cunning of particular characters that determined the course of the war. Greek heroes and figures all played roles that brought about and ultimately decided what occurred.
A Greek war hero, Achilles was invincible in body except for his heel, by which his mother had held him when she dipped him in the River Styx, which could make people immortal. He was seriously influential in battle, and defeated Prince Hector of Troy, but was killed by an arrow to his heel, fired by Paris of Troy, Hector's younger brother, who was awarded Helen of Troy to begin the war.
Brother of King Menelaus of Sparta, whose wife, Helen of Troy was the focal point of the war, Agamemnon was a Greek king who commanded Greek forces in the war. He was a motivational character who influenced the spirit of the Greeks in the war, and after the conflict, Agamemnon was killed upon returning home.
Wife of Greek King Menelaus, Helen of Troy (as she came to be known in mythology), was granted to Paris of Troy upon his choosing Aphrodite as the fairest of the Greek goddesses. Greek forces invaded Troy to retrieve Helen, as Paris had taken her back to his home.
The subject of Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus was a cunning Greek hero who came up with the idea of the Trojan horse, which was used to secure a Greek victory in the mythological tale of the war told in Virgil's Aeneid. The Trojan horse was a fake gift to signify a Greek surrender, but upon being wheeled into the city, Greek soldiers, who had been hiding within the large wooden structure, lept out, opened Troy's gates from inside, and took the city at night.
Achilles' best friend and a fellow Greek fighter, Patroclus was killed by Hector, upon whom Achilles exacted his revenge, dragging Hector's body around the city of Troy by chariot after defeating him in combat. Patroclus' death was the Achilles' main motivation for fighting.
Greek deities also aided particular characters on both sides, according to their own intentions. However, the above figures and heroes were the most important Greek Trojan War characters.
The city of Troy had been under siege for ten long years, but the Greek attackers, led by Agamemnon, Odysseus and others had failed to breach the mighty city walls. The greatest of the Greeks, Achilles, had fallen in battle, killed by an arrow through his heel. Clever Odysseus decided that the city would never be taken by force: they needed a ruse.
The Greeks constructed a massive wooden horse, and packed the hollow inside with their best warriors. The horse was symbolic: it is one of the symbols of Athena, the war goddess who had supported the Greeks in their effort to sack Troy. Also, in some legends, the horse was sacred to the people of Troy. Once the horse was complete and the warriors hidden inside, the remaining Greeks sailed away as if they had given up and gone back to Greece. Instead, they sailed to nearby Tenedos Island to hide and wait.
The Trojans didn’t know quite what to make of the horse. Some were suspicious, as the cleverness of Odysseus was well known. Laocoön, high priest of Poseidon, was one such man, who cautioned the Trojans not to trust Greeks, even ones bearing gifts. He even threw his spear at the horse: it struck the wooden side and quivered there.
According to later versions of the legend, it was at this time that the Trojans captured a young man named Sinon who had aided the Greeks. He threw himself on their mercy, and claimed that the Greeks had abandoned him. When they asked him about the horse, he told them that Athena had abandoned the Greeks and that they had made the horse to appease her. They had purposely made it large and wide so that the Trojans would be unable to take it inside their mighty walls.
The Trojans saw further evidence of Athena’s displeasure shortly thereafter. She sent two great sea serpents into the city, where Laocoön was sacrificing a bull to Poseidon. The snakes devoured first his two sons, then Laocoön himself before retreating to the temple of Athena. The Trojans assumed that this was in retaliation for throwing the spear at her horse. They decided to take the horse inside to her temple in order to appease her.
With the horse inside the walls, the Greek army returned from Tenedos at night, unseen. As Troy slept, Sinon freed the warriors sealed inside the horse. These warriors began the destruction of Troy and flung the gates open for their companions. The ruse had worked: Troy fell that very night.
Note: This account is taken from Virgil’s Aeneid, where Aeneas, a Trojan hero, relates to Dido (the Queen of Carthage) the destruction of his city. Some details, such as the presence of the youth Sinon, are not present in earlier accounts of the Trojan Horse.
Greek gods and goddesses were the basis of many virtues held by people of ancient Greece. There were many major Olympian deities, all of whom served a particular purpose (or particular purposes), and governed a specific aspect of life. Many tales from ancient Greece detail the involvement of the gods and goddesses in certain affairs, due to the deities' particular concentrations. The Roman gods were the same as those of the Greeks, but they were known by different names (Chiron Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology). Following is a list of the Greek gods and goddesses from mythology, who lived on Mount Olympus.
Zeus- He was the king of the Greek gods, and he wielded a thunderbolt, making him the god of the sky, and of thunder.
Poseidon- He was Zeus' brother, and the god of the sea. Perhaps his most popular involvement in Greek mythology was his hindering influence on the return of Odysseus to his home in Ithaca, detailed in Homer's Odyssey. He was also the god of various other terrestrial phenomena, such as earthquakes. Poseidon often wielded a trident.
Hades- He was another of Zeus' brothers, and the god who looked over the underworld, where the spirits of the dead mortals were kept, across the river Styx. Hades was also the god of wealth, and he carried a bident, and was seen near his three-headed dog, Cerberus. He did not live on Mount Olympus, but remained in the underworld.
Hera- She was the most powerful goddess, as she was the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia, and also Zeus' wife. She was the goddess of childbirth, marriage, and women. Hera often carried a scepter.
Athena- She was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, strategy, and warfare. She had a particular fondness for Odysseus, because of his wisdom, and assisted him in Homer's Odyssey.
Ares- He was the Greek god of war and conflict. He was the son of Zeus, and brother of Athena. Ares often sported armor, shield, and sword. He was known for assisting the Trojans in the Trojan War.
Apollo- A Greek god of many activities, such as archery, poetry, health and healing, medicine, and sometimes, the sun. He was one of Zeus' sons, and the twin brother of Artemis.
Artemis- She was one of Zeus' daughters, and was the goddess of hunting, animals, and the moon.
Aphrodite- One of Zeus' daughters, Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was a lover of Ares, despite her marriage to Hephaestus, and she played the mythological role of granting Helen, the wife of the Greek King Menelaus, to Paris of Troy, inciting the Trojan War.
Demeter- She was a sister of Zeus, and the goddess of fertility and agriculture.
Dionysus- He was one of Zeus' sons, and the god of wine, merriment, and festivities. He was often seen in the presence of grape vines.
Hephaestus- He was the god of fire, metals, and craftsmanship. He was one of Hera's sons, and the husband of Aphrodite.
Hermes- Hermes was the messenger god, who also specialized in flight, thievery, and trading. He was a son of Zeus, and wore winged boots.
Hestia- One of Zeus' sisters, she was the goddess of the hearth, and she also monitored family well-being in the lives of the ancient Greeks.
These major deities appeared in many Greek mythological tales, and they were associated with Mount Olympus, although Hades did not live there, and there were many other minor deities that appeared in Greek myths as well. The Romans also worshiped the same gods and goddesses for a period in their history, but they referred to them by different names.
Trojan War Greek Heroes and Figures
Although the numbers of basic troops for both sides were vast in the war, according to myth, it was the skill, action, and cunning of particular characters that determined the course of the war. Greek heroes and figures all played roles that brought about and ultimately decided what occurred.
Achilles, Greek Character in the Trojan War
A Greek war hero, Achilles was invincible in body except for his heel, by which his mother had held him when she dipped him in the River Styx, which could make people immortal. He was seriously influential in battle, and defeated Prince Hector of Troy, but was killed by an arrow to his heel, fired by Paris of Troy, Hector's younger brother, who was awarded Helen of Troy to begin the war.
Agamemnon, Greek Commander in the War against Troy
Brother of King Menelaus of Sparta, whose wife, Helen of Troy was the focal point of the war, Agamemnon was a Greek king who commanded Greek forces in the war. He was a motivational character who influenced the spirit of the Greeks in the war, and after the conflict, Agamemnon was killed upon returning home.
Helen of Troy and the Cause of the War
Wife of Greek King Menelaus, Helen of Troy (as she came to be known in mythology), was granted to Paris of Troy upon his choosing Aphrodite as the fairest of the Greek goddesses. Greek forces invaded Troy to retrieve Helen, as Paris had taken her back to his home.
Odysseus, a Source of Wisdom for the Greeks
The subject of Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus was a cunning Greek hero who came up with the idea of the Trojan horse, which was used to secure a Greek victory in the mythological tale of the war told in Virgil's Aeneid. The Trojan horse was a fake gift to signify a Greek surrender, but upon being wheeled into the city, Greek soldiers, who had been hiding within the large wooden structure, lept out, opened Troy's gates from inside, and took the city at night.
Patroclus' Influence on the War
Achilles' best friend and a fellow Greek fighter, Patroclus was killed by Hector, upon whom Achilles exacted his revenge, dragging Hector's body around the city of Troy by chariot after defeating him in combat. Patroclus' death was the Achilles' main motivation for fighting.
Greek deities also aided particular characters on both sides, according to their own intentions. However, the above figures and heroes were the most important Greek Trojan War characters.
The Legend of the Trojan Horse
The city of Troy had been under siege for ten long years, but the Greek attackers, led by Agamemnon, Odysseus and others had failed to breach the mighty city walls. The greatest of the Greeks, Achilles, had fallen in battle, killed by an arrow through his heel. Clever Odysseus decided that the city would never be taken by force: they needed a ruse.
The Horse
The Greeks constructed a massive wooden horse, and packed the hollow inside with their best warriors. The horse was symbolic: it is one of the symbols of Athena, the war goddess who had supported the Greeks in their effort to sack Troy. Also, in some legends, the horse was sacred to the people of Troy. Once the horse was complete and the warriors hidden inside, the remaining Greeks sailed away as if they had given up and gone back to Greece. Instead, they sailed to nearby Tenedos Island to hide and wait.
Greeks Bearing Gifts
The Trojans didn’t know quite what to make of the horse. Some were suspicious, as the cleverness of Odysseus was well known. Laocoön, high priest of Poseidon, was one such man, who cautioned the Trojans not to trust Greeks, even ones bearing gifts. He even threw his spear at the horse: it struck the wooden side and quivered there.
Sinon
According to later versions of the legend, it was at this time that the Trojans captured a young man named Sinon who had aided the Greeks. He threw himself on their mercy, and claimed that the Greeks had abandoned him. When they asked him about the horse, he told them that Athena had abandoned the Greeks and that they had made the horse to appease her. They had purposely made it large and wide so that the Trojans would be unable to take it inside their mighty walls.
The End of Laocoön
The Trojans saw further evidence of Athena’s displeasure shortly thereafter. She sent two great sea serpents into the city, where Laocoön was sacrificing a bull to Poseidon. The snakes devoured first his two sons, then Laocoön himself before retreating to the temple of Athena. The Trojans assumed that this was in retaliation for throwing the spear at her horse. They decided to take the horse inside to her temple in order to appease her.
The Greeks Attack
With the horse inside the walls, the Greek army returned from Tenedos at night, unseen. As Troy slept, Sinon freed the warriors sealed inside the horse. These warriors began the destruction of Troy and flung the gates open for their companions. The ruse had worked: Troy fell that very night.
Note: This account is taken from Virgil’s Aeneid, where Aeneas, a Trojan hero, relates to Dido (the Queen of Carthage) the destruction of his city. Some details, such as the presence of the youth Sinon, are not present in earlier accounts of the Trojan Horse.
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Greek gods and goddesses were the basis of many virtues held by people of ancient Greece. There were many major Olympian deities, all of whom served a particular purpose (or particular purposes), and governed a specific aspect of life. Many tales from ancient Greece detail the involvement of the gods and goddesses in certain affairs, due to the deities' particular concentrations. The Roman gods were the same as those of the Greeks, but they were known by different names (Chiron Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology). Following is a list of the Greek gods and goddesses from mythology, who lived on Mount Olympus.
Zeus- He was the king of the Greek gods, and he wielded a thunderbolt, making him the god of the sky, and of thunder.
Poseidon- He was Zeus' brother, and the god of the sea. Perhaps his most popular involvement in Greek mythology was his hindering influence on the return of Odysseus to his home in Ithaca, detailed in Homer's Odyssey. He was also the god of various other terrestrial phenomena, such as earthquakes. Poseidon often wielded a trident.
Hades- He was another of Zeus' brothers, and the god who looked over the underworld, where the spirits of the dead mortals were kept, across the river Styx. Hades was also the god of wealth, and he carried a bident, and was seen near his three-headed dog, Cerberus. He did not live on Mount Olympus, but remained in the underworld.
Hera- She was the most powerful goddess, as she was the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia, and also Zeus' wife. She was the goddess of childbirth, marriage, and women. Hera often carried a scepter.
Athena- She was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, strategy, and warfare. She had a particular fondness for Odysseus, because of his wisdom, and assisted him in Homer's Odyssey.
Ares- He was the Greek god of war and conflict. He was the son of Zeus, and brother of Athena. Ares often sported armor, shield, and sword. He was known for assisting the Trojans in the Trojan War.
Apollo- A Greek god of many activities, such as archery, poetry, health and healing, medicine, and sometimes, the sun. He was one of Zeus' sons, and the twin brother of Artemis.
Artemis- She was one of Zeus' daughters, and was the goddess of hunting, animals, and the moon.
Aphrodite- One of Zeus' daughters, Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was a lover of Ares, despite her marriage to Hephaestus, and she played the mythological role of granting Helen, the wife of the Greek King Menelaus, to Paris of Troy, inciting the Trojan War.
Demeter- She was a sister of Zeus, and the goddess of fertility and agriculture.
Dionysus- He was one of Zeus' sons, and the god of wine, merriment, and festivities. He was often seen in the presence of grape vines.
Hephaestus- He was the god of fire, metals, and craftsmanship. He was one of Hera's sons, and the husband of Aphrodite.
Hermes- Hermes was the messenger god, who also specialized in flight, thievery, and trading. He was a son of Zeus, and wore winged boots.
Hestia- One of Zeus' sisters, she was the goddess of the hearth, and she also monitored family well-being in the lives of the ancient Greeks.
These major deities appeared in many Greek mythological tales, and they were associated with Mount Olympus, although Hades did not live there, and there were many other minor deities that appeared in Greek myths as well. The Romans also worshiped the same gods and goddesses for a period in their history, but they referred to them by different names.
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