![]() ![]() Homer’s story focuses on a different conflict, however: the internecine quarrel between his hero and Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaean armies and Menelaus’ brother. ![]() He has met with great success–in fact, he is undefeated in battle–but the war itself has reached a stalemate. Achilles, the poem’s protagonist, has led one battle after another. When the Iliad begins, the Trojan War has been going on for nine years. Why Ukraine Has Seen Centuries of Conflict Achilles: The Illiad At Aphrodite’s urging, Paris went to Sparta, won Helen’s heart and took her (along with all of Menelaus’ money) back to Troy. Unfortunately, the wife in question–Helen, the daughter of Zeus–was already married to someone else: Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Aphrodite’s was the most alluring: She promised to give the young prince the most beautiful wife in the world. Each of the goddesses offered Paris a bribe in exchange for his vote. At Achilles’ parents’ wedding banquet, Zeus invited the prince of Troy, a young man named Paris, to judge a beauty contest between the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. He did this by meddling in their political and emotional affairs. Achilles: The Trojan WarĪccording to legend, the Trojan War began when the god-king Zeus decided to reduce Earth’s mortal population by arranging a war between the Greeks (Homer calls them the Achaeans) and the Trojans. He was also deeply loyal and would sacrifice anything for his friends and family. Homer painted a more nuanced picture: In addition to these qualities, his Achilles was vengeful and quick to anger and could be petulant when he did not get his way. They only knew that Achilles was a great hero, that he had superhuman strength and courage and that he was supremely handsome. When Homer wrote the Iliad in about 720 BCE, however, readers and listeners would not have known any of this. To be a great warrior was Achilles’ fate, however, and he soon left Skyros and joined the Greek army. When she heard about this, Thetis disguised him as a girl and sent him to live on the Aegean island of Skyros. When he was 9 years old, a seer predicted that Achilles would die heroically in battle against the Trojans. ![]()
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