Medusa Exam 2013: Life and Death on Trojan Soil

1. Medusa Exam 2013: Life and Death on Trojan Soil Jermaine Bryant

2. The Beginnings of the War • When Helen, the daughter of Leda and Zeus, was of marrying age, several Greek chieftains came to Sparta to attempt to woo her. Before the victorious suitor was chosen, Tyndareus , the King of Sparta, forced the chieftains to swear an oath that they would all defend the interests of her future husband. So when Agamemnon won her for his brother Menelaus, not only did he gain the kingship of Sparta, but he also gained the debt of the Greek chieftains.

3. Meanwhile on Mt. Olympus… • Zeus had seen Thetis down by the beach and immediately “fell in love” with her, but when Prometheus told Zeus that the child of Thetis would be greater than his father, he immediately married Thetis to the elderly king Peleus. All of the gods and goddesses were invited to the wedding of the two, that is, except for Eris, who had been stopped at the door by Hermes. Before she left, she threw in a golden apple that had “for the fairest”, or in Greek, “Kallistei” written on it. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite claimed it for themselves, believing themselves to be the fairest.

4. None of the gods would dare to pass judgment on the matter, because calling one the most beautiful would incur the wrath of the other two, so Zeus commanded Hermes to guide the three to Paris, who was considered the most handsome man in the world. All of the goddesses presented themselves before him naked, and asked him to tell them who was the fairest. All of the goddesses were extremely beautiful, so he said that it was impossible to say. Because they could not beat their competitors by their natural beauty, they resorted to bribes. Hera promised Paris rule over Europe and Asia. Athena promised him invincibility in battle. Lastly, Aphrodite promised him Helen as his wife. Paris, because he had no interest in being an emperor or warrior, chose Aphrodite.

5. “Abduction” of Helen • Paris then went to Sparta to claim his prize. Upon arriving in Sparta, he was greeted by Helen’s husband, Menelaus. He treated Paris very well and threw a magnificent banquet in his honor. During the banquet he was entertained by Helens brothers, Castor and Pollux (or the Dioscuri). Once Menelaus had gone to the funeral of his maternal grandfather Catreus, despite Menelaus’ kindness, he ran away with a willing Helen back home to Troy.

6. Call to Action • Now was as good a time as any for Menelaus to call on all of the old suitors to help him get back Helen. So he arranged a group of Greek chieftains to come to Troy with him or remind the other Greeks of the promise they made. Some of them did not come willingly e.g. Cinyras promised to send 50 boats in order to dodge the draft. Instead, he sent 49 toy boats and one real one. • Among the Greeks who participated were…

7. Odysseus • Son of Laertes and Anticleia • He was married to Penelope (daughter of Autolycus) • Distinguishing trait(s): Cleverest of the Greeks, good at devising plans, good speaker and diplomat, notorious liar, best archer for the Greeks (alongside Philoctetes) 3rd best in the world before the war, best archer at the end. • Chieftain/King of: Ithaca and her allies • Weapon of choice: Bow and arrow • Did he come willingly: No. He had recently had a son, Telemachus, and he did not want to leave him. When the Greeks arrived at Ithaca, he was sowing salt in the ground on the beach and plowing the sand and rocks, pretending to be mad. Palamedes, seeing through his rouse, put the infant Telemachus in front of the plow, to prove if he was sane enough to not run over his son. Because he steered off course to save his son, he was forced to leave for Troy.

8. Odysseus (Cont.) • Embassy to Troy: Odysseus went on the embassy to Troy along with Menelaus and Agamemnon to try and negotiate for the return of Helen diplomatically. After their attempts had failed, the Trojans were planning to kill them, but Antenor, a Trojan elder, convinced Priam and the others to let them go home. Odysseus never forgot this kindness. • Recruiting of Achilles: It was Odysseus who fooled Achilles into revealing himself at Skyros. • Fetching of Dolon: Odysseus and Diomedes captured the Trojan spy Dolon and killed him. • Embassy of Achilles: Odysseus was unsuccessful in his attempt to convince Achilles to return to the war. Achilles did not like Odysseus because, he “despises a man who says one thing, but holds another in his heart.” • Contest for the armor of Achilles: The armor of Achilles was awarded to him after competing with Ajax. After Ajax killed himself out of shame for losing, it was Odysseus who insisted they bury him.

9. Odysseus (Cont.) • He later gave the armor of Achilles to Neoptolemus, Achilles’ son. • He was given the idea of the Trojan Horse through Athena’s guidance, and led the troops inside the horse. • He was awarded the Trojan queen Hecuba as a concubine, but she was transformed into a dog before he could get home. • Important kills: Dolon, King Rhesus, the infant Astyanax

10. Achilles • Son of Peleus and Thetis • First cousin of Ajax the Greater • King of Phthia • Traits: most skilled Greek, near invulnerability, unhindered rage, handsomest Greek • Leader of the Myrmidons • Brought 50 boats each carrying 50 Myrmidons • Weapon of choice: Spear and Shield • Invulnerability: His mother would anoint the infant Achilles with ambrosia during the day, and would set him in a fire by night, so that she might burn away the mortal parts of his body, but Peleus came into the room and saw this on the last night before he would become a god, and scolded his wife. Thetis promptly abandoned husband and son, leaving his heel the only vulnerable part of his body. • Important Kills: Cycnus, Hector, Memnon, Penthesilea, Troilus, Penthesilea, and countless others

11. Achilles (Cont.) • At Skyros: Thetis, knowing that Achilles would die if he went to Troy, hid him in the palace of King Lycomedes at Skyros and disguised him as a girl. The girls must have known, because he bore a son with Deidameia, Lycomedes’ daughter, who was named Pyrrhus (Achilles’ girl name was Pyrrha). When the recruitment embassy arrived for him, he was lined up with the rest of the girls. Odysseus put a bunch of girly toys and makeup in front of them, along with a spear and shield. Then Odysseus blew the horn signaling the island was under attack. Whereas the girls ran and hid in the palace, Achilles stripped his disguise and grabbed the spear and shield. Then he immediately agreed to go to Troy. • On the way to Troy, Achilles wounded Telephus, a Heraclid. After some time the wound would not heal, so Telephus consulted an oracle who told him that the inflictor of the wound must heal him. Then he went to Achilles asking him to heal his wound. Achilles agreed, but he said he knew nothing of medicine. Then Odysseus said that the true inflictor was the spear, so Achilles scraped his spear’s rust into the wound, and it healed very quickly. In doing so, the Greeks gained an ally and a guide to Troy.

12. Achilles (Cont.) • Aulis: When the Greeks were given unfavorable winds, due to Agamemnon’s foolish boasting, a fake marriage was arranged between Iphigenia and Achilles as a false pretense to bring the two to Aulis. Upon discovering the plot, Achilles attempted to protect Iphigenia. Eventually, she gave herself to be sacrificed, and the Greeks were free to set out. • In an early battle Achilles fought Cycnus, a son of Poseidon. Cycnus was impervious to weapons, so Achilles strangled him with the throngs of his own helmet. • Commander of Expeditions: Achilles was put in charge of the expedition to sack all of the allied Trojan cities. These included Dardania, Hypoplacian Thebes, and Tenedos • Troilus: Achilles, when he had seen the beauty of young Troilus and his sister Polyxena, was overcome with lust and chased the two to the altar of Apollo Omphalos, where he attempted to seduce and decapitated the young prince. • Leave from the war: When Chryses demanded his daughter Chryseis back from Agamemnon, Agamemnon refused and a plague from Apollo fell upon the camp. Agamemnon, in turn took Achilles’ concubine Briseis to satisfy himself. Achilles, enraged by this, left the battlefield. Then, Achilles prayed to his mother Thetis to urge Zeus to make the Trojans start winning the war.

13. Achilles (Cont.) The tides turned almost immediately and Hector started pushing back troops. The Greeks, noticing this, sent Phoenix, Ajax the Greater, and Odysseus to bargain with Achilles. They offered Briseis along with several other gifts to appease him. He rejected them all and urged the Greeks to go home with him. • Return to the field: Patroclus, Achilles‘ childhood friend, closest friend, and lover persuaded Achilles to let him borrow his armor and lead the Myrmidons into battle, hoping to fool them into believing him to be Achilles, thus scaring the Trojans and improving Achaean morale. He led them bravely and slew many Trojans, most notably Sarpedon, a son of Zeus. He was eventually killed by Hector and had his corpse looted of Achilles’ armor. Achilles was greatly saddened by this and threw funeral games in his honor. After the games, Achilles returned to battlefield.

14. Achilles (Cont.) • Quarrel with Scamander: When Achilles returned to war, he slaughtered countless Trojans and threw their bodies into Scamander River. This angered the river god, and he attempted to drown the enraged Achilles. Hera and Hephaestus or Athena and Poseidon, intervened and encouraged Achilles to keep fighting while drying the River. • Death of Hector: Achilles was still dead set on getting revenge on Hector for killing Patroclus. Once he caught sight of Hector, he chased the Trojan around the walls three times. Then Athena appeared to Hector in the form of his favorite brother Deiphobus and encouraged him to fight Achilles. Hector immediately saw through the trick, but he realized the battle was inevitable. At last he confronted Achilles and charged him with his sword and fell over. He was aware of his imminent doom and asked Achilles to treat his body respectfully. Achilles refused and said, “I would like to strip you of your flesh and eat you raw”. He killed Hector and drove his chariot around the city and later and mutilated his corpse.

15. Achilles (Cont.) • Ransoming for the corpse: Priam, the King of Troy, snuck into the Achaean camp to find the body of his son and begged Achilles to allow him to bury his firstborn son. Achilles allowed him to hold his funeral and games during a temporary truce. • Penthesilea: After the truce was over, Achilles fought the Amazon queen Penthesilea. He was so struck by her beauty that he was not fighting his best because he was distracted. When he realized his life was in danger he killed her, but later mourned for her when he had fallen love with her corpse. Thersites laughed and mocked the name of Achilles for this. • Death of Memnon: The death of Memnon is an echo of the death of Hector. Memnon killed Nestor’s son Antilochus, who was Achilles next closest companion in the war, so Achilles killed him. • Achilles died in the same battle when Paris shot an arrow at Achilles heel while receiving the aid of Apollo. In this way Apollo avenged the desecration of his altar performed by Achilles in killing Troilus.

16. Ajax the Greater (Telamonian Ajax) • Son of: Telamon and Periboea • Weapon of Choice: Spear and Shield • Defining Characteristics: Expert strategist, very tall, courageous and skilled fighter, arrogant, brute strength • First cousin of Achilles • Often fought with his brother Teucer hiding behind his shield, shooting arrows through the sides • Laid waste to the Thracian Peninsula, killed Teleutas and carried off Tecmessa • Duel with Hector: Ajax is chosen to fight Hector in Book 7 of the Iliad, and the two fight until Zeus calls the fight a draw. Then they exchange gifts, as is the custom. To Hector, Ajax gives a belt, and Hector awards his best sword to Ajax.

17. Ajax the Greater • Ajax was unsuccessful in convincing Achilles to come fight for the Greeks when Hector threatened them. • Duel with Hector II: When Hector was trying to burn the Greek ships, Ajax came to hold off the Trojans single-handedly. He was succeeding in doing so, then Hector came to the front. He was determined on burning the ships, but Ajax fought him bravely. Ajax realized that Zeus favored Hector in the duel, so he retreated. • Ajax carried the body of Achilles back to camp, after defending it with Odysseus. • Shame and Death: After Achilles’ death, a contest between Ajax and Odysseus arose over who should don the armor of Achilles. They each gave speeches to the Achaean elders, then the Trojan prisoners testified saying Odysseus has done them more harm. The elders decided in favor of Odysseus. Ajax cursed Odysseus, thus making Athena angry. She struck him with madness, and he went and slaughtered a flock of sheep, believing them to be the Greek elders. Finally, he slew himself on the sword of Hector.

18. Diomedes of Argos • Son of Tydeus and Deipyle • King of: Argos • Defining Traits: Youngest of all the Greeks (According to Homer), second strongest Achaean, one of the best strategists, Odysseus’ partner, EXCEEDINGLY HUMBLE, ONLY MORTAL TO DEFEAT TWO GODS IN BATTLE IN ONE DAY • Brought 80 ships, the third most of any Greek warrior • Weapon of choice: Sword (carries the blessing of Athena) NB: his armor was made by Hephaestus he and Achilles are the only two Greeks to have such an honor. • Although he is much younger than Odysseus, he is by far the more mature in the duo. • He was said to be inferior than his father in battle by Agamemnon (even though he is NOT), but he did not respond. He later insulted Agamemnon, calling him an incapable commander in chief.

19. Diomedes • Captured and killed Dolon, then killed the King Rhesus while he slept, then stole his horses and 12 of his men. • He confronts Pandarus, the greatest Trojan archer, on the battlefield who is riding in a chariot with Aeneas. Diomedes, due to his cunning, did not fight them both at once. Instead, he waited for Pandarus to throw his spear first. When he did, Pandarus did not even realize he had missed Diomedes and began to boast. In his boasting Diomedes threw his spear and killed him. Since Aeneas’ horses descend from Zeus’ own, he had Sthenelus steal them, then he faced Aeneas. Now disarmed, Diomedes picks up a huge stone and crushes Aeneas’ hip. • Because Aeneas is Aphrodite’s son, Aphrodite saves Aeneas before he is killed. Diomedes, who has not only been given the ability to tell gods apart from mortals, but also the ability to wound them, charges Aphrodite and wounds her.

20. Diomedes • Diomedes also confronted Apollo in that same battle, but he fled to Olympus before Diomedes could wound him. While on Olympus he convinced Ares to go and fight in the ensuing battle. Upon catching sight of Ares, Athena threw Sthenelus out of the chariot and fought Ares with Diomedes. Athena guided Diomedes’ spear and wounded Ares in the stomach. He screamed so loudly and shrilly that it was comparable to that of 10,000 men. Then he fled. In this way Diomedes became the only mortal to wound two gods in one day. • Helenus claimed that they “do not fear Achilles as they do Diomedes” • Diomedes won the fighting tournament at Patroclus’ funeral games, he beat Ajax by drawing blood from his neck. • Diomedes was the only one who wanted to punish Achilles for killing Thersites • He and Odysseus stole the Palladium.

21. Agamemnon • Son of Atreus and Aerope • Commander in Chief of the Greek forces killed 16 Trojans • Brother of Menelaus, together they are the Atreidae • Brought 100 ships, the most of any Chieftain • Traits: Not a spectacular fighter, very well spoken, good leader (most of the time), selfish (the other times), regal in stature, very important • King of Mycenae • Husband of Clytemnestra, Helen’s twin sister • Because he bragged about being a better hunter than Artemis and shot her sacred stag (or a regular stag in a sacred grove), Artemis forced him to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia • Before he knew it was the Trojans who took Helen, he assumed the Teuthranians took her.

22. Agamemnon • Took the concubine Chryseis and then returned her to her father. As compensation he took Briseis from Achilles • He was given the prophetess Cassandra as a spoil of war • Upon returning home, he was promptly murdered by his wife and Aegisthus

23. Menelaus • Son of Atreus and Aerope • King of: Sparta • Traits: Good enough fighter to beat Paris, not quite as regal as Agamemnon • Husband of Helen • In book 3 of the Iliad the Greeks and Trojans resolved to end the war in single combat between Paris and Menelaus. Menelaus clearly wins, but before Paris could be killed, he was transported back into Troy by Aphrodite. • Pandarus broke the cease fire by shooting Menelaus • He resolved to kill Helen at the end of the war, but was seduced by her before he could do it.

24. Nestor • Son of Neleus and Chloris • Traits: Oldest of the Greeks, wisest of the Greeks, “best strategist” • King of Pylos • Father of Antilochus • He is praised as their “best strategist” because he is “experienced”. In reality he is pretty much a senile old man whose advice usually leads to death. Most notably Patroclus’ death.

25. Phoenix • One of the Greek elders and Achilles’ childhood mentor, he was always like a father to him and often had to slap some sense into him during the war

26. Idomeneus • King of Crete • Grandson of Minos • Fought Hector once • One of Ajax’s closest friends and a good advisor • Was exiled upon arrival back at Crete, because Leucus had taken the throne • Founded an Italian city

27. Neoptolemus/Pyrrhus • Son of Achilles and Deidamia • After Helenus was captured, he said that the Greeks needed Pyrrhus to fight in the war for victory to be achieved. • When he came to war he killed King Priam and Polyxena • He took Andromache as his concubine • Enslaved Helenus • Odysseus gave him his father’s armor, and it was said that Neoptolemus was almost as brave as Achilles himself.

28. Philoctetes • Philoctetes possessed the bow and arrows of Heracles needed to take Troy. • He was abandoned by the Greeks (an order of Odysseus) because he had been bitten by a snake and the wound made an awful smell. • Odysseus later returned to Lemnos to retrieve him, after it was discovered that Troy could not be taken without him. • He hated Odysseus more than he hated any other Greek • He killed Paris with his arrows

29. Other Greeks… • Ajax the Lesser- raped Cassandra in front of the Palladium, incurring the wrath of Athena • Automedon- Rode Achilles’ horses into battle during his leave • Palamedes- was stoned after Odysseus framed him for stealing gold from the tresury, his father, Nauplius urged several of the Greek wives to be unfaithful to their husbands • Calchas- was a Greek seer who outlined the terms for Troy to fall • Sinon- stood outside of the Trojan Horse and convinced the Trojans to take it. • Machaon- Praised physician who healed many of the Greek leaders • Protesilaus- was the first Greek to step on Trojan soil, and in turn was the first to die. Odysseus tricked him by getting out of his ship onto his shield. He was killed by Hector.

30. Gods and Their Alignment • 1. Zeus- “Neutral” actually Trojan • 2. Hera- Greek • 3. Poseidon-Greek • 4. Ares- Trojan • 5. Aphrodite- Trojan • 6. Athena-Greek • 7. Apollo-Trojan • 8. Hephaestus- Greek • 9. Hermes- Greek • 10. Iris- Greek • 11. Thetis- Greek

31. Hector • Son of Priam and Hecuba • Husband of: Andromache • Prince of Hypoplacian Thebes • Father of: Scamandrius (given name, called Astyanax by the people of Troy) • Heir apparent to the throne of Troy • Commander in Chief of Troy and the Trojan allies. • Greatest warrior on the Trojan side • Hector was opposed to the war and simply wanted to give Helen back or simply kill Helen • First battle: When the Greeks arrived at Troy, Hector killed Protesilaus (the first Greek to touch the Trojan soil).

32. Paris • 2nd Son of Priam and Hecuba • Exposed at birth • Grew up on Mount Ida and was suckled by a deer • Was originally married to the nymph Oenone, who was said to deny him medicine at his death • Best Trojan archer along with Pandarus • Killed Achilles, with an arrow guided by Apollo • Menelaus in combat, but he was Venus before he could be killed. • He is killed by Philoctetes’ arrows

33. Aeneas • Son of Venus and Anchises • Linked to the throne of Troy through the Dardanian line • Escapes Troy • Leads Trojan refugees after the war • Fights Diomedes (see his slide) • Destiny is foreshadowed, as he is saved twice by the gods • Married to Priam’s daughter, Creusa whom he leaves in Troy to die

34. Glaucus • Son of Hippolychus GRANDSON OF BELLEROPHON • Refused to fight Diomedes upon discovering their family ties • Gave Diomedes his Golden armor worth 100 oxen

35. RHesus • King of Thrace • Had immortal horses, which would make Toy uncapturable is the either drank the water of the Scamander River, or ate Trojan grass • Betrayed by the spy Dolon • Killed by Diomedes in his sleep

36. Memnon • Son of Eos and Tithonus • Priam’s nephew through Tithonus • King of Ethiopia • Killed Antilochus • He was one of the very skilled Trojan warriors, second to Hector, and he and Achilles were so evenly matched in battle, Zeus had to weigh two bags, one for Achilles, the other for Memnon. Memnon’s was lighter, thus he died. *pretty much the only black guy in Greek mythology

37. sarpedon • The son of Zeus and Laodamia • King of Lycia • Grandson of Bellerophon • He once attacked Ajax and Teucer in a 2 on 1 battle • Zeus attempted to save his life, but he had to give up his selfish reasons. • He was killed during in rage Patroclus, and his body was carried out by Glaucus. • Zeus was so grieved, the sky wept blood for him • Killed by Patroclus

38. dolon • Son of Eumedes • Very fast runner • He volunteered for a recon mission to the Greek ships, because Hector promised the spy Achilles’ bronze chariot and his horses. Dolon leaves, wearing a wolf skin and a weasel cap and sneaks down to the Greek camp. He is seen by Odysseus and Diomedes who, by chance, just happen to be on a recon mission of their own. Diomedes chases down Dolon and captures him. Dolon begs for his life saying that he will fetch a good ransom. So, Odysseus says that they would not kill him if he tells them why he was spying. Dolon spills everything he knows, only to be killed by Diomedes and Odysseus right after telling them.

39. Deiphobus • Son of Priam and Hecuba • 3rd husband of Helen • Killed several Greeks and wounded Meriones • Less widely accepted accounts say Deiphobus killed Achilles • Deiphobus accompanied Helen to the gate of Troy to see the large horse. When they arrived, Helen called out the names of the Greeks in the voices of their wives. • He was either killed by Menelaus or Odysseus • Helen never loved Deiphobus, and betrayed him for Menelaus during the destruction of Troy.

40. isus • Killed by Automedon

41. Lycaon • Father of Pandarus • Illegitimate son of Priam

42. Helenus • Son of Priam and Hecuba • He was an oracle and had been taught prophecy by Cassandra • He was captured by Odysseus during the raids in the Troad region, and he told the Greeks that they needed to remove the Palladium from Troy, bring Neptolemus to Troy, and get the bow and arrows of Heracles to Troy. • He competed against Deiphobus for the hand of Helen, instead, he married Andromache. • Neoptolemus grafted off part of his kingdom and gave it to Helenus

43. Laocoon • Priest of Poseidon • Offended the god by making love in his temple • Famous for uttering “I fear Greeks, even bearing gifts!” when the Trojan Horse arrived • He did not trust that the Trojan Horse was a genuine gift, so he plunged a spear into it. He was then devoured by a sea monster, sent by Poseidon. The Trojans took this as the god’s punishment for harming the gift, and they let it inside.