THE MOST EPİC FORM OF LOVE AND WAR: TROY
The Most Epic Form of Love and War: Troy
Our topic today is a war and love tragedy that everyone knows but actually no one truly knows: Troy. In this article, i will share the most significant myths that led to the emergence of the Trojan War and deeply influenced it.
Firstly, I would like to emphasize that the correct translation of the place we all know as Troy is actually Troya in Turkish. Therefore, in this article, we will refer to it as Troya. Troya is an ancient city located within the boundaries of Çanakkale in today's world. We are familiar with this ancient city, especially through the epics Iliad and Odyssey, believed to be written by Homer. These epics revolve around the famous Trojan War. In Homer's Iliad, we read about a fifty-day period in the ninth year of the siege of the ancient city Troya. In Odyssey, we follow the attempts of the hero Odysseus to return home after the war. Unfortunately, we do not have access to epics other than Iliad and Odyssey regarding the Trojan War in the present day.
The Beginning of Everything: The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus
Everything begins with the wedding of Thetis, a sea nymph, and the mortal Peleus. Both the sky god Zeus and the god of the oceans Poseidon fall in love with Thetis. However, the Oracle Prometheus predicts that Thetis's son will be more powerful than his father. In order to eliminate the risk of having a son stronger than themselves, Zeus and Poseidon decide to marry Thetis to the mortal Peleus.
All the gods and goddesses are invited to the wedding, except one: the goddess of Chaos, Eris. Angered by this, Eris seeks to create chaos worthy of her name. She places a golden apple in the middle of the wedding inscribed with the words "To the Fairest." Wisdom and war goddess Athena, love goddess Aphrodite, and marriage goddess Hera try to claim this apple for themselves because each of the goddesses believes she is the fairest. Ultimately, it is the chaos arising from this situation that lays the foundations of the Trojan War.
Paris and the Most Beautiful Woman in the World: Helen
Since the goddesses cannot decide among themselves, they ask Zeus to act as the judge to determine the fairest. Zeus, not wanting to incur the wrath of any goddess, assigns the task of determining the fairest to Prince Paris of Troy. However, at that time, Paris's identity as a prince is unknown. When Paris was born, a prophecy was made that he would be the cause of Troy's downfall. Therefore, Paris is raised outside the city without knowing who he truly is.
“Paris and the Golden Apple” @Leonardo Lupidi
Unable to decide among the goddesses, Paris is offered gifts to encourage him to choose one. Hera promises him political success and dominion over Asia if he selects her. Athena offers wisdom and skill in war. Aphrodite, on the other hand, promises him the love of the world's most beautiful woman, none other than Helen of Sparta. Choosing the love of Helen, Paris awards the apple to Aphrodite.
So, who is Helen, renowned for her beauty? She is the daughter of King Tyndareus of Sparta. Unbeknownst to Paris, he has unknowingly intertwined his fate with the Princess of Sparta. To find a suitable husband for Helen, King Tyndareus gathers all the suitors at his palace months before Paris's choice. However, Tyndareus does not want to offend anyone, as all the suitors are either kings or princes. The person he chooses to marry his daughter will also shape the political future of their country. Those who cannot marry his daughter will become resentful and pose a threat to Tyndareus.
At this point, the clever Odysseus intervenes with his sharp wit. Odysseus from Ithaca, who is secretly in love with Tyndareus's niece Penelope, offers a suggestion to the king. He proposes that all the princes and kings present swear an oath to protect the chosen one and Helen's marriage. This way, any king or prince who is unhappy with the king's decision will be prevented from opposing it. All the guests swear the oath. Finally, King Tyndareus chooses King Menelaus to marry Helen.
Cupid's Arrow and the Call to War
Goddess Aphrodite keeps her promise to Paris, despite Helen being married. Cupid shoots his arrow, and Helen has no choice but to fall in love with Paris. Aphrodite, who secretly brings Paris to Sparta, ensures that Helen is kidnapped. Helen, struck by Cupid's arrow, joins Paris with great happiness. Meanwhile, Menelaus, who is at his uncle's funeral, rushes to seek help when he returns home and discovers that his wife has been abducted. Seeking assistance from his powerful brother Agamemnon, Menelaus runs to him. Agamemnon, reminding the leaders of the Greeks of the oath taken at King Tyndareus's palace, calls them all to war.
Odysseus is sent by Agamemnon to call Achilles to war. Achilles knows that if he joins this war, his life will be short. His mother Thetis takes action to protect her son. Thetis hides Achilles on the island of Skyros in disguise as a woman. However, the clever Odysseus sees through this deception. Persuading Achilles to join the war, Odysseus includes him in the conflict.
The assembled heroes set sail for Troy together, and the siege begins. According to the legend, the siege of Troy lasts for a full nine years. The course of the nine-year siege begins to change with the incident involving Chryseis. One of Apollo's priests implores Agamemnon to return his daughter Chryseis, who was abducted during the war. However, Agamemnon rejects the request, claiming that the girl belongs to him. This greatly offends Apollo. Enraged, Apollo sends a plague upon the Greeks. After enduring the suffering for a long time, Agamemnon, under the pressure of his commanders, reluctantly returns the priest's daughter. However, to vent his frustration for letting Chryseis go, he takes Briseis, under the protection of Achilles, as his own. Infuriated, Achilles refuses to fight as long as Agamemnon leads.
Brave Patroclus
With Achilles withdrawing from the war, the Trojans come close to winning. The Greeks are losing in every battle. At this point, Patroclus enters the scene. Depending on the sources, Patroclus is either Achilles' lover or his closest friend. Unable to bear the Greeks constantly losing, Patroclus takes Achilles' armor and leads the Myrmidons into battle in the guise of Achilles. Patroclus fights courageously side by side with the morale-high Greeks who believe Achilles has returned.
Hector, the brother of Paris and the Prince of Troy, sees Achilles entering the battlefield and immediately advances towards his rival to fight. Patroclus, fighting one-on-one with Hector, dies in the battle using Hector's own sword. Hector realizes only after killing Patroclus that he did not kill Achilles.
The Battle of the Strongest: Achilles and Hector
Learning that Patroclus died at the hands of Hector, Achilles becomes furious with anger and grief. Returning to the battlefield, he kills many Trojans. He now has only one goal: to kill Hector with his own hands and take revenge. Although Achilles and his mother Thetis know that Achilles's death will occur shortly after Hector's death, Achilles's love for Patroclus is greater.
The two strongest warriors on both sides, Achilles and Hector, engage in a great struggle against each other. Achilles wins the fight and kills Hector to avenge Patroclus. However, Achilles's anger does not subside with this. He drags Hector's body along the walls of Troy with his chariot. Days later, with King Priam pleading tearfully for the return of his son's body, Achilles softens and returns Hector's body to his father.
Achilles' Heel and his Death
Akhilleus, the son of Thetis and Peleus, also known as Achilles, was born to become the greatest hero of Greece. When Akhilleus was born, his mother Thetis knew that he would be a great hero. Akhilleus would either live a short but famous life, talked about for years to come, or a long and happy life where no one would know his name.
Thetis wants to strengthen her son to protect him from this illustrious but short life. She takes Akhilleus to the Styx River in the underworld when he is still a child because anyone immersed in the Styx River cannot be harmed. Thetis dips Akhilleus into the Styx River but holds him by his heel. Therefore, Akhilleus's heel does not touch the water. Thus, the only vulnerable place for Akhilleus is his heel.
Note: In today's medicine, we still refer to one of the tendons in our heel as the Achilles tendon. The term "Achilles' Heel" used in our everyday speech is still used to indicate a weak point. We can understand from this that Achilles has received the fame he deserves.
Not long after Hector's death, Akhilleus is struck in the heel by an arrow during the war. The only one who could deliver this fatal blow is none other than Paris. The hero Akhilleus, at the end of his fame-filled life, joins his lover/friend Patroclus in the underworld. Although Achilles dies, his story continues to be with us thousands of years later, as promised.
The Trojan Horse and the End of the War
Wise hero Odysseus, now wanting this bloody war to end, thinks of a solution. Consequently, they build a giant wooden horse. This horse, containing hidden Greek soldiers, is left at the borders of Troy. Pretending to withdraw, the Greeks sail their ships out to sea. Believing the horse to be a gift, the Trojans, despite warnings from the god Apollo, bring the horse into the city. When the Greek soldiers inside the horse launch a surprise attack at night, Troy falls. A massacre takes place. The Greeks emerge as the victors of this bloody war that lasted for ten years.
Although only a small part of the legend of the Trojan War is found in the Iliad, it remains one of our most valuable sources. In addition to the Iliad, some books that you can explore to learn more about the legend of the Trojan War are listed below.
Note: You can also watch the movie "Troy" starring Brad Pitt
Iliad and Odyssey – Homer: In these ancient classics, the legend is told firsthand, and you can see many details not mentioned in our article.
The Trojan War – Barry Strauss: If you want to learn about the historical aspects behind the legend, this book is for you. Strauss narrates the history of the Trojan War with evidence, helping us distinguish between what is real and what is myth.
The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller: If you are curious about the epic and tragic love between Achilles and Patroclus, you must read this book. You will not be able to hold back your tears and will get to know our heroes more intimately.
A Thousand Ships – Natalie Haynes: Written with a feminist perspective, A Thousand Ships gives voice to the women mentioned only in passing in the legends of Troy. The book, written from the perspective of these women, allows us to see Troy through the eyes of women.
The Silence of the Girls – Pat Barker: This book tells the story of the Trojan War from the perspective of Briseis. You will love the narrative from the point of view of the woman at the heart of the whole war in the Iliad.
The legend of the Trojan War is perhaps one of the greatest myths of Ancient Greece. Therefore, we wanted to shed light on one of the greatest epics ever written.
Thank you for reading.
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