The Trojan War Linked to Mythology - Research Paper Example

Task The Trojan War Linked to Mythology Introduction The culmination of the Trojan War was the burning of Troy. Various events had contributed in the commencement of the war, which is categorized amongst the favourites of Greek history. Various mythological events explain the occurrence of the war. Apparently, even the termination of the war was also linked to yet another mythological event. The events of the Trojan War are described from the work of a poet called Homer, in his work; The Iliad and the Odyssey. This work compliments the rest of the work collected from the epic cycle, a reference of various ancient literature. The Trojan War is largely reflected in several of these stories. This paper pertinently discusses the Trojan War and its relation to myths. Analysis The central event, which is also mythological, is the cause of the Great Trojan War. Many accounts points on the existence of a conflict amongst the Greek goddesses. The conflict was based on partnerships and prophesies of the time. However, this was so staid to arouse a war that lasted about ten years. Most accounts place the conflict at the failure of Eris to attend the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, after being invited. However, the conflict seems to have sourced further. The unique thing about the marriage was the attributes of the involved parties. Thetis was a goddess while Peleus was a mortal. This did not augur well with the rest of the Gods, hence the existence of a resistance in preferences. It had been recorded that two of the most powerful gods were interested in the beautiful goddess and at some point had forced her to lay with them. The two, Zeus, and Poseidon had degenerated into bitter rivals as they sought Thetis’ hand in marriage. Amongst the driving factor behind this quest was a prophecy by Themis, (also referred to as Prometheus), over the child bored by a union with Thetis. He had stated that any son born from the union will exceed the greatness of his father. This statement was translated along various perceptions, in Zeus’ case implying that the son might eventuate into ruling Olympus. This possibility discouraged the quests of the two gods, and Zeus opted to marry the goddess to a mortal (Thomas, 56). This decision called for further scrutiny of the appropriate candidates that could suit the hand of a goddess. The opportunity was accorded to Peleus, who was described as the most worthy of the other mortals. The wedding was grandiose, with all gods and goddesses in attendance, all except Eris. She (Eris) was associated with discord, hence was commonly referred to as Eris, the goddess of discord. She seemed not to assent to the wedding. Out of this fury, she threw a golden apple in the midst of the guests that had attended the occasion. The apple had on its inscription the phrase ‘for the fairest’. This brought rift in the whole event, putting in mind that the rest of the goddesses were in attendance, as well. The battle for the apple was left to the three fairest goddesses, Aphrodite, Athena and Hera. The decision at hand was so intense to be decided on the spot, or by either of the three. Therefore, the three chose an arbitrator to assist in the development of the final decision. The appropriate individual for the task was thought to be Zeus, putting in mind that he was the organizer of the risky wedding. Upon this consideration, the three goddesses sought his intervention in the making of the critical decision (Thomas, 67). However, Zeus was rather too wise to accept such an overwhelming and sensitive task; instead he relegated the task to Paris, who was officially referred to, as the prince of Trojan. This he directed Hermes to conduct, and the case was sent to Paris to arbitrate. The young prince was rather overwhelmed by the zealous goddesses, who proceeded to offer him a couple of gifts which he was to receive upon making favourable judgements. Athena proposed to make him a reputable Hero or eminent General that commanded honour across all generations. Hera based her bribes on the wealth of the worlds, and proceeded to promise the young prince a bank of wealth which will be coupled by the opportunity to head the most powerful dynasty in the world. However, Aphrodite was rather wise in her bribes; she offered the young prince a hand in marriage with the fairest woman in the whole world. This perplexed the young prince, leading to his imprudent decision of according apple to Aphrodite. This did not go well with the rest of the goddesses in the contest; they opted to express their anger and dissatisfaction on Troy, the region over which Paris presided as prince. The whole incident developed complications when the reality of Aphrodite offer was further scrutinized. The lady in the offer was Helen of Sparta, who happened to be already involved with a series of influential and powerful Greek suitors. It is the abduction of Helen of Sparta by Paris that ignited the whole war (Thomas, 212). Analysing these events that lead to initiation of the two goddesses’ wrath over Troy leads to the identification of several mythological phenomenon. Key amongst is the central characters towards the development of the war, the Greek gods. These were mythical figures embraced by the Greeks as being the masters of the phenomenon of nature. Apparently, none of the living mortals could point out an elaborate encounter with either of the figures. However, they were grossly believed to command and influence the actions and paths of the mortals (Louden, 94). The gods were attributed with the ability of living for ever, or they were simply immortalized. This identified them against the mortals, who may have been considered as the common dwellers of the world. They were believed to be watching over the human race, as well as, rewarding them for their actions. The rewards varied in accordance to the attributed actions, those considered inappropriate were awarded punishments of various magnitudes while the appropriate actions were accorded splendid gifts. However, certain aspects that could be considered unethical in the lives of the humans could be identified with the gods. Such include aspects such as Jealousy, corruption and unpredicted rivalry amongst the supreme beings. Another point of consideration in the mythological aspects identified in the course of the war includes the interaction between the supreme beings and the mortals. Apparently, Zeus opted to marry Thetis to a mortal. This form of interaction is rather mythical, especially when considering the role of the supreme beings as anticipated by the mortals. It ceases to make considerable sense when a god who has remarkable authority over other gods proposes a union of the two (Doty, 121). The Supreme Being did not have authority over the mortals this is because the gods could have limited their interactions with the mortals; as a measure of sustaining respect between the two entities. However, this understanding seems highly neglected in the world of the time. These show the mythical aspect of the story. Another imaginary occurrence identified in the work is the supernatural abilities of the supreme beings. These individuals were identified as reputable individuals in their eras, in that they could command a masterly touch of excellence in their actions. However, the tale of the Trojan War paints them as incapacitated individuals who are even unable to make decisions over basic events such as contest of fairness amongst themselves. In this accord, the goddesses eventuate in seeking the arbitration services from the prince of Trojan over their dispute. This reflects on the incapacitation of the gods, or their in existence. This supports the belief that associates them to mythical figure and the whole story in general. Another mythical perspective of the whole story is the events that followed the decision by the prince of Trojan. The two goddesses opted to direct their wrath on the city of Troy while the rest of the supreme beings offered little consideration over the decision. This illustrates the lack of empathy in the lives of the supreme world, an assumption that can only be coined in mythical – based settings (Doty, 46). Further progress in the evaluation of the Trojan War leads to the identification of further mythical events. The chronology of the events attributed to the war identifies a point on several of these events. However, the most central may be identified as the actual duration of the Trojan War. Several accounts offer to contradict accounts on the actual duration upon which the war lasted. A fact that can be articulated to this information is the fact that if the Trojan War actually occurred, it certainly took place during the procession of the later half of 1100BC. The contradiction in the timings, as illustrated in the epic literature depicts the possibility of the whole account being an imaginary one. The final developments of the whole war also raise a point of consideration. Apparently, the war had been instigated by the goddesses, who were considered to be immortal. However, the solution to the war was based on the harmony of the mortals. The gift by the Achaeans to the Trojans seemed to be the eventual solution over the whole tussle. This understanding contests against the original cause of the war, which was believed to be the anguish of the goddesses against the verdict of the prince of Trojan. A closer evaluation of the war points on the involvement of mortals in settling the disputes of the immortals. This leads to a different understanding of the whole warfare. A proposal can be made towards identifying the actual cause of the war. Amongst the most probable proposals are the indications of the existence of a political rivalry, a common trend in the dynasties of the period. The Trojan War may, thus, have resulted in a politically driven occasion; where the participants sought to overthrow the Trojan authority that was build on King Prium. However, this is coined by the side story that is based on a romantic episode between the involved parties. A third dimension of the whole event points on the action of Paris being central in the instigation of the war. He is identified to have made a biased decision over the fairness of the three goddesses, thus provoking their wrath. Progressively, he proceeded to claim a promise made with a goddess involving other third parties whose consent he had not acquired. The whole story of the involvement of the goddesses can thus be identified as a justification offered by Paris over his actions. He may have encountered stiff challenges in his pursuit of winning the hand of Helen in marriage. This paints the initial understanding to resemble an imagination steered by Paris in his quest to justify his actions of abducting Helen. The embrace of this understanding by the Trojans enabled him to acquire the safety he so desired over the Achaeans, from whom he had abducted the lady. It also improved his chances of marrying Helen, since the news of the assent of his quest from the goddess Aphrodite gave proof of contribution towards his quest of enticing her. This may also discourage the potential suitors since Paris would have been identified as the chosen candidate for the task. Another occasion that points on the mythical nature of the account is the acquisition of the immortal qualities. The immortal were believed to live for eternity. However, some of them could be identified from certain individuals from the mortal lineage. These individuals were then promoted to the immortal life and were acknowledged as gods and goddesses. However, it was also true that the immortals could co – exist with the mortals. This implied that some individuals could exist to their eternity while on the world. This understanding by itself is mythical since it is based on the imaginations of the period (Doty, 134). Most significantly, the aspect that makes this whole ideology mythical is the story of Achilles, a soldier that was amongst the troops that destroyed Troy. Achilles was believed to have been immortalized when he was immersed in the Styx water canal. However, it appears that the ritual was not fully performed since portions that were not incorporated in the immortalization bathe remained mortal. This mainly focused on the portion of his heel that his mother held while dipping him into the river water. This spot was targeted in his final death (Alexander, 111). Conclusion The Trojan War is based on several myths that help develop the final account. These myths seem to be both random and calculated, as well. For instance, the myth of the involvement of the goddesses in the instigation of the war seems to be developed in favour of Paris. Other imaginations are developed in the quest of developing an account that embraces a certain chronology of ideas. This includes the aspects such as the battle prowess accorded to Achilles. The incorporation of mythical entries in the development of the story, thus, helps in the development of the account. Work Cited Alexander, Caroline. The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War. New York, N.Y: Viking, 2009. Print. Doty, William G. World Mythology. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2002. Print. Louden, Bruce. The Iliad: Structure, Myth, and Meaning. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. Print. Thomas, Carol G, and Craig Conant. The Trojan War. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2005. Print. Read More