Involvement of the Gods in the Trojan War and Its Consequences - Essay Example

Running header: Greek Mythology Student’s name: Instructor’s name: Subject code: Date of submission: Greek Mythology The involvement of the gods in the Trojan War and its consequences There was so much emphasis attached on the gods by the Greek society such that success of kings and warriors during wars such as the Trojan War highly depended on the role of these gods and goddesses. The Trojan War is said to have been fought between the Greeks and the Trojans. During the occurrence of the war, the Greeks had strong connections to the gods and believed that their activities and actions were predestined by these gods. Their influence on nature and human beings characteristics in the way they thought, acted and believed was a significant part of the Greek culture. These gods were key determinants of who won during wars or competitions. This implies that the heroes in wars were at the mercy of these gods who would also impose their anger on disrespectful and disobedient. As such, the gods determined the heroes and heroines of wars in the Greek society. As far as the Trojan War is concerned, the gods played a very great role on both the warring sides i.e. the Greek and Paris. In these regard, the Paris side had the support of Aphrodite while the Greek side had the support of Poseidon, Athena and Ares as allies at war (Hugh, 2005). Aeneas was Aphrodite’s son, Achilles was Thetis’s son who won fame and honor in the Trojan War but who also suffered his death as a result of the deceit of Paris. Multiple other gods also sided with one side or the other as the war continued. For instance, Hera, Hephaestus and Poseidon offered their support to the Greeks. On the other hand, Apollo, Ares and Artemis offered their support to the Trojans. On the other hand, Zeus and Hades remained neutral for most part of the war. The trouble began when the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen who was the wife of Menelaus the king of Sparta. Following the elopement, Menelaus demanded for her return but the Trojans did not return her. As a result, Menelaus persuaded his brother Agamemnon to lead troops against Troy. The troops gathered at Aulis led by great Greek heroes including Patroclus, Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Diomedes as well as two warriors in the name of Ajax. In a bid to win favorable winds for their journey, Agamemnon decided to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to goddess Artemis who offered good winds and hence they sailed for Troy. The Greeks ravaged Troy’s surroundings for nine years although they didn’t get access to the city as it was well fortified and commanded by Hector as well as the sons of the royal household. The Greeks as a result built a large hollow wooden horse with which they concealed warriors. Sinon who was left with the horse persuaded the Trojans despite the warnings of Cassandra and Laocoon to take the horse with them as a gift within the city walls. At night, the Greeks returned and their champions crept out of the horse and opened city gates thus destroying Troy. The war was nine years in a stalemate when eventually Olympus took notice and intervened. Athena and Hera came to Greek’s aid together with Poseidon due to the grudge they harbored against Paris. On the other hand, Aphrodite, Artemis and Apollo sided with Trojans while Zeus vowed to remain neutral although his heart favored the Trojans (Green, 1997). This implies that at the war, gods fought alongside men making the war bloodier than ever before. At one point Achilles and Agamemnon were at odds. This was triggered when Achilles found out that Chrysies, a Trojan prisoner of war and Apollo’s prophetess had caused Apollospestillence on the Greeks thus ordering her release. Agamemnon was so much angered by Achilles action that he took Achilles slave girl named Briseis. This occasioned a devastating loss to the Greeks since Achilles refused to fight until the return of the slave girl despite the fact that Greeks could not win the war without the help of Achilles. In a bid to stem the massive loss of life, the Trojans and the Greeks decided that Menelaus and Paris would battle it out for Helen one on one. Menelaus being a vicious warrior was more than a match for Paris who was comparably weak. Unfortunately Menelaus broke his sword in half presumably due to interference from a god which was a minor setback for the king. The king then engaged Paris in hand to hand combat seizing him by the helmet and dragging him around (Carpenter, 2012). At this juncture, Aphrodite intervened and cut the strap holding Paris’s helmet thus averting his death at Menelaus’ hand. Paris then fled for safety to Troy with the help of a cloud that Aphrodite provided. Greek’s honor was again offended by Paris’s cowardice and hence blood-lust spread among their soldiers with the support of Athena and Hera thus signaling the return to war. When the battle reached a fever pitch, Hera and Athena joined Diomedes the Greek hero in battling Ares who had been fighting together with Hector. These goddesses guided Diomedes spear directly into Ares’s chest who was left roaring in pain. It is said that the war god bellowed out as loud as ten thousand cry in battle while the awful sound trembling seized the entire host as well as the Greeks and Trojans. Thus, Ares out of his pride not wanting to tolerate injury from a mortal fled to Olympus to heal the wound making the battle to return outside the walls of Troy. Aphrodite who was the least warlike of the gods also fled to Olympus on receiving minor injury. To make the matters worse for the Greeks, Achilles’ mother Thetis persuaded Zeus to fight on behalf of Trojans in a bid to avenge Achilles’ loss of Briseis as she though the war could end before Achilles would change his mind to return to war. Hera was not ready for interference by his husband. As such, she dressed in her most alluring gown and Aphrodite’s girdle thus rendering the wearer irresistible and thus seduced Zeus. While the Olympus ruler was preoccupied, the battle turned to Greeks favor. Despite this timely assistance by Hera, Hector was still a troublesome obstacle and the home field advantage was much for the Greeks to overcome. In addition, the Greeks had become tired of fighting for nine years just for a man’s wife. On discovering Hera’s treachery he returned in full force that even Agamemnon was considering a retreat. It was at this time that Patroclus the cousin of Achilles wore Achilles armor and went to battlefield. He met hector in the battlefield that killed him thinking it was Achilles (Allen, 2013). He then took the armor as a trophy. Following the death, the Olympus gods were again engaged in fierce fight. The gods fought as heavily as men with Athena felling Ares to the ground, Hera on the other hand seized Artemis bow from her shoulders and boxed her ears with it. Poseidon on the other hand provoked Apollo with words to strike him first. Achilles on the other hand with the aim of avenging for his cousin killed Hector. Soon after the death of Hector, Achille met his doom when Paris shot his arrow that was guided by Apollo directly into Achilles’ heel killing the unstoppable Greek warrior. Achilles body was taken by Ajax back to the Greek camp while Odysseus held Trojans at bay. The Greeks led by Odysseus captured a Trojan prophet who revealed to them that they would need Hercules’s bow. It was with this bow that Philoctetes shoot Paris. Paris was unable to secure healing from Oenone and thus he died out of the bow’s wound. In order to defeat the Trojans, the Greeks built a large hollow wooden horse with which they concealed warriors. Sinon who was left with the horse persuaded the Trojans despite the warnings of Cassandra and Laocoon to take the horse with them as a gift within the city walls. At night, the Greeks returned and their champions crept out of the horse and opened city gates thus destroying Troy. As has been established above, the Greek gods and goddesses played a great role in the Trojan War with different gods opting to support different sides of the warring factions. This had a great effect on the Greek cultural beliefs as well as the societal settings. Some of the most notable effects of the involvement of the Trojan gods in the way was the fall of Troy and hence the defeat of Trojans. The war also led to the loss of many lives and hence satisfied Zeus desire of reducing the number of people in a world that was getting too crowded. The war led to the death of many characters and gods including Achilles, Agamemnon and hector among many more significant characters. It should also be noted that the end of the war marked the beginning of Odysseus’ journey to return to the land of Ithaca. Finally, the Trojan War brings out the Greeks strong belief in their gods and goddesses and the role they played in wars and competitions. References: Hugh, B2005, Classical Athens and the Delphic oracle: Divination and democracy, Cambridge, Cambridge university press. Allen, P2013, The classical gods of the ancient Greece, Sydney, Prentice Hall. Green, J1997, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, London, Thames and Hudson. Carpenter, H2012, Art and Myth in Ancient Greece, London, Thames& Hudson. Read More

The Greeks ravaged Troy’s surroundings for nine years although they didn’t get access to the city as it was well fortified and commanded by Hector as well as the sons of the royal household. The Greeks as a result built a large hollow wooden horse with which they concealed warriors. Sinon who was left with the horse persuaded the Trojans despite the warnings of Cassandra and Laocoon to take the horse with them as a gift within the city walls. At night, the Greeks returned and their champions crept out of the horse and opened city gates thus destroying Troy.

The war was nine years in a stalemate when eventually Olympus took notice and intervened. Athena and Hera came to Greek’s aid together with Poseidon due to the grudge they harbored against Paris. On the other hand, Aphrodite, Artemis and Apollo sided with Trojans while Zeus vowed to remain neutral although his heart favored the Trojans (Green, 1997). This implies that at the war, gods fought alongside men making the war bloodier than ever before. At one point Achilles and Agamemnon were at odds.

This was triggered when Achilles found out that Chrysies, a Trojan prisoner of war and Apollo’s prophetess had caused Apollospestillence on the Greeks thus ordering her release. Agamemnon was so much angered by Achilles action that he took Achilles slave girl named Briseis. This occasioned a devastating loss to the Greeks since Achilles refused to fight until the return of the slave girl despite the fact that Greeks could not win the war without the help of Achilles. In a bid to stem the massive loss of life, the Trojans and the Greeks decided that Menelaus and Paris would battle it out for Helen one on one.

Menelaus being a vicious warrior was more than a match for Paris who was comparably weak. Unfortunately Menelaus broke his sword in half presumably due to interference from a god which was a minor setback for the king. The king then engaged Paris in hand to hand combat seizing him by the helmet and dragging him around (Carpenter, 2012). At this juncture, Aphrodite intervened and cut the strap holding Paris’s helmet thus averting his death at Menelaus’ hand. Paris then fled for safety to Troy with the help of a cloud that Aphrodite provided.

Greek’s honor was again offended by Paris’s cowardice and hence blood-lust spread among their soldiers with the support of Athena and Hera thus signaling the return to war. When the battle reached a fever pitch, Hera and Athena joined Diomedes the Greek hero in battling Ares who had been fighting together with Hector. These goddesses guided Diomedes spear directly into Ares’s chest who was left roaring in pain. It is said that the war god bellowed out as loud as ten thousand cry in battle while the awful sound trembling seized the entire host as well as the Greeks and Trojans.

Thus, Ares out of his pride not wanting to tolerate injury from a mortal fled to Olympus to heal the wound making the battle to return outside the walls of Troy. Aphrodite who was the least warlike of the gods also fled to Olympus on receiving minor injury. To make the matters worse for the Greeks, Achilles’ mother Thetis persuaded Zeus to fight on behalf of Trojans in a bid to avenge Achilles’ loss of Briseis as she though the war could end before Achilles would change his mind to return to war.

Hera was not ready for interference by his husband. As such, she dressed in her most alluring gown and Aphrodite’s girdle thus rendering the wearer irresistible and thus seduced Zeus. While the Olympus ruler was preoccupied, the battle turned to Greeks favor. Despite this timely assistance by Hera, Hector was still a troublesome obstacle and the home field advantage was much for the Greeks to overcome. In addition, the Greeks had become tired of fighting for nine years just for a man’s wife.

On discovering Hera’s treachery he returned in full force that even Agamemnon was considering a retreat. It was at this time that Patroclus the cousin of Achilles wore Achilles armor and went to battlefield.

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