The Trojan War

In Search of the Trojan War

The Trojan War was a war that was fought between the early Greeks, the Mycenaean’s and the people of Troy that lasted approximately ten years. It was a long, bloody, and destructive war that caused numerous tragedies, yet it was also a time for warriors to prove they were heroic and for the gods to step in and help. Although historians believe that many of the Trojan War stories could very well be myths, some historians are still looking for facts to support these stories. In one of the myths it is said that the Trojan horse was used to succeed in battle. Throughout history “The Trojan Horse” surprise attack has been used as a common military tactic by military strategists. The Trojan War comes to down to us from myths and legends that are now lost. Homer’s Illiad, an epic poem written in the late 8th century, was passed on through oral tradition. The Illiad shows the war of Troy, giving a detailed description of the war in a poetic mannerism. The epic also covers the final and tenth year of the Trojan War. Archaeologists believe that the Trojan War was nothing but a mere legend, but some do believe that the war actually happened according to the evidence found in the area that Troy would have been located around. As the Mycenaean’s fought a ten-year war against the city of Troy, an independent trading city located in Anatolia, ancient Troy appointed a strategic point at the southern entrance to the Dardanelles (Hellespont). This was a narrow strait that linked the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea. The city also appointed a land route that ran along the west Anatolian coast and crossed Dardanelles to the European Shore. The gods and goddesses are the ones who started the Trojan War as well as the ones who put an end to it. The Trojan War began when Eris, the goddess of Discord, threw a golden apple marked “For the fairest” into a banquet hall at the wedding of King Peleus and Queen Thethis. The contest is narrowed down to Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena competing to be “the fairest”. Instead of a fair judgment on beauty, the goddesses offer him bribes to try to win his vote. Hera offers the title of Lord of Europe and Asia. Athena offers victory against the Greeks. Aphrodite offers him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chooses Aphrodite and is soon led to Helen in Sparta. Paris breaks the bond between Menelaus and Helen had kept when he comes home and finds Helen missing. Menelaus rallied up his men and tried to take down the city of Troy. The first nine years of war consisted of war against the neighboring regions. The Greeks realized that Troy was being supplied by these neighboring regions, so Greeks were sent to defeat these areas. As well as destroying the Trojan economy, these battles let the Greeks gather a large amount of resources. Although the Greeks won many important battles they could not break down the strong walls of Troy. The Trojan War still wasn’t over; neither the Greeks nor the Trojans seemed to be able to win, until of the Greek kings emerged with an idea. He proposed that a big wooden horse be built on wheels, big enough for a bunch of Greek soldiers to hide inside of it. The Greeks then pretended to sail home, except the ones hiding inside the horse. The Greeks acted like they had given up and left but in reality they hid around the corner. Soon the Trojans found the horse and a Greek solider that was left behind, as the Trojans thought because the other Greeks hated him. The Trojans asked him what the horse was for and he said it was an offering to Athena. Afterward, the Trojans rolled the big horse into the city of Troy but because it was so big it wouldn’t go through the gate. A piece of the city wall needed to be tore down in order to get it in. The Trojans threw a big party to celebrate the end of the war. The people of Troy fell asleep and the Greek soldiers came out of the Trojan horse and killed the guards on the walls. A big battle was held and the Greeks came out on top with a victory. All the Trojan men were killed and the women and children were taken back to Greece as slaves. Though the Trojan War lasted ten years, many things were gained as well as lost as a result of it. The Greeks stayed strong through the years of a long, bloody and destructive battle. The idea of “The Trojan Horse” helped put the war to end and as a result the Greeks came out victorious. Although it may be myth, “The Trojan Horse” did help the Greeks defeat Troy by using the art of the surprise attack. This tactic has developed and helped numerous military strategists for years.

Works Cited "Ancient Greece.”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. <http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Iliad/>.
"The Trojan War.”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. <http://writing4students.blogspot.com/2010/09/trojan-war-essay.html >.
"The Trojan War.”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. <http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html>.
"The Trojan horses”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/religion/myths/trojanhorse.htm>.

Cited: "Ancient Greece.”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. &lt;http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Iliad/&gt;. "The Trojan War.”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. &lt;http://writing4students.blogspot.com/2010/09/trojan-war-essay.html &gt;. "The Trojan War.”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. &lt;http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html&gt;. "The Trojan horses”. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2012. &lt;http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/religion/myths/trojanhorse.htm&gt;.