Trojan war Have you ever heard of Achilles? he was one of the greatest war heroes that ever lived and was mostly known for fighting in the great Trojan War. The Trojan war began in the twelfth Century and ended sometime in the thirteenth century. The Trojan war was one of the greatest occurrences for the Greeks and they are widely known for this war. Many other heroes like hector and Aeneas fought in this war. One major event that triggered the Trojan war was, the wedding of king Peleus and Thetis. After the unfortunate death of Antigone, Peleus decided to marry the sea-nymph, Thetis. Their wedding was considered highly important and most of the high Gods attended it. “As a wedding present, Poseidon gave Peleus two …show more content…
With a family to take care of, he did not want to go to war. To avoid the war, Odysseus “sowed his fields with salt”- ( Trojan 3) to appear insane. However Palamedes saw through his plan and tested him by placing his son in front of him on Ploughs Path. Odysseus not willing to kill his son revealed his sanity. Which required him to go and fight in the war. – (Trojan 3) Achilles, the most infamous warriors in the Trojan war, also didn't want to participate in the Trojan War. Son of Thetis, the sea nymph, and King Peleus. He was the only child out of seven to live past infancy. Achilles in known for being invincible except for his Achilles' tendon. As an infant, Achilles mother dipped him into the River Styx by his heel. This made him invincible every where except for his Achilles' tendon, thus the name Achilles. Later in life, he was shot in the tendon and bleed out and died. – ( Achillles 4) Just like Odysseus, Achilles' wanted to avoid the war too. His mother dressed him up as a woman to avoid having to go to war. Just like Odysseus, his plan failed . “While disguised as a merchant bearing trinkets and weaponry, Achilles was marked out from the other women for admiring weaponry instead of clothes and jewelry”. – ( Trojan 3). Because of his behavior, he was thrust into …show more content…
Prophecy foretold that the first person to step foot on land would Be the first to die in battle. Being smart and cunning, Odysseus threw one mans shield on the land. Who hopped of the boat and retrieved his shield. And sure enough he was the first casualty of Hector. Hector was the prince of Troy and the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. Hector was considered the greatest warrior of Troy. He, among the other great warriors, did not approve of the war between the Greeks and Trojans. After a battle, it appeared as if the Greeks were going to lose, but a second wave of their ships arrived. With more men, they started to push back the Trojans until they eventually retreated back to their city walls. – ( Arrival
Around the twelfth to thirteenth century B.C. God intervention caused one of the bloodiest wars in history, the Trojan War. The main characters in this war and the story that comes with it (The Iliad) are Achilles the best fighter on the Greek side and Hector the Trojans best warrior. Hector and Achilles were heroes in the story but they were different types of heroes. Achilles is known as the epic hero because he had supernatural help and characteristics but Hector was the modern hero the regular human hero because he was just human and had no supernatural power or help.
Once the Greeks finally arrived to their destination in Troy, Operation Beachhead comes into play, which is essentially the first battle in the Trojan War. The Greek’s stability status is significant because they needed a reliable location, which is also known as a camp. As they started reaching ashore, the Trojans were preparing their actions. In fact, the first person to die in the battle was because of King Priam’s son, Hector, who stabbed the first person to set foot on the beach. The King of Troy already had a plan set out in which he wanted to take an approach where the Trojans focus on defense, especially away from the city’s walls.
Achilles’, similar to Sakuntala, had to struggle with a curse that was placed on his life. He was told by his mother, Thetis, of his cursed prophecy that he will die in the Trojan war. Even a warrior of his stature fears
Barry Strauss organizes his summary of the Trojan War by referencing Homer 's the Iliad and the Odyssey and compares it to the historical contexts of what he thinks happened. Most scholars agree that the Trojan War dates back around 1200 B.C. during the Bronze Age. The most popular tale of how the Trojan War starts is when Paris, Prince of Troy, goes to visit Sparta to mend relations. In Sparta, Paris is welcomed by Menelaus, King of Sparta and his beautiful wife Helen. According to ancient sources, Menelaus went to Crete for business and foolishly left Helen all alone with Paris (Strauss, 15). Afterward, Helen is seduced by Paris and flees Sparta to accompany him back to Troy, along with bountiful treasures.
Achilles was arrogant, stubborn and he held an overly high view of himself. In his wrath, he alienated himself from not only his allies but also from humanity. “But Achilles weeping went and sat in sorrow apart from his companions” (69; bk.1, ln.348-349). Ignoring the consequences, he still withdrew himself from the war.
The Trojan war was a ten year siege on the city of the city of Troy at the hands of the Greek forces led by a psychopathic king, Agamemnon. This conflict, which took place about 1200 B.C has become one of the most well known Greek mythology events in history. In the 13th century B.C, Troy and Sparta had stopped their wars and become allies, this was until Paris the youngest prince of Troy seduced Helen, the Queen of Sparta and left with her back to Troy. When Menelaos (The King of Sparta) found out what had happened, he vowed
Although this quote is very gory, it shows his taste for fighting and how badly he wants to be great. When Achilles was young he was given the choice from his Mother, Thetis Goddess of the Sea, he could either be a great warrior, have a ton of glory, be remembered for ever but would have to die young, or Achilles could live a normal life, not be a great warrior, or be remembered, but he would live to a ripe old age. This is
“I conjure the boy I knew. Achilles, grinning as the figs blur in his hands. His green eyes laughing into mine. Catch, he says. Achilles, outlined against the sky, hanging from a branch over the river. The thick warmth of his sleepy breath against my ear. If you have to go, I will go with you. My fears forgotten in the golden harbor of his arms. The memories come, and come. She listens, staring into the grain of the stone.We are all there, goddess and mortal and the boy who was both.”
His actions directly cause even more difficulties on his journey home. In Achilles’ case, his pride indirectly influenced the fate of countless Greeks willing to fight against Troy, while he remained pouting. In an article about the Trojan War, Kevin Osborn states, “His tremendous pride caused him at one point to abandon his Greek comrades and quit the war because he felt insulted,” (Osborn). Had Achilles fought sooner, the war would have ended faster, and less lives would have been lost. Yet, as any great hero should be, both these men are terrific fighters. These men do not shy away from any form of combat and have no fear of getting blood on their hands. The real differences between these heroes appears in their methods of enacting violence.
During that entire time, Achilles’ justification for wallowing in self-pity is that he has been “dishonored”. This argument becomes null and void when Agamemnon offers lavish compensation for the affront. In addition to returning Briseis, Agamemnon offers Achilles seven unfired tripods, ten gold bars, twenty burnished cauldrons, a dozen horses, seven beautiful women from Lesbos, twenty Trojan women, his daughters’ hand in marriage along with a rich dowry, and the ownership of seven populous cities. Any reasonable person would have taken the offer but not prideful, bitter Achilles. Instead he continues on with the same old rhetoric and refuses to fight. As if standing idly by while his countrymen were being killed was not enough, Achilles has his mother call in a favor to Zeus asking him to help the Trojans so that even more Greeks would die during his absence. Not only did he abandon his comrades, he actually prayed for them to die because his pride had been hurt.
Achilles is one of the greatest heroes in The Iliad. For example, he has a high social status. Thorough The Iliad, Achilles is the strongest warrior in the Greek army. As the strongest warrior, he has a high social status. Furthermore, he fought in the Trojan war which was the most important war in the book. Although he had not participated all throughout the war when he appeared there were many important happenings. Lastly, he was an honorable individual as stated in the text. Many times Achilles is referred to as honorable by other characters, making him heroic.
Throughout the entire Trojan war, Achilles spent most of his time pouting in his tent after Agamemnon kidnapped his prized maiden, Chryseis. He also lets his best friend, Patroclus, go into battle alone only to die when Hector kills him with his spear. Achilles joins the war when he hears of Patrclus death, but it was not out of bravery; out of guilt, revenge and anger, when he hears of his friend's death. When Achilles kills Hector, he binds his feet to his chariot and drags his body around the walls of Troy. In my opinion this was not an act of heroism. But in the Iliad the Greeks loved Achilles. Achilles was considered half mortal and half God. Achilles has all the characteristics of a heroic warrior on a grand scale, and he possesses more than a common measure of all the merits and all the faults of a hero (Bowra 193). All of Achilles traits and glory are won primarily in battle, which sets Achilles apart from Hector because Achilles knows little about home and family. He has no wife: his father he has not seen in years; his mother, even though she helps him but he cannot help her and she isn't even a human being (Bowra 194).
Achilles, having been a famed and valiant soldier, was sought after and loved by all, except his adversary Agamemnon. He was a prominent warrior known for his great strength that actually caused the Acheans to win many battles. But what was it that caused Achilles to be such a hero? Consider the definition for the word, “hero.” A hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” This gallant warrior is all three of these points in the definition, plus more. Achilles’ honorable attitude for his loved ones, bravery in times of adversity, and as the definition states, “outstanding achievements” make him a hero beyond recognition.
Eventually, Achilles refused to fight in the Trojan War because of Agamemnon’s dishonor. He asked his mother to help him punish the Greek; he wanted to see the army to suffer; and he wanted the Greek to be killed. All of those happened just to protect his excessive pride. He was only concerned about his honor, but the Greek or the lives of others (Homer 240). His selfishness and egotism was illustrate best when the Greeks asked him to return to the army. After being defeated by the Trojan, King Agamemnon had to ask Achilles to go back and fight for the sake of the army. Achilles decided to reject the offer, and abandoned the need of the Greek. He reasoned how his pride was not honored; how many of the battles that he has won; and how good he
Achilles is the son of Peleus, who is the king of Myrmidon. He was the fearless, striking, and a substantial warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan war. In Greek mythology, Achilles is notorious for having a preference between a long and peaceful life, or a quick life that will guide him to eternal glory. He states that, “There are no covenants between sheep and wolves, nor between you and me” (Achilles). Achilles had a desire for glory, when it came to the battlefield, but he was fierce and short tempered when it came to Agamemnon. He had superhuman strength, that brought out a sign of worry for the individuals that were on his team. He possessed resistance to injury due to his semi saintly birth.