| Iliad. Parts of Homer's tale are definitely fiction, according to National Geographic there is no evidence that Helen of Troy ever existed. Many archaeologists are digging deeper and think that the war was not a single event but a series of events. People have found sites that matched Homer's description of Troy in the correct area one place had walls to but they looked like the damage was caused by earth quakes not war. Some other people think that the famous Trojan Horse could have been a metaphor for Poseidon the god of horses, water, and earth quakes. Another ancient city that was found on the cite had evidence of war and siege there were arrow heads in the streets and things like that. It also had walls that looked penetrated but the city did not match the grander of the one in Homer's tale. Both of these cities seemed to have been destroyed around the same time as the Trojan war. One archeologist thinks that Homer might have mashed these two cities together into one tale of an epic war. So the story could have been exaggerated fact. Or true but tweeked. Even though there is no evidence that Helen ever existed the war could have been fought over something else, land. The city of Troy was located on good land near the sea. It would have been a major cross roads and Troy may have gained its wealth by taxing people that came through the sea port. One other theory is that the Greeks may have not even fought the Trojan War it could have been a lesser known group called the Sea Peoples from the area in modern day Italy. Inscriptions from Egypt say that this group was in Troy at the time of the Trojan war. But all of this evidence leads to the conclusion that the trojan war did exist. Many people believe that the Trojan War was just a myth but many people believe that it could be history. There is evidence for both sides of the debate. For instance Troy was a real place and the Greeks and the Trojans did often battle. Homer, an ancient greek historian who lived a couple hundred years after the Trojan War recorded a story called the click http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0514_040514_troy_2.html to be transferred to the site this information was learned from. |
Helen was the daughter of Zeus and no doubt the most beautiful women that ever lived. Some said Helen was even more beautiful than Aphrodite. Every man wanted Helen for a wife because of her beauty. Helen had a mortal mother who had a mortal husband named King Tyndareus. When it became time to marry Helen off the king was worried that people would try and steal her from her husband. The king told all of the suitors that came to court Helen that they must accept the choice he makes and if Helen were ever stolen they would fight at his side. All of the suitors agreed. The king promised Helen's hand in marriage to a prince of Sparta named Menelaus . Helen was married and became queen of Sparta.
Now, let us travel out of Sparta to a place called Thessaly. King Peleus was a favorite of the gods and Zeus promised him Thetis for a wife. They were married and all of the gods and minor gods were invited. When the wedding had began Eris spirit of strife and anger was furious when she did not receive an invitation so she threw down the golden apple of discord and shouted "let the fairest goddess have it". Hera, Athena and Aphrodite bolted to claim the apple. The goddesses got into a heated argument about who is the fairest.(Comment on who you think is the fairest please do not say Snow White) Zeus Called Paris of troy who was said to be the most handsome of men to judge the contest. Hera told him that if she was dubbed fairest he would rule over all of Asia. Athena said if she got the apple she would make him the wisest of all men. But he was most interested in what Aphrodite promised him, The most beautiful women to be his queen. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite. Aphrodite gave little thought to the fact that Helen (the most beautiful women) was married. Word of Helen's beauty spread all over the world and Paris was going to go to troy to receive her from Aphrodite. The Trojans pleaded for Paris to forget Aphrodite's promise because they thought that they would have misfortune. When Paris set sail to steal Helen he found her sewing with her ladies when she looked at him for fear of being captured an arrow of love was shot into her heart and the two love birds eloped to Troy. When they landed in troy all of troy welcomed her pleased that the most beautiful women was now Helen of Troy. King Menelaus was not known for standing idly by so he rounded up all of Helen's old suitors and reminded them of their promise. The Greeks prayed to Athena and left for Troy to reclaim Helen. When the Trojan's refused to give Helen back the Greeks started the Trojan war. |
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