Could a war become too harsh on the enemy? The Trojan war is a war that has been talked about for thousands of years due to the major effects that it caused on the entire human population at that time. The severity of this war caused numerous kingdoms to fight and the gods to intervene. Heroes left their legacies through this war. Knowing this, there are continuous studies on what caused this war, who fought in it, or even why did the gods choose sides against their own people.
Many things such as trade disputes, border changes, or even disrespectful acts can cause a war. The Trojan War had many causes that are still known today. “In Greek tradition, the Trojan War began as a way for Zeus to reduce the ever-increasing human population, and as an expedition to reclaim Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon, the greatest king among the Greeks. Helen was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris, as his prize for choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in a competition with Athena and Hera. Menelaus and the Greeks wanted her back and wanted to avenge Trojan impudence”. (Dargay) This epic story has many other causes but Homer told the stories of men fighting for their manhood and pride, making it a more interesting book. Through Paris’s pride and the choices that he made, he would lead to the destruction of the kingdom that he loved.
Should a god intervene with human affairs? The Trojan War was one of the many times that the gods felt the need to assist certain heroes; however, this war was special. The gods choose sides to fight against each other. The choosing of sides meant that the soldiers would disobey certain immortal gods. Apollo, Zeus, Aphrodite, Athena, and Poseidon mainly aided the Trojans. Hera, Athena, and Thetis favored the Greeks. The Gods used their powers to lure the humans into fighting each other. (Adams, J) The humans started to become too unruly so this war was used to lower the population of the world. Were the humans really that bad or did the gods take it out of proportion? There had never been this much turmoil since Chaos occurred. The amount of turmoil between the mortals and the immortals caused a strained relationship. The immortals chose their favorite humans because they saw the potential for the future of the world and the continuation of the humans’ reverence of the gods’ control over what happened in their lives. Humans attributed every life event that happened whether it was good or bad. This acknowledgement meant that there was rage set down upon the battling kingdoms. This rage was so powerful that it even set the stage to leave a notorious hero in difficult troubles for ten years.
Many actions set the glorious gods apart. Some gods had favor over others but why would Zeus promise the defeat of Troy? Was it because he understood the inevitable when the Trojans were surrounded yet still fighting to the last boy? The gods showed the human emotions of anger, lust, and pride. While the people fought, the gods were giving each side disadvantages to try to promote their agenda for which they wanted to win in battle. When Zeus said that Troy was going to die, the Trojan society was surely taken aback from this proclamation and in turn changed almost instantly. The people from this elegant established society had been used to being safe, thriving with trade, and having the best archers arguably that the world had ever seen. The gods were not particularly virtuous when it came to the affairs between the Trojans and the Greeks. Their lack of virtue was apparent in the act of the gods encouraging the Trojans and the Greeks fight in an unending war for over a decade. The Trojan War left children fatherless, scarcity in food, and even the armies leaderless at times. The gods did not show mercy on anyone and as a result, many of the people took issue with these deities. Odysseus was one man who had issues with Zeus, Poseidon and even Helios because of their lack of morals and justification for the death and destruction of this city(Progex, C). These gods ransacked one of the most religious cities in the world. Even though the gods caused many trials and tribulations, heroes arose from the chaos.
An epic wouldn’t be an epic without a great list of heroes. Hector, Achilles, Paris, Agamemnon and Odysseus are arguably the most important people in this war. Hector was the first son of the Trojan king Priam.(Jarus, Owen He led one of the most prestigious armies in the world and had never lost a battle. Achilles, son of Theitis, was such a great fighter that legend has it that he was dipped into the River Styx, an underground river in Hades, as a baby which made him immortal over his entire body with the exception of his heel. (Homer) Paris is the second son of Priam and it was thought Zeus cursed him at birth because he would lead to Troy’s destruction. Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae. Born into a royal family he was handed the greatest gifts and had a very big sense of pride. Odysseus was a commander in a Greek army who was single handedly known for making sure that Achilles fought in this war. The political structures during the time of the Trojan War put the military in a very high regard which afforded them with great power. The common people, because of the level of protection that was provided thus treated the military like royalty. Women were often treated as property and given to soldiers as a prize. Achilles wanted a maiden for his prize that Agamemnon wanted to keep as a sex slave for the soldiers. Due to Agamemnon’s attempt to demonstrate control, the troops began to realize that the king was just there because of his pride, which made them not want to fight for him. They no longer viewed him as a good leader, which led to the demise and almost defeat of the Greeks.
When looking at the different aspects of the war, a secure border was the pride of Troy. Troy was an impenetrable city-state that was self-sufficient. There were farms and even smaller communities outside of the walls. While the war went on, women and children used the grain produced in the fields to make bread for the soldiers. This meant that the women and children were the backbone of the Trojan society. Women were treated with equal power as their spouses in this society so when Hector’s wife, who was born into a royal family, shared her dislike for Helen the people had to listen (Houser, Emily).. The people of Troy understood that Helen was the cause of the war and Hector’s wife wanted her out. Their subsequent actions took place at times where they could not prevent war.
Hector played an important role in the conflicts that arose during the war, just as his wife did. Hector killed Achilles cousin. Achilles was a man full of rage that kept his morals. If any person or god went against his morals he would be very angry. Once Hector killed his cousin, Achilles was distraught. This rage filled demi-god then fought and killed the young prince. This duel left the Trojan army without a leader. Hector’s body was strapped to a chariot and was dragged to the Greek camp. Priam was guided by Hermes to get his son’s corpse back. After understanding the severity of a proper burial ritual, Achilles gave Hector’s body back to Priam and made sure that the king had a safe return to his city.
This epic war is still one of the most studied and talked about wars of all time. The many battles, armies, and heroes are still known today. Every known continent was present in this war and many people came from all over to aid one of the sides. This men and women contributed in something so dramatic, while not knowing the real severity of the situation. People lost morals and regained them. Some felt so strong on morals that they would even kill someone for going against what they believed. This war was so outrageous that the Gods had to leave Mount Olympus and intervene. While the gods told the mortals what to do, the people were killing each other off. The loss of many lives resulted in the lowering of the human population which is what Greek mythology states is the reason why Zeus wanted the war. Another benefit of the war for Greece was the beginning of an era of greatness that resulted from trade routes being opened around the Asia Minor area.
Did Paris really think that stealing Helen would lead to the death of his motherland? Why would the king of the gods curse Troy? The Trojans became too unruly and the Gods realized it. Due to the disrespect that the young prince caused on every island of Greece, the gods felt the need to intervene. Zeus wanted to not only prune the population but he also wanted to restore Greece to its glory. The numerous battles, the many lives lost, and the legacies destroyed help us understand that people will go above and beyond for something that they want and something that they believe in. There is a reason that this war has been discussed for so long and will still be discussed for hundred of years to come. People study the greats from this epic because they were so focused on the main goal of winning. That focus caused them to commit certain acts that they would never do under normal circumstances. The importance of this war and the causing factors is what makes this story the Epic of Troy.