Black Ships Before Troy 5tuu

The Golden Apple           

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In the wedding of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and a sea nymph Thetis, Thetis of the Silver Feet, Eris, the goddess of discord, tossed down a golden apple “to the fairest”. Same time, a prince, Paris, was born and abandon in the wilderness because of a prophecy. A herdsman carried the baby home and raised him as his own. When Paris grew up, he married Oenone, a wood nymph. One day, Paris met the three goddesses, who were still arguing about the golden apple, asked Paris who the fairest is. Hera, Queen of the gods. Athena, the Goddess of wisdom. Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty. Paris, who likes women, chose Aphrodite who offers the most beautiful woman in the world to him. His mom recognized him when he came back to Troy. One day, Paris heard about the prettiest women in the world who is going to marry. He want to “take a look” at the lady, Princess Helen, called the Helen of the Fair Cheeks, to King Menelaus of Sparta. But they fall in love in the first sight. Helen decided to go with Paris “left her lord and her babe and her honor”.

Foreshadowing – “So Paris had the bride that Aphrodite had promised him, and from that came all the sorrow that followed.”

Ship-Gathering  

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When Menelaus found out that Paris stole his wife, Menelaus got really angry at Troy so he sent word of the wrong done to Agamemnon, High King over all the other kings of Greece. “And from golden Mycenae of the Lion Gate where Agamemnon sat in his great hall, the call went out for men and ships. To ancient Nestor of Pylos, to Thisbe, where the wild doves croon, to rocky Pytho, to Ajax the mighty, Lord of Salamis, and Diomedes of the Loud War Cry whose land was Argos of the many horses, to the cunning Odysseus among the harsh hill of Ithaca, even far south to Idomeneus of Crete, and many more.” So the kings are preparing for conquer of Troy, whose prince had carried her away. In the army of Agamemnon, a war-leader was missing. Going back to the time before Paris was born; Thetis of the Silber Feet had given a son, Achilles, to King Peleus. The gods had promised that if she dipped the babe in the Styx, which is one of the rivers of the underworld, the sacred water would proof him against death in battle. But she held on to his one part of the foot. When Achilles was old enough, he was sent to Thessaly with an older boy, Patroclus. But now, when Agamemnon summons him, his mother sent him secretly to the Isle of Scyros, being one of the daughters of King Lycomedes.

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Eventually, Thetis’ plan failed because the soothsayer says that they could not take Troy without Achilles. Odysseus turns to be a trader and scared the princesses, included Achilles, away. The princess all coming out running, choosing what they want the most, which Achilles picks up a sword of bronze. Instantly, the spell that his mother had set upon him dissolved away. Achilles chose to be “short life and long frame”. Agamemnon gave him fifty ships and Patroclus, friend of Achilles, send him to war.

Quarrel with the High King               

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The sailing of Greek is not easy; they met storms and enemy fleet. They set a race of who get to the shore first and the ship of Prince Protesilaus won. An arrow from Trojan kills Protesilaus in the throats. Irony: “The first of the Greeks to come ashore, the first man to die in the long war for Troy.” The Greeks were badly prepared, but still conquer a piece of plain near the shore of Troy. Greeks build their camp along the coastline and live in it “year after year of war went by” nine years. The Trojan was ruled by old king and old councilor, remained in the city behind the wall. Hector, a war-leader and king’s son, has the ability to attack the Greek camp, but he doesn’t want to. The Greeks stole food to eat and fair women for slave from the city along the shore. The Greeks capture two beautiful maiden, Chryseis for Agamemnon and Briseis to Achilles. Chryseis’ father begs for her daughter back, but gets refuse and cruel insults. Soon after, fever come to Greeks’ camp and killed many of the soldiers. Agamemnon asks the soothsayer Calchas what happen and Calchas told him that Apollo is angry at the act of Agamemnon. Agamemnon gets so angry at it and that he swore if he releases Chryseis, he would have Briseis out from Achilles’ hall in her place. Athena put the thought that no man might fight the High King and that all manner of evils would come of it if he did. Achilles called Agamemnon a greedy coward with the face of a dog and the heart of a deer. “It is small part you play in the fighting, but you take other men’s prizes from them when the fighting is over, robbing them of the reward and the honor that is rightfully theirs – for this one reason, that you have the power to do it, because you are the High King!” Agamemnon agree with what Achilles says “the High King”. With insult from Agamemnon, Achilles decides not to fight in the war. At last, Agamemnon decides to return Chryseis to his dad in the ship that is commended by Odysseus. When Briseis was weeping away, Achilles shows no emotion.

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When Briseis was gone, he went down to the cold seashore and flung himself down upon the tide line and wept his heart away. When his mother heard the grief of Achilles, she rose from the water and asked her son to tell her “the darkness”. Achilles demand his mom to tell Zeus to make Greek lose and that Agamemnon will give him honor and beg for his return. Thetis promise to do so, but Zeus was absent about some matter in the foremost part of his world, and it must be done after his return. Achilles waits in his ship for twelve days. Odysseus had returned Chryseis to her dad and Apollo is no longer angry at them. But still, Briseis was still keeping in the hall of Agamemnon and Achilles was angry at his dad.

Single Combat          

When Zeus returned, Thetis begs him to bring a victory to Trojan so that they think Achilles is important. Zeus promises Thetis about this. That night, Zeus sent a false dream to Agamemnon. In the dream, Nestor, an old councilor, told Agamemnon that he will win the battle to Troy the next day he attacks. When Agamemnon wakes up, he was happy about the dream, but on the other hand he doesn’t really believe his dream. Agamemnon commands his army to attack Troy. In the battle field, Paris challenged the Greek by saying that he will return Helen. But if Trojans win, Greeks will return to the seaway without Helen. Menelaus and Paris agree this and fight. Aphrodite helps Paris to some back to the palace without hurting him. Helen gets mad at Paris and wanted to go back to Greece and her own people. Aphrodite makes a spell to Helen so she will stay and that the goddess will not break her promise to Paris.