Troy — who is who in the mythic saga
Many people will have heard of the Trojan War. But who were the protagonists and what roles did they play? Here's more about Paris, Helen, Achilles and the other heros in this Greek saga.
Paris, the judge
Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, sent his messenger Hermes to ask Paris, the Trojan king's son, to choose — by handing her an apple — the goddess he felt was the most beautiful: Hera, Athena or Aphrodite. Paris decided on the latter, which didn't sit well with the other two. They swore eternal revenge on him and his native Troy.
Helen, the cause of war
Aphrodite had promised Paris Helen of Sparta, thought to be the most beautiful woman in the world, as a gift for choosing her above the other godesses. Paris traveled to Sparta, fell in love with Helen (played by Diane Kruger in the 2004 movie "Troy"), and although she was married to Menelaus, King of Sparta, abducted her to Troy. Which occasioned the Trojan War.
Agamemnon, Greek commander-in-chief
Enraged, Menelaus' brother Agamemnon, supreme commander of the Greeks, sailed for Troy. A calm sea slowed the ship down, so Agamemnon decided to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess of the hunt, Artemis — whom he had offended by killing a hind that was sacred to her. At the last moment Artemis showed mercy and laid a hind on the altar in place of Iphigenia.
Priam, the last King of Troy
"I, wretched man that I am, had the bravest men in all Troy for my sons, and there is not one of them left," lamented Priam, King of the fabled city of Troy. Whether the city ever existed or whether it is just a myth remains controversial to this day. The legendary ancient Greek writer Homer made it famous in his epic poem "Iliad," which describes a ten-year war that destroyed Troy.
Achilles, almost invincible
Achilles was the greatest of the Greek warriors — he of the world-famous heel that was the only vulnerable part of his body. Achilles and Agamemnon successfully fought the Trojan War. In the end, however, Paris shot an arrow at his only weak spot, and Achilles died.
Odysseus, the crafty warrior
At first, this hero didn't want to get involved. But as an ally of the King of Sparta, Odysseus — also known as Ulysses — had no choice, so he joined the Trojan War and became a celebrated warrior known for extraordinary guile. His homeward journey is famous. It's a ten-year odyssey with all manner of adventures, immortalized in Homer's "Odyssey" — and in a 1954 film starring Kirk Douglas.
Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons
As the battle for Troy intensified, Penthesilea rushed to rescue the Trojans. She was the queen of the Amazons, beautiful but militant women both feared and worshipped. Few men stood a change against them. Achilles, however, succeeded in killing Penthesilea — only to fall in love with her after taking off her helmet.
The Trojan Horse
The legendary wooden horse trumps all the other protagonists. After a ten-year siege of Troy, the Greeks built a gigantic hollow wooden horse, hid soldiers inside and placed it at the city gates. The unsuspecting Trojans pulled the contraption in — and were duly overwhelmed by the Greeks.