The Fall of Troy
•Do you think it was right for the Greeks to win their victory through a trick? Explain.
◦I think that the Greek winning through a trick was perfectly fair because it was the Trojans fault that they let their guards down for enough time for the Greeks to think of a plan that was going to be simple to achieve.
•Almost all the Greeks have great difficulty reaching their homes again. Some will even meet with death on their return journey. For some, like Odysseus, it will take them many years to reach their home. Do they deserve these fates? Explain.
◦I think that the Greeks do not deserve these fates because they were trying to get the war over with in order to have a safe home and settle into a peaceful kingdom and not having to worry about someone killing
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Explain.
◦War, in my opinion, should be humane because everyone deserves a fair chance to become a victor in a fair way. Never giving up or never showing mercy is no longer being a ruthless war adventurer, it’s being a murderous, blood thirsty monster.
•Should Philoctetes have killed Pyrrhus? Would his death have changed anything? Explain.
◦I think that when Philoctetes did not kill Pyrrhus was a greater impact than if he were to kill him because then if he decided to kill Pyrrhus, he would have been going against his original statement in towards Pyrrhus that murder was only a blood thirsty act of a beast, and by killing him, it would have ruined his reputation around the camp and it would also put a heavy blanket of guilt on his conscious.
•Philoctetes says that Greece fell along with Troy, what does he mean?
◦Philoctetes meant that when Odysseus and the Greeks hid inside the horse, it was an unfair approach for war and to finish out the Trojans, not only that, but the Greeks were killing innocent women and children in the war and does not count as a true, noble move.
Searching for Odysseus
•What does Telemachus learn on his
Themistocles contribution to the defence of Greece was more significant than any other Greek individual. To what extent do you agree?
We learned many lessons from this epic battle. One lesson is that no matter what the number of the enemy is, solid tactics by a smaller force can still devastate a much larger enemy. Another lesson is that a smaller force using the terrain to their advantage could hold off the enemy and even possibly win the battle. We all know war is never fair, but the third lesson we can learn from this is that betrayals can always occur and to always be prepared for an attacking flank. Unfortunately, this was considered a bad thing for the Greeks, because it worked out in favor of the Persians. These lessons have occurred many times throughout history and will continue past our present day. We can learn from these and should apply them to all future engagements.
Imagine leaving your wealth, home, family, and even country behind for twenty years. While away, people will inevitably attempt to steal your possessions, seduce your spouse, and act as though you will never return. Most likely, more people will try to harm your estate than those who will continue working and behaving in an honest manner. This notion holds true in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. While Odysseus wages war and struggles to return to Ithaka , a multitude of suitors court his wife and live at the cost of his possessions. On the other hand, a few people like Eumaios remain steadfast to the truth and work to maintain Odysseus’ estate and possessions. Eumaios, Odysseus’ swineherd, embodies compassion, love, and loyalty.
...t all the Trojan men will be fighting for their beloved Troy, too keep her from tumbling. The Trojans had no choice except to fight. They had to use violence to achieve the goal of the people. They must use all the power in their mights to defend their only home. If they don't they will exhibit a weakness, in which the Greeks will then take for granted. Violence, once again, is a necessity in reaching a common goal of a city that is under attack.
The book written by Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, contains two controversial debates between distinguished speakers of Athens. The two corresponding sides produce convincing arguments which can be taken as if produced as an honest opinion or out of self-interest. The two debates must be analyzed separately in order to conclude which one and which side was speaking out of honest opinion or self-interest, as well as which speakers are similar to each other in their approach to the situation.
In the years following the Persian Wars in 479 B.C., Athens had come out on top being the most dominantly powerful of any Greek city with a navy that had superior strength that increased day by day. The Athenians “ruled with heavy-handed, even brutal force as well as with reason” (Kagan 2). This was due largely to the fact that Athens had a stable and effective government, which only increased their advantage in proving themselv...
drive to conquer the Trojan army with or without the aid of Achilles. In doing
Homer’s The Odyssey is not just a tale of a man’s struggle on his journey home from the Trojan War, but of his struggle from the consequences of revenge. The Odyssey weaves in different characters’ tales of revenge from the gods and what impact revenge actually had on those characters. Revenge is an important underlying theme in The Odyssey because, in essence, it explains why Odysseus’ journey was so prolonged and treacherous. A few examples of revenge in the poem include Orestes’ revenge on Aegisthus, Zeus’ revenge on Odysseus and his men, and Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the gods’ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus.
didn’t rush into battle to almost certain death, the Greeks however, live by a different set
An interesting and important aspect of this Greek notion of fate is the utter helplessness of the human players. No matter the choice made by the people involved in this tragedy, the gods have determined it and it is going to come to pass. T...
Yet, the Trojans refused to surrender to the Greeks. They would rather die, than be under the control of Agamemnon, and see their city taken over. The American soldiers are in a very similar situation when battling in a small French town during WWII. The few American troops decide to fight against the several tanks and many German troops coming their way even though they know they won’t likely make it home alive. These American soldiers, like the Trojans, would rather die fighting for their nation than surrender to the enemy, and be taken alive. Ironically, this is what ends up happening on both fronts. The Trojans end up losing the war with many casualties. Although the Americans didn’t lose WWII, most of the men lost their lives while trying to defend this town in an attempt to keep the Germans from advancing.
Odysseus understands the fact that these men have been away from their families for too long. Which is why he add...
There are times in history that something will happen and it will defy all logic. It was one of those times when a few Greek city/states joined together and defeated the invasion force of the massive Persian Empire. The Greeks were able to win the Greco-Persian War because of their naval victories over the Persians, a few key strategic victories on land, as well as the cause for which they were fighting. The naval victories were the most important contribution to the overall success against the Persians. The Persian fleet was protecting the land forces from being outflanked and after they were defeated the longer had that protection. While the Greeks had very few overall victories in battle they did have some strategic victories. The Battle of Thermopylae is an example of a strategic success for the Greeks. The morale of the Persian army was extremely affected by the stout resistance put up by King Leonidas and his fellow Spartans. The Greeks fought so hard against overwhelming odds because of what they were fighting for. They were fighting for their country and their freedom. They fought so hard because they did not want to let down the man next to them in the formation. Several things contributed to the Greeks success against the Persian invasion that happened during the Second Greco-Persian War.
... and their efforts paid off because the Greeks were able to win their independence.
It turns out that the Persians were retreating for good, and the battle had concluded. The late September seas were too rough, the sailing season was coming to an end, and Xerxes did not want to take the risk of losing any more triremes, and, or, troops. The Greek underdogs had done it. Although they did not understand the significance of that day at the time, it was one of the most important days in history, and significantly changed the course of the world we live in today.