More handpicked essays just for you.
Gender roles in classical age Greece
Gender relationships in ancient greece
Gender roles in classical age Greece
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Although Helen was a major contributing factor of the commencement of the Trojan war, I do not believe she was the lone cause of it. It was the judgement of a beauty contest between three goddesses Athena, Hera and Aphrodite, which had triggered a series of events, that eventually lead to the Trojan war. During this beauty contest, Paris of Troy was to judge the physical appearance of the three greek goddesses. In return of being the favoured beauty, each goddess promised Paris something he desired. The goddess Aphrodite who had made Paris the most appealing offer. She promised him the hand of ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ if he pleased Aphrodite to be the most beautiful as opposed to Athena and Hera. Seeing that the latter would be the most flattering to Paris, he concluded Aphrodite to be the fairest of the three. Keeping her promise, …show more content…
Helen feels apprehensive about leaving Menelaus for Paris, she says “it would be too shameful.” (Iliad, 3.410) and in doing so, she would lose her well maintained reputation in the eyes of all Trojan women. Since Aphrodite is the goddess of love and since Paris fulfills her desire, she must return the favour and unite Helen and Paris. So she further arouses Helen by threatening to“forsake [her] and grow to hate [her] as much as now [she] terribly [loves her]”(Iliad, 3.414-415). This not only frightens Helen, but also instigates her to follow Aphrodite to the bed of Paris and in the process of doing she successfully leaves unseen by the Trojan women. Infuriated that his wife has deserted him for another man, Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon alongside many other greek warriors, decide to take action against all of Troy. The Trojan war between the Greeks and the citizens of Troy escalate quite rapidly, leading to the death of superior figures of Troy and great Greek
In The Iliad the major conflict begins between Prince Paris and the Achaean king Menelaus over Helen. During the war that arises from the attempt to bring back Helen the Achaeans reside in a city nearby and hold captive several women. Chryses asks
People are motivated by many things but love and friendship can completely change a person’s way of living. In the novel, Troy, by Adele Geras a war has begun between two civilizations. The Greeks have waged war upon the Trojans because of their prince of Troy, Paris. A young married woman named Helen decided she would rather be with Paris of Troy then with her own husband, Menelaus of Sparta. Menelaus was distraught and wanted revenge which began The Trojan War. When love and friendship is involved they cause people to make uncharacteristic or rash decisions.
The daughter of Zeus was also described as a “Beauty, terrible beauty! A deathless goddess -so she strikes our eyes” (Homer 133) which made it easy to attract many men’s attention. Most readers come to the consensus that Helen was the cause of the Trojan War making her the antagonist in this story. Originally, she was married to King Menelaus but found love with Paris, the Prince of Troy. Helen was very selfish. She did not think of others in this story or how they would react. Many Trojan families lost good men and gained tremendous sorrow behind her actions that she started to question after she has made it to Troy. Helen loved Paris, but once she arrived at Troy, she started to miss her previous husband. As her regrets began to grow, Troy ended up ultimately falling behind this great tragedy. Within her actions, there was only thought of her love for
The Greek gods were not only intimately involved in the action of the Trojan War, they were also the impetus for the war. Although the overt cause of the war was Paris' abduction of Helen, this act was the result of quarrelling goddesses. The Trojan prince Paris was forced to choose the fairest amongst the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. Each goddess attempted to sway Paris with offerings, and Aphrodite's temptation was Helen; this leads to the war and the immortal alliances that overshadow its mortal activities. The story that the poem implicitly addresses is of the Achaen king Agamemnon and his daughter Iphigenia. The Achaen forces have gathered at Aulis before mounting their attack on Troy when one of Artemis' stags is killed; this, coupled with Agamemnon's boasting of the act, is why "Artemis is offended" (51). In retaliation, the goddess imprisons the troops at Aulis by preventing the wind from powering their fleet. In order to appease the goddess and begin the war, Agamemnon sacrifices his own daughter Iphigenia as "the child" who will become "the victim of Aulis." Although Artemis intervenes and makes Iphigenia one of her priestesses, only the goddess knows that Iphigenia escaped death.
Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in the lives of Greeks and the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice in order to reach their goals. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, a particularly long and bloody war, fought not over boundary disagreements, and not over political conflicts, and not to protect the nation. Rather, it was a war fought to defend the personal honor. The possession of women was important to a man’s standing and honor. Paris’ theft of Helen struck a huge blow to the honor of Menelaus and becomes the initial cause of the Trojan War. Consequently, Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, called upon his brother Agamemnon to gather the Greek forces to launch the war against Paris demanding the return of Helen and reinstating the honor for the king. The war lasted for ten years and cost innumerable Greeks’ lives and brought incurable pain upon their families. To Greek heroes, honor is more important than their life as much as that life would be meaningless without it, and they even willingly sacrifice their lives in order...
This is the first, and only, breach of xenia in all of the Iliad, with good cause. Paris was Menelaus’ guest, but chose to steal Menelaus’ wife and much of his riches instead of honoring xenia as he should have. Paris’ transgression against xenia is what initially agitated Menelaus’. Although this act is not explicitly pictured in the Iliad, the Trojan War is essentially the fallout of Paris’ breach of xenia and without his infraction, many lives would have been spared. It is also worth noting that many, many kings and warlords mobilized a very large part of their power in the pursuit of one man’s wife, which speaks to the prestige of xenia and how much the Danaans valued
Oh no, Helen’s been stolen! Prince Paris has kidnapped Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris was assisted by Aphrodite, who promised him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, as a reward for siding with her during a competition against the goddesses Hera and Athena.
Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. The Spartans refused to return Helen to Sparta so Menelaus persuaded his brother Agamemnon to lead an army against Troy. They fought for nine years but never were able to defeat he main city. The Greeks then built a large wooden horse in which warriors were hidden inside. The Greeks appeared to leave and the horse was left at the front gates of the city. The Trojans brought the horse inside the gates and the other Greeks returned at night. The people hidden inside the horse opened the gates for these Greeks and they destroyed Troy. This war could also have another motive as to who controlled trade through the Dardanelles.
It does not seem to be rooted in his own belief that his brother Paris' actions are worthy of defense, or that Helen is a prize absolutely worth fighting for. In fact, although he feels fraternal affection for his brother, he reviles Paris several times for his selfishness and womanizing that has brought such grief to Troy. To Hecuba, he says "A great curse Olympian Zeus let live and grow in him [Paris], for Troy and high-hearted Priam and all his sons." (VI.334-5) He is angry at Paris, not only for the taking of Helen, but for his hiding from battle, allowing the other men of Troy to die for the trophy that Paris keeps in his bed. "You'd be the first to lash out at another -- anywhere -- you saw hanging back from this, this hateful war. Up with you -- before all Troy is torched to a cinder here and now!" he berates Paris (VI.389-90). And later, in the heat of battle, he cries again: "Paris, appalling Paris! Our prince of beauty -- mad for women, you lure them all to ruin!" (XIII.888-9)
The Trojan War was incited by Paris’ theft of Menelaus’ wife. This is the first, and only, breach of xenia in all of the Iliad, with good cause. Paris was Menelaus’ guest but chose to steal Menelaus’ wife and much of his riches instead of honoring xenia as he should have. Paris’ transgression against xenia is what initially agitated Menelaus’. Although this act is not explicitly pictured in the Iliad, the Trojan War is essentially the fallout of Paris’ breach of xenia and without his infraction, many lives
In book 3 of the Iliad, Paris and Meleanus engaged in a duel meant to determine the outcome of the Trojan war. If Meleanus defeated Paris, Helen would be returned to him and Troy would surrender. If Paris were to defeat Meleanus, Helen would remain his and the Argives would return home in defeat. The battle was left unfinished as Aphrodite intervened and took Paris from the battle grounds before Melanus had a chance to strike a finishing blow.
The Agamemnon picks up with Agamemnon and Menelaus, sons to Atreus, who joined together in the war of Troy after Paris, son of Priam, seduced Helen, wife to Menelaus. Angered by his ruthless man-sacrifices in the war, Artemis required that Agamemnon take the life of his daughter Iphigeneia in order to save the army and fleet o...
Paris’ brother, Hector, told him: "Paris, appalling Paris! Our prince of beauty-mad for woman, you lure them all to ruin." (Book III) Women are not the only ones drawn to ruin by Paris. The whole Trojan army, not to mention the whole city of Troy, was endangered by Paris’ selfishness. Paris is very likely the cause of the Trojan War. His story was told by prophecies before he was born: The prophecies said that he would be the cause of the destruction of Troy. His parents, Priam and Hecuba, left him to die on a mountain when he was a baby, but he was rescued and returned to Troy as a young man. Paris abducted prince Menelaos’ (of Mycenae) wife, Helen, who was said to be the
The suspected start of the war- over the abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta- was caused entirely by a godly conflict over who was the most beautiful- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, was selected to judge. He chose Aphro...
Paris betraying the Trojans because he would not give up Helen which made the Trojans keep fighting is an example of love causing betrayal. Many say that Paris is just being selfish for doing this because he incited a war. Helen was Menelaus’ wife so that made him extremely mad and that is what started the war. Some people even believe that was his strategy. If that is true, it was not very smart and made him look like a dolt.