Trojan War

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 10th grade March 2002

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The Trojan War took place over 3,000 years ago, when Ancient Greeks didn't call themselves Greeks yet. The war was between and the city and allies of Troy and the Greek city-states. Legend has it, that the three goddesses, Aphrodite (Goddess of Love), Athena (Goddess of Wisdom) and Hera (Queen of the gods) had a dispute. They all proclaimed themselves as the most beautiful of Gods and they decided they would have a beauty pageant to find out who was the most beautiful. They selected Paris, who was the son of Priam, the King of Troy, as the judge.

All three of the goddesses decided they wanted to win the pageant even by prophecy. They all bribed him. Hera promised him the absolute rule over Europe and Asia, Athena offered to make him the bravest and wisest warrior in the world. He disregarded the offers from Hera and Athena because Aphrodite, being the goddess of love, offered him something he couldn't resist.

She offered him the most beautiful woman in the world, who was Helen of Sparta. Helen at the time was married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta.

Weeks after the promise by Aphrodite, he finally went to Sparta to visit Menelaus and Helen. There they had dinner. When Menelaus was out, he stole Helen from Menelaus and took her to his home in Troy at the time. (Many other versions say that Paris persuaded Helen to go with him to Troy!) When Menelaus found out, he was out for revenge. He desperately wanted Helen back. He asked the rest of the Greek city-states for help to avenge the capturing of his beautiful wife. Before long, he received one thousand ships to sail in his favor.

Artemis, a god, was upset that a Greek had slain...