A Brief Overview of the Trojan War

The City of Troy, depicted in the poem the Iliad, by Greek poet Homer. The city of Troy was involved in one of the greatest wars of all time the Trojan War. The ruler of Troy at that time was King Piram. How long Piram's rule lasted is not exactly know, but they expect he died toward the end of 1240 B. C. Piram lived a some what good life. His palace was two stories high. And would have been as big as 100 by 50 feet. On the ground floor their was a large hall called a "megaron," with a large fire place in the middle. Around the hall were storerooms, domestic quarters, and workshops. The kingdom of Troy was actually a very wealthy, strong, and well established kingdom. Troy was ruled by a hierarchy. The chart below shows the status of the people in Troy.

King

Aristocrats, Priests, Warriors

Administrators and Traders

Craft Workers and Herders

Laborers and Peasants

Women

Slaves and Captives

According to Homer's Iliad the war started when King Priam of Troy told his son , Paris to choose which of the three goddess was the most beautiful: Hera, Aphrodite, or Athene. Paris chooses Aphrodite. In return of the favor, Aphrodite helps Paris to kidnapp Helen, the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Then Menelaus and the other Greek leaders declare war on Troy, to regain their honor and to rescue Helen. But scholars say the real reason of the start of the Trojan War was because Greeks arguing with the Trojans about trade issues. Either way Troy was reduced into rubble. According to Virgil's(another Greek poet)Aeneid, the Trojan War ended when the Achaeans constructed a huge wooden horse and left it outside of Troy's city walls. The curious Trojans took it into the city. That night, Achaean soldiers hiding in the horse jumped out, opened the gates, and let their army come in to Troy. Caught off guard, the Trojans were defeated and their city destroyed. But today scholars think the Trojan Horse is a myth.