war... inevitable
After Priam had warmed to his son's new wife, he welcomed her and swore to
protect her as long as she asked for it. When the Greeks came to Troy, she had
the protection of all of Troy.
Odysseus, known for his eloquence, and Menelaus were sent as ambassadors to
Priam. They demanded Helen and the stolen treasure be returned. Priam refused,
and Odysseus and Menelaus returned to the Greek ships with the announcement that
war was inevitable.
The first nine years of the war consisted of both war in Troy and war against
the neighboring regions. The Greeks realized that Troy was being supplied by its
neighboring kingdoms so Greeks were sent to defeat these areas. As well as
destroying the Trojan economy, these battles let the Greeks gather a large
amount of resources and other spoils of war, including women (e.g., Briseis,
Tecmessa and Chryseis).
The Greeks won many important battles and the Trojan hero Hector fell, as did
the Trojan ally Penthesilea. However, the Greeks could not break down the walls
of Troy. Patroclus was killed and, soon after Achilles was felled by Paris.
Helenus, son of Priam, had been captured by Odysseus. A prophet, Helenus told
the Greeks that Troy would not fall unless:
a) Pyrrhus, Achilles' son, fought in the war,
b) The bow and arrows of Hercules were used by the Greeks against the Trojans,
c) The remains of Pelops, the famous Eleian hero, were brought to Troy, and
d) The Palladium, a statue of Athena, was stolen from Troy.
Phoenix persuaded Pyrrhus to join the war. Philoctetes had the bow and arrows of
Hercules, but had been left by the Greek fleet in Lemnos because he had been
bitten by a snake and his wound had a horrendous smell. Philoctetes was bitter,
but was finally persuaded to join the Greeks. The remains of Pelops were gotten,
and Odysseus infiltrated Trojan defenses and stole the Palladium.
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