The Beginning
In order to get God’s favor, a woman named Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, was sacrificed before the trojan fleet was to set sail. After her ritual death, it was written that one thousand ships sailed off in search of Troy.
First, the fleet headed to Mysia because they thought that Helen was taken by Teucrians. However, Teucrians denied the accusations and refused the Greeks entry into the city. Greek army had then laid a siege of the city. (Herodotus)
Many battles were fought during the siege but at the end, the Greeks prevailed. However, Helen was not there and the Greek’s fleet had to return home due to very low supplies. Even though one thousand ships set out, only 100 had remained to make the journey back.
To Troy
Eventually the Greek army set out once again, this time for the city of Troy. The city of Troy, however, had many allies. So, in order to uproot support for Troy, the Greeks strategy was to fight all neighbors who helped Troy to withstand their attacks. This strategy brought devastation.
During the battles against Troy's unbreakable walls, however, the Trojan hero Hector was killed, as well as Patroclus. Many more battles without much success lead the Greeks, who were now becoming desperate, to ask prophets and religious figures to tell them how to gain victory.
The prophet Helenus said that Troy would not fall unless Achilles' son, Pyrrhus, fought in the war.
Even with the help of Pyrrhus, however, things were not looking good. It was from this time that the phrase "Pyrrhic Victory" came about. It's meaning is a victory that costs the winner so much that it was not worth fighting to begin with.
Trojan Horse Victory
Troy’s wall withstood even more attacks. Both Odysseus and Athena came up with the famous war plan involving a giant wooden horse. After The Trojan Horse was built, Greek troops got inside the horse and it was brought to the gates of Troy.
Meanwhile, the Greek’s fleet sailed away so that Troy defenders would be deceived even further about their true plans. After Greek army departure, they left the Trojan Horse and one Greek, whos name was Sinon, behind.
Sinon pretended to be upset with the Greeks and insisted that the Trojans bring the horse into the city as a symbol of luck and their victory. In celebration, the Trojans dragged the wooden horse into Troy.
The same night, Greek troops were able to get out of the Trojan Horse and kill all of cities important defenders and warriors during their night raid with very little resistance.
To this day, the wooden horse remains a symbol, not of luck, but of treachery and deceit.
Site Sources
Elkin, Sam. Search for a Lost City; the Quest of Heinrich Schliemann. New York: Putnam, 1967. Print.
Gerber, Carole. The Trojan War. Columbus, OH: SRA/McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.
"History of the Trojan War." Stanford University. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html>.
Kreis, Steven. "Trojan War Resources." The History Guide -- Main. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. <http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/troy.html>.
Strauss, Barry S. The Trojan War: a New History. London: Arrow, 2008. Print.
"Was There a Trojan War?" Archaeology Magazine. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. <http://www.archaeology.org/0405/etc/troy.html>.
Wood, Michael. In Search of the Trojan War. [S.l.]: BBC DVD, 2004. Print.
World History Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Littell. Print
Elkin, Sam. Search for a Lost City; the Quest of Heinrich Schliemann. New York: Putnam, 1967. Print.
Gerber, Carole. The Trojan War. Columbus, OH: SRA/McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.
"History of the Trojan War." Stanford University. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html>.
Kreis, Steven. "Trojan War Resources." The History Guide -- Main. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. <http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/troy.html>.
Strauss, Barry S. The Trojan War: a New History. London: Arrow, 2008. Print.
"Was There a Trojan War?" Archaeology Magazine. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. <http://www.archaeology.org/0405/etc/troy.html>.
Wood, Michael. In Search of the Trojan War. [S.l.]: BBC DVD, 2004. Print.
World History Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Littell. Print