[0:13]2,800 years ago, a blind poet known as Homer would produce two of the greatest works that Western civilization would ever see. Regarded as one of the most influential authors of all time, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey would tell the tales of Odysseus and Achilles, of Paris and Helen, with their names echoing throughout the ages.
[0:59]Long ago, when monsters roamed the earth, a rich and powerful kingdom set across the sea from the great cities of Athens and Sparta. Its name was Troy, with its famous walls said to be indestructible, having been built by the gods themselves.
[1:20]The city was ruled by King Priam and Queen Hecuba, who were deeply loved and respected by their people, with Priam having 50 sons and 50 daughters during his reign. The most admired of them would be Prince Hector, Troy's greatest warrior. The eldest son of Priam, Hector was a brave and honorable warrior, second only to Achilles in combat. Devoted to his homeland and committed to his family, Hector loved none more than his wife Andromache and his son Astyanax, for whom he would sacrifice anything to protect. The sister of Hector, Cassandra would be the least fortunate of Priam's children. She would once catch the eye of the god Apollo, who would give her the gift of prophecy in his attempts to seduce her. But when she rejected the God, he would curse Cassandra in a jealous rage, making it so none would ever believe her prophecies. Finally, there would be Paris, the brother of Hector and Cassandra, who would be raised away from his family. Before his birth, Hecuba received a prophecy, revealing that her unborn son was destined to bring destruction to Troy. But unable to kill the child herself, she instructed a local shepherd to complete the task. But just like Hecuba, the shepherd could not harm the helpless infant, and instead, would raise Paris in secret, a decision that would change the course of history.
[3:11]But the shepherd's misguided generosity would not bring about the prophecy alone. As for Troy to fall, another child needed to be born. Across the seas in the city of Sparta, Zeus, the king of the gods, had fallen in love with Queen Leda. Transforming himself into a magnificent swan, Zeus would lie with the queen, with Leda soon giving birth to two eggs. Out of the eggs would hatch two sons, Castor and Pollux, as well as two daughters, Clytemnestra and Helen, with Helen growing up to become the most beautiful woman in the world. When Helen came of age, almost every man would attempt to win her hand in marriage, with the greatest warriors, richest warlords, and even Greece's princes, traveling great distances to reach Sparta. With Odysseus of Ithaca, Agamemnon of Mycenae, and Ajax of Salamis, all putting themselves forward. Knowing her decision would lead to the rejection of so many powerful men, Helen was worried that bloodshed would likely follow. And so, to try and prevent conflict, Odysseus of Ithaca, made each suitor swear an oath to protect her chosen husband. With the threat of violence now gone, Helen would choose Prince Menelaus of Mycenae, with the two soon marrying and becoming the king and queen of Sparta. Disappointed, her other suitors would peacefully return home. But unknown to them, their oath to defend her chosen husband King Menelaus, an oath they had made to prevent violence, would be the very thing that would draw them into one of the greatest wars the world had ever seen.
[5:18]But high on Mount Olympus, another marriage was taking place. The parents of Achilles, Thetis the goddess of water, and Peleus, king of Phthia, had been invited to Olympus to celebrate their marriage. Hosting a great feast, they would invite all the gods and heroes from across the land. But they would make one exception. For amongst all the gods, there was one who was universally disliked. Eris, the goddess of discord and strife, who brought chaos wherever she went. Hurt that she was not invited to the wedding, Eris would decide to attend anyway, bringing with her a gift that would sow the seeds of conflict amongst the gods. The gift was to be a golden apple, inscribed with one simple phrase, to the most beautiful. She would then throw the apple amongst the goddesses of Olympus, knowing that their vanity would lead to conflict. Soon Hera, Athena and Aphrodite were all fighting, with each claiming the apple should be awarded to them. Unable to decide, they would all turn to Zeus, but Zeus had no desire to upset any of the goddesses, and so decided to give the responsibility to a mortal. The man he chose would be a humble shepherd, known for his fair judgment. A man that was none other than Prince Paris of Troy, who had been raised as a shepherd in his exile. And so the three goddesses would approach Paris, with each offering him a different gift in return for his vote. Hera offered to make him king of Europe and Asia. Athena promised unrivaled skill in war. But Aphrodite, knowing the young man's desires, would promise to give him the most beautiful woman in the world, an offer he could not refuse. With Paris then giving her the apple, Aphrodite would tell him to travel to Sparta, where she would use her magic to make Queen Helen, whose beauty knew no equal, fall in love with him. Following the goddess's instructions, Paris would travel to Sparta and meet with Helen, with the two soon falling in love. Taking Helen's hand, Paris and his men would fight through the ranks of Spartan guards, who had been sent to stop her abduction. But it was to no avail, with the two boarding his ship, before making the long voyage back to Troy. Arriving home, Paris would be recognized by his father, King Priam, who welcomed him with open arms. Awede by Helen's beauty, the entire palace would try to catch a glimpse of her, overjoyed to see the new princess of Troy. However, amidst the excitement, there remained two who were concerned with her arrival. Prince Hector was furious with his brother, warning that his naive and lustful actions would bring war to the shores of Troy. But while Hector's words were harsh, it would be his sister Cassandra, who would have the worst reaction. Shrieking in despair, she would prophesize that Helen's arrival would lead to the fall of Troy itself. But as she had been cursed by Apollo, no one would heed her warning, with the Royal guards dismissing her prophecies as mad ravings, and locking her deep within the palace.
[9:08]Arriving back in Sparta from a funeral in Crete, Menelaus was informed that his wife Helen had been abducted, with the ship she was on, heading in the direction of Troy. Enraged, he would raise his armies to attack the Trojans, calling upon all of Helen's suitors to honor their oaths, and join him in the conflict. Men of their words, they would answer his call, and soon the greatest warriors from across Greece, or the Achaeans as Homer would call them, were assembling to return Helen home to Sparta. The first to join Menelaus would be his brother Agamemnon. The most powerful Greek king, Agamemnon would rule over Mycenae, an ally of Sparta, with his kingdom having the most wealth and largest army. And so, when the time of war came, it would be Agamemnon, who would command Greece's mighty fleet. Next to join would be the suitors of Helen, who had pledged their allegiance to defend Menelaus. With the kings Odysseus, Nestor, and Diomedes, all honoring their word. The youngest of the Achaean kings, Diomedes ruled over the city of Argos, second in power, only to Mycenae. A favorite of the goddess Athena, Diomedes was a skilled politician, who was known for bringing wealth and stability to his people. The king of Pylos, Nestor was the oldest of the Greek kings, having lived nearly three generations, thanks to the blessings of the god Apollo. A former Argonaut, Nestor had traveled the world with Heracles, and now offered his years of wisdom and experience to Menelaus, in his quest to retrieve Helen. The last and hardest to recruit would be Odysseus, king of Ithaca, the wisest and most cunning of the Greeks. But although he commanded great respect and power, he was reluctant to send his men to war. And so, when Agamemnon's envoys came to recruit him, he would pretend to be mad, mumbling and raving, while plowing the ground with an ox and horse. Seeing through the deception, one of the soldiers would decide to test his sanity, placing Odysseus's son in front of the plow. Having no choice but to stop, Odysseus would pick up his son, proving he was of sound mind all along. With him then raising his armies to send to Troy. Joining these powerful kings, would be the best warriors Greece had to offer. With Achilles, Patroclus, as well as Ajax the Greater and Ajax the Lesser, all answering the call. Prince of Phthia, Achilles was the greatest warrior to have ever lived, with his support ensuring victory in any conflict. Achilles was invulnerable to attacks, and without his assistance, the conquest of Troy was unthinkable. After his birth, his mother, the water goddess Thetis, would take Achilles to the Underworld, submerging him into the river Styx, whose waters granted immortality. But as she had held him by the foot, the waters would not cover his heel, which would remain the only vulnerable part of his body. Growing up, Achilles would be raised by the centaur Chiron, the teacher of Heracles, with the young man learning music, speechcraft and warfare under his tutelage. But while Achilles would take great pride in his achievements, he was also cursed with a short temper, something that would bring him into conflict throughout his life. While he was studying, his mother Thetis would learn of a prophecy, that her son was destined to travel on only one of two paths. Either he would live a long and peaceful life, dying as an old man without fame, or he would live a short and heroic life, dying a glorious death, with his story becoming legend. And so, when news came that Greece's greatest warriors were gathering to attack Troy, she would do everything she could to protect her son. Dressing Achilles in female clothing, she would send him to Skyros, where he would hide amongst the island's many women. But her plan would take an unexpected turn, as Diomedes, the one sent to recruit Achilles, would be accompanied by none other than Odysseus, the wisest and most cunning of the Greeks. Realizing Achilles was hiding on the island, Odysseus would come up with a plan to reveal him. Arriving with presents for the women, he would begin to hand them out. However, a particular present, a set of armor, would excite one of the women in particular. Odysseus would then sound a war horn, with all the women fleeing except for one, with Achilles taking off his disguise and quickly putting on the armor ready for battle. Exposed by the cunning plan, Achilles would fetch his lifelong friend Patroclus, with the two of them then joining Odysseus and Diomedes on the journey back to Sparta. With the greatest fighters from across Greece now assembled, Agamemnon would command a mighty fleet of hundreds of ships. But as they set sail for Troy, they would find themselves unable to move, with the waters having calmed, and the ocean's winds having ceased. For Agamemnon, having killed a sacred deer, had offended the goddess Artemis, who had stolen the winds so he could not set sail. Anxious to reach Troy, Agamemnon would consult a prophet, on how to restore the winds once again. But to restore them, the prophet revealed Agamemnon would have to sacrifice the one who was dearest to him, his eldest daughter, Iphigenia. With thousands of men waiting idle in their ships, Agamemnon's pride could not stand for such a delay. Claiming that Achilles wanted her hand in marriage, Agamemnon would lure his daughter to his camp, with Iphigenia arriving in excitement. With her father waiting for her at the altar, she would begin to walk towards him. However, as she got closer, she realized it was not a wedding altar at all, but rather, a sacrificial shrine, with her father plunging his dagger into her broken heart. With his daughter now laying dead at his feet, Agamemnon had appeased Artemis, who would release the winds from her grasp. Now setting sail, it would not be long until they reached their enemy's mighty city. But awaiting them, would be the greatest army Troy had to offer. The son of Aphrodite and cousin to the Royal family, Aeneas would join the fight to protect his homeland. But Troy would not fight alone, with Priam calling upon his allies, the Lycians and the Amazons, who would come to his aid.
[17:00]Lycia would be led by Sarpedon, the son of Zeus and grandson of Bellerophon, as well as Glaucus, a legendary warrior, who would lead the Lycian armies into battle. They would fight alongside the Amazons, fierce warrior women, led by Penthesilea, a daughter of Ares, who could fight better than almost any man. But while both sides possessed the best warriors and leaders of their age, the gods too would be divided by the war. Still furious they had not been given the apple by Paris, Hera and Athena would choose to support the Achaeans, while Aphrodite, having gifted Helen to the Trojans, would decide to give them her support. The patron of Troy, Apollo would come to the defense of his city, with Poseidon, jealous that the Trojans worshipped Apollo rather than him, after they had both built the city's walls, would decide to join the Achaeans. And finally Ares, lured by the promise of battle, and wanting to best his sister Athena, would join the side of the Trojans, so he could cause as much bloodshed as possible.
[18:25]For nine long years, the Achaeans would attack Troy, wave after wave, failing to break the city's impenetrable walls. But with resources running short, Achilles would lead Greece's armies south, searching for supplies, gold and women. They would first take the island of Lesbos, before landing on the shores of Asia Minor, pillaging all the towns and cities they came across, as they made their way back up to Troy. From the cities of Lyrnessus and Hypoplacia, the Greeks would take many beautiful women as slaves, with Briseis being awarded to Achilles, and Chryseis given to Agamemnon.
[19:16]Two women that would change the course of the war. Having taken Chryseis as a concubine, Agamemnon would fall deeply in love with her. However, her father, a priest of Apollo, was not happy with his daughter being taken as a slave, and so traveled to Agamemnon's camp. He would offer the king gold and silver in exchange for his daughter, but Agamemnon refused the offer, taunting the old man, by pointing at Chryseis chained to his bed. Apollo, disgusted at the way his priest had been treated, would send a plague of arrows upon the Greek armies, refusing to relent until Chryseis was returned home. Agamemnon, having no other choice, would agree to let her go, with Odysseus reuniting Chryseis with her father. But with his concubine now gone, Agamemnon would look to satisfy his desires, turning to Briseis, the slave girl of Achilles. If he would have to go without his prize, then so too would his greatest warrior. Stealing her from his tent, Agamemnon would declare Briseis his own, with Achilles becoming enraged. Demanding her return, Achilles would only be laughed at by the king, causing him to draw his sword in frustration. But as he did so, the goddess Athena would descend from the heavens, holding his arm in place, and warning against such an impulsive action. Heeding the god's advice, Achilles would put down his sword, refusing to serve a king that had treated him with such disrespect. Returning to his tent, the Greek armies would have to fight on without his assistance.
[21:15]For a time, the Greeks would manage to fight on without Achilles, although the losses on both sides, would begin to take their toll. In an attempt to end the war with no further bloodshed, both of Helen's lovers, Paris and Menelaus, would agree to duel, with the victor being declared her true husband. With both armies standing by, Paris and Menelaus would begin their duel, with warriors on each side, anxiously looking on, at the two men that would decide the fate of the war. As swords clashed and crowds cheered, a clear victor was emerging, with Menelaus striking Paris until he fell to the floor. At the very moment Menelaus went to deliver the final blow, Aphrodite, having a fondness for Paris, would appear above them, taking his feeble body, back to his bedchamber, where Helen awaited. Relieved to be alive, Paris would grab onto Helen's robes with tears in his eyes, happy to be with her once again. But Helen, having seen the battle from her window, was not impressed, with the humiliation Paris had suffered, so devastating, that her love for him would begin to wane. Hector too would be embarrassed by his brother's failure. Realizing that the war would continue, he went to bid his family farewell. With his wife and son crying in his arms, he knew this could be the last time he would ever see them, but he had no choice, for Troy to survive, he would have to fight. Emerging from Troy's mighty walls, Hector would rally his men, pushing the Greeks all the way back to their ships, who were no match for him without Achilles's assistance. But even on the verge of defeat, with his men dying around him, Achilles would refuse to join the fight. Taking matters into his own hands, his best friend Patroclus, would put on Achilles's iconic armor, before charging into battle. With it appearing that Achilles had rejoined the fight, fear swept through the Trojan forces, who began to flee back to the safety of the city's walls. Seeing his army crumbling before him, Hector would decide to make a final stand, turning to face Patroclus to save as many of his men as possible. Charging towards him with his sword in hand, he would take one swift blow, striking Patroclus dead. Shocked at the ease with which Greece's finest warrior had been defeated, Hector would crouch down to remove Achilles's helmet. But when Patroclus's face was uncovered, he realized he had not defeated Achilles at all.
[24:26]Seeing the death of Patroclus, the Greek armies would rush to claim his body, fighting off the Trojans as they went. Bringing him back to their camp, Achilles would be distraught when he saw his best friend laying dead before him. Contemplating ending his own life, Achilles could not hold back his anguish, with his mother Thetis coming to comfort him. Seeing her son in such distress, Thetis would go to Olympus, and retrieve a new set of armor from the forge of Hephaestus, placing it on Achilles when she returned. With his new armor equipped, the grief Achilles had felt would now turn to revenge, with the destruction of Hector and Troy, the only things on his mind. Seeing the real Achilles now charging towards him, Hector would begin to run in fear, with him being chased around Troy's walls, three times before he was eventually caught. Unable to run any further, Hector decided to make a final stand, and fight Achilles with honor. Charging at him, Hector would draw his sword, but as he took his final swing, it would miss, with him falling down to the floor. Realizing the end was near, Hector would refuse to beg for his life, and instead, would only request one thing. That Achilles treat his body with respect, so his family could properly mourn his passing. But still enraged at the death of Patroclus, Achilles would plunge his spear into Hector's neck, bringing an end to his life. Tying Hector's legs to the back of his chariot, Achilles would drag his corpse around the city, parading his body for all to see, while Hector's entire family watched from the walls above. It was a sight too much for Hector's father King Priam to bear. As nightfall came, Priam would approach Achilles in his camp, begging at his feet for his son's body to be returned. Moved by the king's words, that reminded him of his own grief after the death of Patroclus, Achilles would give in, and allow Priam to take Hector's body. Arriving back in Troy, the entire city would gather to see Priam's son, mourning for the loss of their great hero. But none would feel the pain more than Hector's wife Andromache and his son Astyanax, who clung onto his body, as it passed through Troy's somber streets. With Hector's death, Homer would mark the end of the Iliad, but for the story of Troy, more tragedy was to come.
[27:39]With Hector now gone, all hope was lost within the city, and with Achilles closing in, it looked like the end was near. Slaughtering the Trojans one by one, he would make his way to the gates of Troy. But as he went to scale the city walls, he would feel a sharp and excruciating pain in his heel. For Paris, guided by the god Apollo, had shot Achilles with a poisoned arrow in the only mortal part of his body. Dropping to the floor, and poison coursing through his veins, Achilles's skin would turn white as snow, with him taking his last and final breath. But Paris would not live long enough to enjoy his victory. For the Greeks, who had seen him shoot Achilles, would hunt him down and take their revenge. With their greatest heroes now gone, each side would fall into despair, especially the Greeks, who saw no way to penetrate Troy's great walls, without the strength of Achilles. But there would be one Greek, who did not give up hope, with Odysseus devising a cunning plan. A plan so ingenious, that its story would echo throughout the ages. Constructing a giant wooden horse, Odysseus would hollow out the inside, making enough room for himself, and a handful of Greece's best warriors to be hidden within. And so, when the next day dawned, the Trojans awoke to find a great horse outside their walls. Seeing the Greek camp dismantled, and their ships sailing off into the horizon, a great cheer erupted throughout the city, celebrating that the war had come to an end. Mesmerized by its beauty, and believing the horse to be a peace offering, the Trojans would decide to bring it within their walls. But there was one who was not fooled by the gift. Cassandra, claiming it was a trap, would urge the Trojans to burn the horse. But once again, she was ignored, with the entire city laughing and ridiculing her for her insanity. But that night, when all were asleep, Odysseus, Menelaus, Diomedes and Ajax, would begin to pour out of the horse. Killing the guards, they would open Troy's gates from within, before signaling with fire, for the rest of the Greek fleet to return. The Trojans would awake to their city ablaze, with Greek warriors flooding through the streets, looting homes, and slaughtering any remaining defenders. With his entire city burning before his eyes, Priam, the king of Troy, would meet his end. With Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, plunging his dagger into the old man's defenseless body. Leaving the king's body amongst his fallen men, Pyrrhus would head to the Royal chambers, where he would find Hector's wife and son. Taking Astyanax from his mother's arms, he would throw the infant to its death from the city's walls, before taking his mother Andromache into slavery, where she would serve as his concubine. After 10 years of war, Troy's famous walls had finally been breached. With its king now gone, and its great heroes defeated, Troy would now lay at the mercy of the Greeks.
[31:35]Of the few Trojans to escape, the most significant would be Aeneas. Leading a small group of survivors out of the burning city, they would cross the Mediterranean, eventually landing on the shores of Italy. Beginning a new life, Aeneas and his followers would populate the land, with his descendants Romulus and Remus, founding a new city called Rome.
[32:42]Finally reunited with Helen, Menelaus would return home to Sparta, where the two would rule as king and queen once again.
[33:52]When their time came, they would pass on to the next world, where they would spend eternity on the isle of the blessed. However, although some were able to return home, and others were able to forge new beginnings, for one hero in particular, a long and dangerous journey awaited. For Odysseus, the most cunning of the Greeks, would have to travel for 10 long years, where he would face the most terrifying creatures known to man. The Odyssey, had just begun.
