Who Is to Blame for the Trojan War BY emjubu20014 Who is to Blame? The Trojan War; one of the longest and most remembered war in the history of Greek mythology. Millions of people died, families were broken and a few people were to blame for this. In the novel The Firebrand, by Marion Zimmer Bradly, a Trojan princess, by name of Kassandra, has been given the gift of foresight. She foresees the Greek ships on the waters of Troy approximately twenty years before they are there. It was then that she met Apollo and was claimed as his.
She goes to meet Penthesilia, queen of the Amazons, and lives with them for a while. When she goes back to Troy, she brings Hector’s wife, Andromache, back with her. Then the classic (with a few twists) myth of the Trojan War is told. But everyone seems to blame Helen or Paris when there are a lot of other characters to receive part of the blame. For instance: the gods, Agamemnon, Menelaus, and even Odysseus. The reason why most blame Helen and Paris is that Helen isn’t Just any Greek woman; she is the most beautiful and desirable woman alive.
When Helen ran away with Paris to Troy she abandoned her country and her people. All of Greece was forced to go to Troy to bring her back to where she belonged. Wait, why is this? It was Odysseus’s idea. The reason being is that all the Greek kings wanted to marry Helen, but when she chose Menelaus, a war was going to break out and Odysseus came up with a compromise. He said that all the Greek kings were going to protect Helen of Sparta no matter what. Well, that backfires on him when he is forced to go to war for ten ears and then take ten more years getting back home, but that is another story.
Agamemnon is another who can be held responsible for the war. He may be one of the most powerful influences that began the Trojan War. One way or another Agamemnon is determined to overthrow Troy; he is Just looking for the right reason. Helen running away to Troy gives Agamemnon that reason to travel to Troy and fght for what he wants, which is the riches of Troy. Agamemnon would do anything to take over Troy, even sacrifice his own daughter for winds to take him to Troy (which e did).
While Menelaus is the little brother who Just wants his girl back. Menelaus runs to Agamemnon and whines to him that the Trojans have Just stolen his wife. And so, the two brothers wage war against Troy. The gods are another key player in the game. This is where the classic tale of the Trojan War comes from, a beauty contest. The Trojan War started after an incident at the wedding feast of Peleus, the king of Thessaly, and Thetis, a sea goddess. All the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus had been invited except Eris, the goddess of discord.
Eris was offended and tried to stir up trouble among the guests at the feast. She sent a golden apple inscribed “ For the most beautiful. ” Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed the apple as their own. The goddesses went down to Paris, since he was a true Judge. Hera promised him great power and the world, if he chose her. Athena promised him eternal wisdom, should he choose her. Lastly, Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman, Helen of Sparta, if he chooses her. Paris Judges the quarrel and awards the apple to Aphrodite.
The goddesses then got very angry with him and all outcome. All things considered, how could one put the full blame on Helen or Paris? They were Just tools in all of this. Even though Odysseus tries his hardest to stay out of the war, he indirectly causes an army to be at the ready. Agamemnon and Menelaus are Just looking for what they want. They are greedy. Plus the gods pick their sides and there is a war on Mount Olympus. No war can be started by one person. The Trojan War was started by multiple parties, Just at the same time.
