Greek Elegy -- The Trojan War

Author: Wen Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Prince Paris of Troy abducted the beautiful Spartan Queen Helen and a large amount of wealth. The Spartan King united all allies to form a powerful Greek coalition to campaign against Troy. The war dragged on for ten years, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Over the issue of exchanging hostages, the Greek hero Achilles clashed with the Greek commander Agamemnon. Achilles refused to fight, leading to severe damage to the Greek army. Agamemnon sacrificed his own beloved daughter, and Achilles' close friend also died at the hands of Hector, the brave commander of Troy. Achilles avenged his friend by killing Hector. Troy fell into panic, with many demanding the surrender of Helen to end the war, but they were fiercely opposed by Paris, Helen's new husband. Troy resisted the Greek army's assault to the death and was eventually aided by the Amazon Queen and the King of Ethiopia. However, they too were slain by Achilles' spear. After killing the Amazon Queen, Achilles was filled with remorse, as he had deeply fallen in love with the mighty and enchanting woman. As a result, he began to harm himself. Weakened, he was struck down by Paris's hidden arrow after killing the valiant King of Ethiopia and died on the battlefield. Paris was also severely wounded and died at the doorstep of his wife, who had abandoned him in his time of need. In the end, the Greeks used Odysseus's Trojan Horse strategy to conquer Troy and carried out a brutal massacre against the Trojans. The prosperous city of Troy was destroyed in a sea of flames. Meanwhile, Agamemnon, the Greek commander, lost the woman he loved—Troy's princess—to the hands of the unruly troops. After ten years of hardship, the Greeks plundered vast wealth and began their journey home. Helen's former husband forgave her and took her back to their homeland. At sea, the Greeks encountered a fierce storm, and almost everyone perished in the disaster, with only a handful of survivors who endured great hardship to make it back alive.