Pre-War
There are a couple of stories that start off the Trojan War. These include Achilles, Prince Paris, and a dispute among goddesses.
Achilles
Considered to be unstoppable with his magnificent fighting skills and invincible body, Achilles was one of the greatest warriors that ever existed. He was said to be bathed in the River Styx, held by the foot, so his mother unknowingly made his heel his deadly weakness. Thetis, Achilles’ mother, did this to save him from dying in battle, which was one of the conditions of her marriage to a mortal. Achilles is known to fight for no land, for no king; he fights for himself. After Achilles is protected physically by the waters of the River Styx, he is put in hiding, disguised as a female. Odysseus, known for his trickery, does, however, trick Achilles into coming out in the opening, and even fighting on the Greeks’ side when a dispute erupts between two people: Prince Paris of Troy and King Menelaus of Sparta. Achilles meets Patroclus around now, who is his friend from here on out.
Prince Paris
Due to a prophecy about Prince Paris, saying that he would cause the downfall of Troy, Paris was meant to die, but was actually sent to live outside the boundaries of royalty with shepherds. He did, however, learn of his royal inheritance, and was eventually sent to live with the other royal Trojans, and claim his rightful spot.
When Goddesses Fight
The Judgment of Paris is very important to the Trojan War. Before he learned of his royal genes, Paris was chosen to decide who was the most beautiful, the most divine, among three powerful goddesses: Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. Each one promised something very useful, if given the golden apple. Apparently, Paris found Aphrodite’s offer most appealing, which was a beautiful woman. To the gods, the woman Aphrodite chose to give Paris was no big deal. But to the humans, just her face would “launch a thousand ships”. When Paris steals away with Helen of Sparta and many of Sparta’s treasures, he angers a powerful Greek King, who just happened to have the power to bring 50,000 men to retrieve his wife and his brother, who wanted to destroy Troy, the most powerful opponent to Greece. So Helen’s husband, Menelaus, and King Odysseus of Ithaca go to Troy to demand the stolen back, and when that is refused by the Trojans, what choice do the Greeks have, than to assemble an army?
