While the war continued for some time, ultimately, sly Odysseus came up with a plan to breach the walls of Troy.  The Achaean’s built a giant wooden horse.  While some sailed the ships around to a hidden spot, others climbed into the horse and waited for the Trojans to come down to the beach and discover the supposed gift of peace. Accepting this gift, then took the wooden horse into the city and celebrated.   

Late that night, the Achaeans hidden in the horse came out, opened the gate allowing those had hidden the ships to enter and burned Troy.  Most of Troy’s citizens were either killed or enslaved.  Priam was killed and it is likely, Andromache, Hektor’s wife was taken as a slave, she was quite lovely.  It is just as likely that Hektor’s son, Skamandrios since the Achaens wouldn’t want to leave any royalty behind. 

An older, wiser Helen returned home with Menelaus.  Is he happy now? I don’t know.  Agamemnon made it home too.  While the bards will sing that he was killed by his unfaithful wife, I believe Clytemnestra had been waiting all those years of the war to seek vengeance for the death of her daughter, Iphegina.  That’s what I would have done.   

Speaking of losing children, I don’t know exactly when it happened because I couldn’t bring myself to watch anymore, but sometime near the end of the war, Achilleus was killed by Paris.  It was an arrow to the heel I’m told.  Ironic really, the worst of the Trojan’s killed the best of the Achaeans.  It is equally ironic that Paris managed to find the one mortal spot on my son; the spot where I held Achilleus while I dipped him into the river Styx.

I spend most of my time deep in the ocean now, away from Olympus, away from mortals.  The sadness of their lives eventually comes to an end.  My sadness; however, will go on forever.  Such is the nature of an immortal.   

 10.19.14 http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/troyilium/a/trojanwar_4.htm

I watched Hektor.  I saw the fear in his eyes then, I saw him run.  He ran and ran with Achilles following close behind.  Then, he stopped. Athene was talking to him but he thought it was his brother, Deiphobos.  It was over so fast, two ill aimed spear throws and Achilles stabbed Hektor in the neck. 

I didn’t even recognize Achilles anymore.  All through the fight he was like a deranged animal.  Even after Hektor was dead, the things Achilles did to the body, unspeakable. 

Zeus sent Iris to me with a message.  The gods were sympathetic to the Trojans need to honor their Hektor and Zeus asked me to convince Achilles to give back the body.  I said to Achilles, “My child, how long will you go on eating your heart out in sorrow and lamentation, and remember neither your food nor going to bed?” [Zeus] is angered that in your heart’s madness you hold Hektor beside the curved ships and did not redeem him.  Come then, give him up and accept ransom for the body.”  Achilles agreed.

When Priam came to Achilles with the help of Hermes, in a chariot filled with treasure, it was uncomfortable, as you might suspect.  I should thank Priam, it was his visit that brought back the Achilles I know.  None of this wil last; Achilles is still fated to die.  It was his choice.  He has his κλεος now and through Achilles or, perhaps, in spite of Achilles, Hektor has his κλεος as well. 

http://jonian.deviantart.com/art/Achilles-dragging-Hektor-151459684

I thought, once the fire consumed Patroklos’ body, Achilles would return to normal, but I was wrong. All this I watched from the sea with my sisters around me.  I watched the games, I watched Troy mourn and I understood, even felt sorry for Priam.  I too was in mourning because I knew Achilles would soon join Hektor.

Mortal women in Troy stay behind the walls; however, the goddesses are not content to watch and wait.  Goddesses play many roles for many reasons and, just like the gods, sometimes just get in the way.  There is more information about the role women played here:

http://thetrojanwar.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/3-annotated-bibliography-female-character-in-the-trojan-war-tradition/

I delivered Achilles new armor.  He wants to go to battle yet, he is concerned with the state of Patroklus’ body.  I placed “ambrosia and red nectar in Patroklus’ nose to ward off the flies until such time as he can be properly buried.  This done, Achilles makes his apologies to Agamemnon who, in his way makes apology to Achilles.  Who will apologize to me once Achilles is gone.  Who will apologize to Priam when Hector is gone.  None, I fear.

Achilles goes with Agamemnon and the Achaeans into battle. I do not hear any news until I sense the anger of the water.  Skamandros, the Trojan river runs on the edge of the battlefield and Achilles is making Skamandros angry by polluting it with Trojan bodies.  I as a water nymph have some control over the element water.  Skamandros has run through this war nine years, providing fresh water to Trojans and Achaeans alike.  I know that Achilles knows his fate, but he should have been more respectful.  I understand Skamandros feelings.

You can see Skamandros and his brother, Simoeis.  They worked together against Achilles, it was  Hephaistos intervention with fire that sent the brothers back to confines of their banks.  

Hektor and Achilles have met on the battlefield with no winner, no loser.  Ultimately, Achilles makes his way toward the gates and at one point, when Priam called for the gates to be opened, I thought Achilles might take the city.  But, Apollo, wearing an Agenor suit, leads Achilles away. 

I wish I knew what Zeus was planning.  I wish there was some other way that everyone could call this off and go home, honor in tack.  

http://thetroydeception.com/discovery

    

The moment that I have feared is at hand.  Nestor’s words have taken root within poor Patroklos.  Overcome by his feelings watching the Achaeans fall, Patroklos does as Nestor had suggested and begs Achilles to either return to battle himself or at least let Patroklos lead the Myrmidons into battle.  Neither the degraded state of the Achaeans, nor the desperation in Patroklos’ voice is lost on my son.  I believe that if it were not for his pride, Achilles would have returned to battle with Patroklos. 

Wearing Achilles armor, Patroklos and the Myrmidons enter the chaos of battle.  Patroklos fights bravely until but this is not in keeping with Zeus’ plan.  Apollo knocks off the armor Patroklos wears.  With that, Euphorbos spears Patroklos in the back and Hektor spills his insides.  Patroklos is finished, as is my Achilles. 

When Achilles learns of Patroklos’ fate, he is beside himself with sorrow and his anger, his mηνις, is redirect to Hektor and indeed Troy.  I hear him.  He wants to go to battle but he has no armor now. 

I go to Hephaistos, I helped him once when his mother, Hera, threw him off a balcony.  He is happy to help and he forges a magnificent shield depicting all the events of life.  

It feels like Achilles life is passing before my eyes.  I loathe taking this to him. I know the outcome of this and I can do nothing to stop fate now.  Zeus has done what I asked, perhaps I asked for the wrong thing.  Now all I can do is see that Achilles dies with his timh.  

http://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Mythology/en/AchillesShield.html

I wonder about Zeus, sometimes. He seems to have a short attention span and is a bit overconfident about his power to control the immortal faction.  Now that the Trojans are seeing success in the wake of his assistance, he’s taken off for reasons unknown.  I’m back to wondering if he will continue to fulfill the promise he made to assist in seeing to the Trojan victory.   

With Zeus away, his brother shows up.  Did you know that Zeus and Poseidon are brother? Well, they are and sibling rivalry is just as real amongst the gods as it is the mortals.  In your modern day, you create what I believe you call them “family trees”.  These visual representations of the timeline of your genealogy are fascinating.  I also understand that rather recently, a modern man named Jon O. Newman, put together a “family tree” of the Greek gods.  I found information about his book in one of your chronicles.  Here, see for yourself:

https://ezproxy.uwgb.edu:2443/login?url=http://search.proquest.com

/docview/92629401?accountid=14788

Apparently, this Newman was completing the work of his father, who had died before he was able to finish this work.  I’ll have to read Newman’s book; I may learn something new about the immortals.

Sorry, I got off the track for a moment.  You may remember that Poseidon was a bit miffed at Agamemnon and his men for messing up the beach.  I’m not sure what changed Poseidon’s mind, he is a bit fickle, but now it seems everything is forgiven and Poseidon has decided to help the Achaeans.  Had Zeus explained everything to Poseidon, things might have turned out differently.  Poseidon has no great love for Hera and had he known that Zeus had made a promise to me, he might have even assisted the Trojans.  After all, Poseidon had a thing for me once, same as Zeus.

And, where is Zeus?  Remember last time when I wrote that Hera must be too wrapped up in her anger to consider using her sexuality to influence Zeus?  I was wrong.  Hera has enlisted the help of Aphrodite and Sleep and the three of them concoct some magic to drive Zeus crazy with lust.  Really, like that would take any kind of magic.  Zeus can hardly be within a hundred miles of anything female without being driven to lust.  The plan was that once Hera and Zeus were finished having sex, Sleep would overcome Zeus.  I’m sorry to say that this worked and Hera informs Poseidon that he is free to continue assisting the Argives without fear of Zeus getting in the way.          

The Iliad of Homer, Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1952. Print..

Weiser, Benjamin. "Here's Uncle Zeus, Aunt Hera, The Twins." The New York Times

     12 July 2003. Web. 28 Sept. 2014 https://ezproxy.uwgb.edu:2443/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/92629401?accountid=14788

It would seem that mortal combat is not going well for Agamemnon his agreement to return to battle, Agamemnon and his brother Menelaos are not sleeping well.  They decide they want to find out what is going on in the Trojan camp so the send spies, Odysseus and Diomedes.  Hektor seems to be thinking the same thing, wonder if he is having trouble sleeping as well.   I’ve noticed a change in Hektor; he has become more aggressive.  It makes him less attractive, less …worthy. Ultimately, Hektor’s spy, Dolon, is captured, interrogated and killed as well as thirteen other Trojan soldiers.  I seriously doubt that this will ease Hektors aggression.

The fighting continues, it has become a bit monotonous; a Greek kills a Trojan, Hektor kills a Greek.  Diomedes and Odyessus are tag-teaming.  Even Paris has seen success with his bow.  He hits Diomedes in the foot and, wounds Machaon, the Greeks physician.  This is very upsetting for Agamemnon’s men.  Who will heal their wounds if Machaon is disabled? 

Achilles sees Nestor bring Machaon back to the ships and sends Patroklos to find out what has happened. I believe Patroklos has been at odds with Achilles determination to stay out of this war.  This makes Patroklos vulnerable when nosy Nestor plants an idea in his head.  Nestor suggests Patroklos rouse the Myrmidons to battle and wear Achilles armor to cause fear in the hearts of the Trojans.   

I’m worried for Patroklos.  He is a good fighter but he is no Achilles or Hektor.  I hope that Achilles will have these same thoughts and refuse to allow Patroklos to enter the battle.  Zeus has done as he promised in make the Trojans the overall victors.  As long as he is angry with Hera and as long is Hera is too angry to use her womanly ways to convince him otherwise, I believe Zeus will continue to hold to his promise.  However, if anything happens to Achilles men, I don’t know what could happen.

The Iliad of Homer, Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Chicago and London: The University of

Chicago Press, 1952. Print..

The war has become a game to the Gods on Olympus. Some of the them support each other like Hera and Athena who clearly favor the Greeks.  Others use the war as a way to call out one another’s shortcomings.  For example, turns out Ares, the “war god”, is really more of a watcher and when Diomedes wounds him, he runs back to Olympus to tell on him.  Aphrodite basically does the same thing when wounded.  And, while even Zeus points out Aphrodite’s courage at being in the middle of things, supporting her team, she too runs back to her mother once wounded. There is nothing more ridiculous to see, than immortals running for their lives.

Zeus and Hera, ever the bickering couple, have begun to use the war as a way to ruffle each other’s feathers.  While, gods as a rule are not very good at marriage, you would think that since Hera is the goddess of marriage, she’d have a better grasp on the concept.  Hera is emotionally invested in this war.  For whatever reason, she has a deep-seeded hatred for all that is Troy or Trojan.  Zeus, who is playing it cool and not really taking sides, yet, likes to play devils advocate.  Their most recent skirmish resulted in the likely destruction of three cities whose citizens have nothing to do with this war.  Why, you ask?  Because, Hera is so obsessed with the destruction of Troy that she offered up three of her other favorite cities for destruction at Zeus’ hand.  I’m not really sure he would do it; I think Zeus just wanted to see how far he could push Hera.

Achilles is still hanging back at camp, which is probably why I am so calm in the mist of the calamity on Olympus.  Diomedes had a rewarding day on the battlefield.  He killed and wounded many Trojans and gods than any man, other than my Achilles, should have the stamina manage.  He will sleep the sleep of the dead tonight, figuratively speaking. 

To be fair, the Trojan prince, Hector, unlike his brother Paris, is a great warrior as well.  If Achilles decides to involve himself in the battle again, it is Hector I will fear.  Hector and his wife, Andromache are good people.  I believe in my heart that had Agamemnon not attached Troy, Hector would have been content to live out his days in peace.  He is not one to walk away from battle, he is prideful, but I do not think he would go in search of κλεος.  I think he would like to watch his son, Astyanax, grow into a man.  Andromache would be happy for Hector to put aside his pride and run away with her and the baby.  Hector, whose αιδος has already been trampled on by the actions of his brother, however, cannot bring himself to further shame his people.

And, speaking of Paris, he has not been moved to show his face in battle again.  Knowing Helen, she is probably talking to Paris like Hera talks to Zeus.  The difference being, while Zeus clearly rules the roost on Olympus, Paris is no match for Helen’s αιδος.  He has shamed both Helen and Hector, actually, the entire Trojan people.  To think, if Aphrodite had left well enough alone, Menelaos might simply have killed Paris, taken back Helen and  everyone could have gone home.  Well, maybe, there is no limit to Agamemnon’s ambition.

Oh,  I found this lying around, not sure how accurate it is but, it is the layout of Troy and the Greek camp during the war.

             

9.21.14

With dusk approaching,  Athene and Apollo decide it is time to call it a day.  At Athene’s bidding, Hector challenges any of the Achaians to a one-on-one.  None accept until Nestor, shames the younger warriors and nine step forward.  They draw lots and Aias, who you may better know as Ajax, is the “winner”?  At any rate, they volley back and forth for a while without causing any real damage until Zeus discovers what is taking place and he stops the battle because of darkness. 

Both the Achaians and the Trojans want to collect the bodies of those who fell in battle.  Antenor, Priam’s advisor suggests it might be best to return Helen and her treasures to put an end to this war.  Paris agrees to return Helen’s treasures, but he will not give up Helen.  A messenger is sent to Agamemnon with news that they might cease battle to collect their dead and, that while Helen will not be returned, Paris will give back the treasure and then some.  Naturally, the treasure offer is rejected but they agree to a truce to honor the dead. 

Making use of time and resources, the Achaians build a wall over the funeral pryes to gain protection from the Trojans.  I knew this was trouble because Poseidon doesn’t like anyone messing with his beaches, especially since the Achaians did not even make a sacrifice to him.  Poseidon went to Zeus with his complaint.  Now, these two are strong-willed gods and quite similarly matched.  But, where Poseidon is more a god of action, Zeus also, makes good use of his vocabulary and can be pretty persuasive.  He plays on Poseidon’s pride, saying,

“What a thing to have said earth-shaker of the wide strength.  Some other one of the

 gods might fear such a thought, one who is a god far weaker of his hands and in

 anger than you are; but the fame of you shall last as long as dawnlight is scattered.

 Come then!  After once more the flowing-haired Achains are gone back with their

ships too the beloved land of their fathers, break their wall to pieces and scatter it

into the salt sea and pile again the beach deep under the sands and cover it; so let

the great wall of the Achaians go down to destruction.”   

When the battle resumes, Zeus decides to take matters into his own hands, at least where immortals are concerned.  He threatens, or maybe “promises” is a better word, to send any immortal who shows up on the battleground, to Tartaros.  This is not a nice place, it is so far below Hades, it is almost coming out on the other side.  Using his scales he weighs the fates of the Trojans and the Achaians and, when once again Hera an Athene try to get involved, Zeus steps in and sends them back to Olympus.

Here is where my fear is rekindled.  Just when I thought Agamemnon would give up and go home, Diomedes, clearly high on his success, convinces Agamemnon put aside his pride and ask my Achilles for help.  Agamemnon agrees and complies a laundry list of all the valuable things he plans to give to Achilles, including an unsullied Briseis. 

I nervously, waited for word of Achilles decision, while  Aias, Odysseus and Phoinx delivered Agamemnon’s message.  Apparently, Phoinx even tried to same Achilles into returning, reminding him how Peleus was like a father to him, and he, Phoinx, felt like a father to Achilles.  Ultimately, Achilles would not be swayed. 

I hold out hope for Achilles return.