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Trojan War
Achilles tending the woundedPatroclus (Attic red-figure kylix, c. 500 BC)
Literary sources Iliad Odyssey Epic Cycle Aeneid, Book 2 Iphigenia in Aulis Philoctetes Ajax The Trojan Women Posthomerica See also:Trojan War in literature and the arts
Episodes Judgement of Paris Seduction ofHelen Trojan Horse Sack of Troy The Returns Wanderings of Odysseus Aeneas and the Founding of Rome
Greeks and allies Agamemnon Achilles Helen Menelaus Nestor Odysseus Ajax Diomedes Patroclus Thersites Achaeans Myrmidons See also:Achaean Leaders,Catalogue of Ships
Trojans and allies Priam Hecuba Hector Paris Helen Cassandra Andromache Aeneas Memnon Troilus Penthesilea and theAmazons Sarpedon Deiphobos Helenus See also:Trojan Battle Order,Trojan Leaders
Participant gods Caused the war: Eris On the Greek side: Athena Hephaestus Hera Hermes Thetis Poseidon On the Trojan side: Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Leto Scamander Zeus
Historicity Ahhiyawa Alaksandu Archaeology of Troy Attarsiya Hisarlık Homeric Question Late Bronze Age Troy Manapa-Tarhunta letter Milawata letter Tawagalawa letter Trojan language Wilusa See also:Historicity of the Iliad
Related topics Bronze Age Collapse Euhemerism Homeric Question Mycenae Mycenaean warfare
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TheReturns from Troy are the stories of how the Greek leaders returned after their victory in theTrojan War. ManyAchaean heroes did not return to their homes, but died or founded colonies outside theGreek mainland. The most famous returns are those ofOdysseus, whose wanderings are narrated in theOdyssey, andAgamemnon, whose murder at the hands of his wifeClytemnestra was portrayed inGreek tragedy.

The Achaeans entered the city using theTrojan Horse and slew the slumbering population.Priam and his surviving sons and grandsons were killed.Antenor, who had earlier offered hospitality to the Achaean embassy that asked the return ofHelen of Troy and had advocated so^[1] was spared, along with his family byMenelaus and Odysseus.Aeneas took his father on his back and fled. He was left alone because of his piety.^[2] The city was razed and the temples were destroyed.

Of the women of the royal family,Locrian Ajax violatedCassandra onAthena's altar while she was clinging to her statue, which since looks upward.^[3] She was awarded toAgamemnon.Neoptolemus gotAndromache, wife ofHector and Odysseus took Priam's widowHecuba (known in Greek as Hecabe).^[4] The ghost ofAchilles appeared before the survivors of the war, demanding that the Trojan princessPolyxena be sacrificed before anybody could leave, as either part of his spoil or because she had betrayed him. Neoptolemus did so.^[5][6]

News of Troy's fall quickly reached the Achaean kingdoms throughphryctoria, asemaphore system used in ancient Greece. A fire signal lit at Troy was seen atLemnos, relayed toAthos, then to the look-out towers ofMacistus onEuboea, across the Euripus straight toMessapion, then toMount Cithaeron,Mount Aegiplanctus and finally toMount Arachneus, where it was seen by the people ofMycenae, includingClytaemnestra.^[7]

But though the message was brought fast and with ease, the heroes were not to return this way. The gods were thought to be very angry over the destruction of their temples and other sacrilegious acts by the Achaeans and decided that most would not return. A storm struck the returning fleet offTenos island. AlsoNauplius, in revenge for the murder of his sonPalamedes by Odysseus, set up false lights atCape Caphereus (also known today as Cavo D'Oro, onEuboea) and many were shipwrecked.^[8]

• Agamemnon had made it back to his kingdom withCassandra in his possession after some stormy weather. He and Cassandra were slain byAegisthus (in the oldest versions of the story) or byClytemnestra or by both of them.Electra andOrestes later avenged their father, but Orestes was the one who was chased by theFuries. Seebelow for further details.
• Nestor, who had the best conduct in Troy and did not take part in the looting, was the only hero who had a good, fast and safe return.^[9] Those of his army that survived the war also safely reached home with him.

• Locrian Ajax, who had endured more of the wrath of the gods than the others, never returned home. His ship was wrecked by a storm sent by Athena, who borrowed one ofZeus' thunderbolts and tore it to pieces. The crew managed to land on a rock, butPoseidon smote it and the Lesser Ajax fell in the sea and drowned after he boasted that even the gods could not kill him. He was buried byThetis onMyconos^[10] orDelos.^[11]
• The archerTeucer (son ofTelamon and half-brother ofthe other Ajax) stood trial by his father for his brother's death. He was acquitted of responsibility but found guilty of negligence because he did not return his dead body or his arms. He was disowned and was not allowed back on Salamis Island. He left with his army (who took their wives) and was at sea nearPhreattys in thePeiraeus,^[12] where he later foundedSalamis onCyprus.^[13] The Athenians later created a political myth that his son left his kingdom toTheseus' sons (and not toMegara).
• Neoptolemus, followingHelenus' advice (who accompanied him) traveled over land, always accompanied by Andromache. He met Odysseus and they buried Achilles' teacherPhoenix on the land of theCiconians. Then they conquered the land of theMolossians (theEpirus) and had a child by Andromache, Molossus, to whom he later gave the throne.^[14] Thus the kings of the Epirus claimed to be descended from Achilles, as didAlexander the Great, whose mother was of that royal house (Alexander and the kings ofMacedon also claimed descent fromHercules). Helenus founded a city in Molossia and inhabited it, and Neoptolemus gave him his motherDeidamia as wife. AfterPeleus died, he succeeded toPhtia's throne as well.^[15] He had a feud withOrestes, son of Agamemon, over Menelaus' daughterHermione, and he was killed atDelphi, where he was buried.^[16] In Roman myths, the kingdom of Phtia was taken over by Helenus, who married Andromache. They offered hospitality to other Trojan refugees, including Aeneas who paid a visit there during his wanderings.
• Diomedes was first thrown by a storm on the coast ofLycia, where he was to be sacrificed toAres by KingLycus. Lycus' daughter Callirrhoe took pity upon him, and assisted him in escaping.^[17] Then he accidentally landed inAttica atPhalerum. The Athenians, unaware that they were allies, attacked them. Many were killed and thePalladium was taken byDemophon.^[18] He finally landed atArgos, where his wifeAegialia was committing adultery and, in disgust, left forAetolia.^[19] According to Roman traditions, he had some adventures and founded a colony in Italy.
• Philoctetes, because of a sedition, was driven from his city by a revolt and emigrated to Italy, where he founded the cities ofPetilia,Old Crimissa, andChone, betweenCroton andThurii.^[20] After making war on theLeucanians, he founded there a sanctuary of Apollo the Wanderer, to whom also he dedicated his bow.^[21]
• According to Homer,Idomeneus reached his house safe and sound.^[22] Another tradition was formed later. After the war, his ship ran into a horrible storm. He promisedPoseidon that he would sacrifice the first living thing he saw when he returned home if the god would save his ship and crew. The first living thing was his son, whom Idomeneus duly sacrificed. The gods were angry at the sacrifice of his own son and they unleashed a plague on Crete. His people sent him into exile toCalabria inItaly,^[23] and thenColophon inAsia Minor, where he died.^[24]

Among the lesser Achaeans, very few reached their homes.

• Guneus, leader of theAeneanians (the exact location is unknown but is believed to be in the Epirus), went toLibya and settled near theCinyps river.^[25]
• Antiphus, son ofThessalus fromCos, settled inPelasgiotis and renamed itThessaly after his fatherThessalus.^[21]
• Pheidippus, who had led an army from Cos, settled onAndros,Agapenor fromArcadia settled inCyprus^[26] and foundedPaphos.^[27]
• Prothous fromMagnesia settled in Crete.^[25]
• Menestheus, king of Athens, became king ofMelos.^[21]
• Theseus' descendants ruled Athens for four more generations.^[28]
• The army ofElephenor (who had died in front of Troy) settled in the Epirus and foundedApollonia.
• Tlepolemus, king ofRhodes, was driven by the winds and settled in theBalearic islands.^[21]
• Podalirius, following the instructions of the oracle at Delphi, settled inCaria.^[29]

According to theOdyssey, Menelaus's fleet was blown by storms toCrete andEgypt where they were unable to sail away because the wind was calm.^[30] Only 5 of his ships survived.^[31] Menelaus had to catchProteus, a shape-shifting sea god to find out what sacrifices to which gods he would have to make to guarantee safe passage.^[32] Proteus told Menelaus that he was destined forElysium (the Fields of the Blessèd) after his death. Menelaus returned toSparta with Helen 8 years after he had left Troy.^[33]

Agamemnon returned home with Cassandra to Mycenae. His wifeClytemnestra (Helen's sister) was having an affair withAegisthus, son ofThyestes, Agamemnon's cousin who had conquered Argos before Agamemnon himself retook it. Possibly out of vengeance for the death ofIphigenia, Clytemnestra plotted with her lover to kill Agamemnon. Cassandra foresaw this murder, and warned Agamemnon, but he disregarded her. He was killed, either at a feast or in his bath^[34] according to different versions. Cassandra was also killed.^[35] Agamemnon's son Orestes, who had been away, returned and conspired with his sisterElectra to avenge their father.^[36] He killed Clytemnestra and Aegisthus and succeeded to his father's throne yet he was chased by theFuries until he was acquitted by Athena.^[37][38]

Odysseus (or Ulysses), attempting to travel home, underwent a series of trials, tribulations and setbacks that stretched his journey to ten years' time. These are detailed in Homer's epic poem theOdyssey.

At first they landed in the land of the Ciconians inIsmara. After looting the land they were driven back with many casualties. A storm offCape Maleas drove them to uncharted waters. They landed in the land of theLotus-eaters. There a scouting party ate from the lotus tree and forgot everything of home. Odysseus had to drag crew members back to the ship.

The rest then set sail and landed at the land ofPolyphemus, son of Poseidon. After a few were killed by him Odysseus blinded him and managed to escape, but earned Poseidon's wrath.

They went next to the isle ofAeolus, god of winds. Odysseus was received hospitably by the Aeolus who gave him a favorable wind and a bag that contained the unfavorable wind. When Odysseus fell asleep in sight ofIthaca his crew opened the bag, and the ships were driven away.

In the next of theLaestrygonians next they neared, where the cannibalistic inhabitants sank his fleet (except Odysseus' ship) and ate the crew.

Next they landed onCirce's island, who transformed most of the crew into pigs, but Odysseus managed to force her to transform them back and left.

Odysseus wished to speak toTiresias, so he went the riverAcheron inHades, where they performed sacrifices which allowed them to speak to the dead. They gave them advice on how to proceed. Then, he went to Circe's island again.

From there he set sail through the pass of theSirens, whose sweet singing lure sailors to their doom. He had stopped up the ears of his crew with wax, and Odysseus alone listened while tied to the mast.

Next was the pass ofScylla andCharybdis where he lost part of his ship's crew. The rest landed in the isleThrinacia, sacred toHelios (the Sun) where he kept sacred cattle. Though Odysseus warned his men not to (as Tiresias had told him), they killed and ate some of the cattle after Zeus placed Odysseus in his sleep to test his crew. Under a threat from Helios to take the sun and shine it in the Underworld, Zeus shipwrecked the last ship and killed everyone except Odysseus.

Odysseus was washed ashore onOgygia, where the nymphCalypso lived. She made him her lover for seven years and would not let him leave, promising him immortality if he stayed. On behalf of Athena, Zeus intervened and sentHermes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go.

Odysseus left on a small raft furnished with provisions of water, wine and food by Calypso, only to be hit by a storm and washed up on the island ofScheria and found byNausicaa, daughter of KingAlcinous and Queen Arete of thePhaeacians, who entertained him well and escorted him to Ithaca. On the tenth year of sailing, the twentieth year away from home, he arrived at his home on Ithaca.

There Odysseus traveled disguised as an old beggar by Athena he was recognized by hisdogArgus, who died in his lap. Then he discovered his wifePenelope had been faithful to him all these years despite thecountless suitors, including Antinous and Eurymachus, that were eating and spending his property all these years. With his sonTelemachus' help and that ofAthena andEumaeus the swineherd, killed all of them exceptMedon, who had been polite to Penelope, andPhemius, a local singer who had only been forced to help the suitors against Penelope. Penelope tested him by saying they'd move his immovable bed, which correctly Odysseus pointed out couldn't be done, and he forgave her. On the next day the suitor's relatives, led by Eupeithes, the father of the suitor Antinous, tried to take revenge on him but they were stopped by Athena.

Years later Odysseus' son by Circe,Telegonus came from the sea and plundered the island thinking it wasCorcyra. Odysseus and Telemachus, defended their city and Telegonus accidentally killed his father with the spine of a stingray. He brought the body back toAeaea and took Penelope and Telemachus with him. Circe made them immortal and married Telemachus, while Telegonus made Penelope his wife.[183] This is where the tale of the Trojan War for Greek mythology ends. According to a Roman tradition Odysseus did not die this way: when old he took a ship to sea and, crossing thePillars of Hercules he discovered the estuary of theTagus river and found there the city ofLisbon.^{[citation needed][39]}

• Aeneid
• Founding of Rome
• Nostoi

• Trojan War
• Odyssey

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