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Article: Trojan War
- Article from:
- Myths and Legends of the World
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Macmillan Reference, USA. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was a legendary ten-year conflict in which Greek warriors laid
siege
to Troy, a city on the northwestern coast of Asia Minor*. Homer's* great
epic
the
Iliad
describes the activities of gods, goddesses, and human heroes during the final year of the war. Some scholars think that the story of the Trojan War may have been based on memories of distant historical events, which became myths with the passage of time.
According to these myths, the Trojan War was rooted in vanity and passion. A youth named Paris, one of the sons of King Priam of Troy, was asked to choose the fairest of three goddesses: Aphrodite*, Athena*, and Hera*. Each goddess ...