The Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the city of Troy, probably during the 14th century BC—we do not know exactly when. A real war, or series of wars, may well have taken place, but the tale of the Trojan War as told by the poet Homer in his poem, the Iliad, centuries later is more a myth (a made-up story) than a true account.

Homer

Homer was the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems (long poems that tell a story). They were probably created around the late 8th or early 7th century BC. Very little is known about who Homer was, or whether he was a man or woman. "Homer" may have even been a group of people, all of whom helped create the poems over a long period of time.

Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta, was carried off by the Trojan prince, Paris. She was his prize for choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in a competition with Athena and Hera. Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, vowed to win Helen back. They also wanted to destroy the city of Troy as a punishment.

Gods and heroes

A number of Greek states formed an alliance with Agamemnon as their leader. Among the Greek warriors were some special heroes, men whose mother or father was a god. Achilles, Odysseus and Ajax were all heroes. The Greeks were helped by several of the gods, including Athena, Poseidon, Hera and Hermes. Each god had their favourites, and they often protected them in battle.

​​​​​​​The Trojan army was led by King Priam. They had their heroes, too, including Hector, the son of Priam, and Aeneas. The Trojans also received help from the gods, chief among whom were Apollo, Aphrodite and Ares.

The siege of Troy

Most of the Trojan War consisted of one long siege, lasting 10 years. The city had strong fortifications, and the Greeks found it difficult to break through its walls. The most important battles were fought during the final year of the siege, and it is these that are described in Homer’s Iliad.

In an attempt to break the deadlock, Menelaus offered to fight Paris in single combat. But Aphrodite prevented Paris from being slain. Then two great heroes, Ajax for the Greeks and Hector for the Trojans, also fought in single combat. Neither man could gain an advantage.

Achilles was the Greeks' greatest warrior. But he chose to sit out most of the war. Agamemnon had stolen his prize, a woman called Briseis, and so Achilles refused to fight. With the Trojans starting to gain the upper hand, Agamemnon begged Achilles to fight once more, but Achilles could not be persuaded. His friend Patroclus then asked for permission to wear Achilles’ armour and go into battle himself. Achilles reluctantly agreed, but told Patroclus not to pursue the enemy to the walls of Troy.

Patroclus was successful at first, forcing the Trojan armies back. But he ignored Achilles’ advice and carried the fighting on towards Troy. Hector then killed Patroclus with his spear.

The Trojan horse

Odysseus thought up a clever idea to get a small number of men inside the walls of Troy. Pretending to give up their fight, the Greeks sailed away, leaving behind a mysterious offering to the Trojans: a gigantic wooden horse. Thrilled with their victory, Trojans wheeled the horse inside the city walls.