The Actual Story of Troy - The Trojan Horse

Kind: captions Language: en A group of elite Greek soldiers silently huddle inside the belly of a giant wooden horse. The night is coming to an end, and soon they'll break out of their disguise and unlock the gates of Troy. Greek forces will flood into the city and make the Trojans pay for the miserable war that they started over 10 years ago. The signal is given. The soldiers slip out of a hidden trap door on the underside of the horse's stomach and stealthily move through the city. Before guards can sound the alarm, they are slain by the infiltration force. The main gates to the city are swung open. Troy is about to be consumed by fire and bloodshed. But how much of what we know about the fall of Troy is actually true? Surprisingly, most archaeologists and historians now believe that the story of the Trojan War might have been grounded in historical fact. There was likely no divine intervention or demigod war heroes, but there's a lot of evidence that the city of Troy and the war fought to destroy it probably happened. Let's take a journey 3,000 years into the past. This is the real story of the Trojan War. Pieced together with a little bit of help from Homer, Virgil, and archaeologists. Paris kneels before a statue of Aphrodite. He's holding an apple made of gold. It's an offering to the gods in return for a favor. Paris has fallen madly in love with the wife of another man. She is beautiful enough to wage war over. But with the help of the goddess of love, maybe this affair doesn't have to end in bloodshed. The flame from torches along the walls of the temple cast shadows across marble columns. Paris whispers a final prayer, stands up, and places the golden apple on the lap of Aphrodite statue. He walks out of the temple and heads toward the palace where Helen resides. She's married to the Spartan King Menois. The Spartans are fierce warriors, and Paris is unsure if he can defeat Helen's husband in traditional combat, but love makes you do crazy things. The king knows his wife is sought after by all men who lay eyes on her. It's said that before they were married, Helen was courted by every man in Greece. But now she belongs to Menllois of Sparta and he has no plans of sharing her with anyone else, especially not a young Trojan prince. Regardless of the consequences, Paris must confess his love to Helen. The gods watch from their constellations in the heavens as he sneaks into the palace where her chamber is located. Guards line the corridors to ensure the palace is secure. If Paris isn't careful, he'll never look upon Helen ever again. for being discovered would mean certain death. Paris finally reaches Helen's bed chambers after what seems like an eternity dodging Spartan soldiers. He opens the door and steps inside. Paris has no idea how Helen will react. She might scream for help or completely reject him, but it doesn't matter because a life without her is not a life worth living. Helen turns to see who has just entered her chambers. She gasps, then a smile causes her lips to curl up. She's been dreaming of this moment. It seems as if Helen feels the same way for Paris as he does for her. Whether it's divine intervention from the gods or fate, the two young lovers run away together. They make their way to the Trojan ships docked in the Spartan port. Under Paris's order, the ships cast off and head back toward Troy. The next day, Menllo awakens to find Helen and the Trojans gone. It doesn't take him long to figure out what happened. In a rage, Mllois tosses furniture across the bed chamber. He storms out of the room and gathers the kings of Greece. They have an agreement that can't be broken. If Sparta goes to war with Troy, the rest of Greece has to follow. The decision has been made. Troy will fall. Before they can depart, the gods must be consulted. Agamemnon, the brother of Menowis, will lead the Greek forces. He's a strong leader and has the respect of the other Greek kings. The ships are loaded with soldiers and siege equipment to be carried across the Aian Sea to Troy. But there is a problem. The wind refuses to blow. Agamemnon seeks the wisdom of the oracle. There must be some explanation for why the gods have forsaken him and his navy. The remedy is worse than the problem, however. In order for the winds to blow once again and carry his fleet across the Aian, a sacrifice must be made. The gods can be cruel, and they don't want just any sacrifice. They want the life of Egamemnon's daughter, Ifaganiah. Seeing no other way to appease the gods and get the winds blowing again, Egamemnon agrees to the sacrifice. However, there's no way that his wife will allow him to kill their daughter, even if it is the only way to conquer Troy. So, Aken Menon does the only thing he can do. He lies. The king tells his wife that if a Janiah is to marry Achilles and Owls, this would be a match made in heaven as Achilles is already known to be one of the greatest Greek warriors that's ever lived. Agamemnon's wife, Cladamnestra, brings Ephaganiah to Owas. They're dressed in their finest robes as this will be a magnificent celebration. When they reach the hilltop where Egamemnon waits, there is no Achilles. The king stands at an altar, knife in his hand. His men subdue Clyde as she screams for her husband not to hurt their daughter. If a Janiah is brought to her father and forced to lay down on the altar in the name of the gods, Egamenon sacrifices his own flesh and blood. The wind begins to blow as if a Janiah's blood spills onto the ground. Clyde's heart breaks. She'll never forgive her husband. The Greek fleet leaves from Outlas, headed for the coast of Asia Minor, where the city of Troy awaits them. They land on the shoreline just outside of the city to find it deserted. The Trojans hide behind the impenetrable walls that surround their cities. They're safe from the Greeks for the time being. Paris and Helen embrace each other as the King Pri watches the approaching army with dismay. His son is in love with the Spartan woman, and there's nothing he can do about it. He won't surrender his own son to the Greeks as it would be a death sentence. Pri tries to negotiate, but no agreement can be reached. The only thing left to do is go to war. There will be death and immense loss on both sides. The Greeks lay siege to the city. Bloody battles are fought beyond the walls of Troy as both sides try to crush the other. Achilles is the most respected and lethal Greek soldier of them all. He leads Greek forces as they slaughter Trojan soldiers. But once the Trojans retreat behind the walls of their city, there's nothing he or any of the other Greek soldiers can do. For 10 years, the war rages on. Both sides are evenly matched and without any way to get past the walls of Troy, it seems the Greeks are at an impass. Then Egamemnon does something incredibly foolish and upsets the gods once again. Egamemnon discovers and imprisons a priestess from the temple of Apollo that lays just outside the city of Troy. As a result, a great plague ravages the Greek forces. Egamemnon refuses to give up the priestess and return her to her Trojan father. But as the plague gets worse, he's forced to give the girl back to appease the gods. But he is a selfish man and wants someone else to take the place of his lost priestess. Egamemnon takes one of Achilles's lovers and makes her his own. Achilles is furious. He refuses to fight for Agamemnon any longer. Without their greatest warrior, the Greeks may very well lose the Trojan War. Morale is low and the city of Troy seems unreachable. And the Greeks now lack a hero. One of Achilles closest friends, Patrick, begs him to fight. Patrick knows that without Achilles's leadership and skills in battle, all will be lost. But Achilles still refuses. Agimenon has gone too far. And now all Achilles wants is to return home and forget that the Trojan War ever happened. The tide of the war begins to shift. More and more Greeks fall to Trojan arrows and swords. It seems all is lost. Patrick decides to take matters into his own hands. If Achilles won't fight, he will fight for him. Patrick puts on Achilles armor and rallies the troops called the Mirmdons to battle. They're all elite fighters and cause massive casualties wherever they engage the enemy. Dressed as Achilles, Patrick leads the Murmurons toward one of the flanks of the Trojan army. They engage the enemy forces just beyond their walls. The Trojans have experienced victory after victory without Achilles on the battlefield, so they're confident they'll defeat the Greeks soon. But now it appears that Achilles has returned to the battlefield. The Trojans shift their offensive, sending more men to combat the Miridan force. Patrick fights well, but he is not as skilled as Achilles. Hector, King Pingham's favorite son, and the Trojan's greatest warrior, spots the Miranon force. He's fought them in battle before, and even though he's managed to slay countless Greeks, Achilles always manages to evade his sword. But this time, something is different. Hector notices small mistakes that Achilles is making as he fights his way through the ranks of the Trojans. Perhaps the Greek hero has been wounded or he's become too cocky. Hector will make him pay for the lives he's taken. Hector does not know that the man dressed in Achilles's armor is Patrick. He battles his way towards Patrick, cutting down anyone in his way. Hector lashes out with his sword. Patrick rolls, dodging the fatal blow. He turns his attention toward the Trojan hero. One of them will die today. The two warriors engage one another like angry bulls. The sound of metal on metal rings out across the battlefield as soldiers on both sides stop fighting and watch the two heroes clash with one another. Patrick manages to knock Hector off balance and onto his back. He goes in for the killing blow, but Hector is a better fighter. Hector dodges Patrick's attack and stabs his sword through his opponent's side. There's silence across the battlefield. Everyone thinks the great Achilles has been slain. Patrick falls to the ground as blood pours out of his wound. Hector removes his helmet to look the man he's just bested in the eyes as he dies. He sucks in his breath as he realizes it is not the Greek hero he's just killed but his best friend. Hector's stomach drops. He's slain one of the people that Achilles cares about the most. Achilles will be filled with rage and he will come for revenge. This fatal mistake might have cost the Trojans the war. When word reaches Achilles of what happened to Patrick he is inconsolable. He wants Hector's head for what he's done. Achilles informs Agamemnon that he will fight once again and this time Troy will fall. Achilles approaches the gates of Troy. He yells at the men standing on top of the wall to bring him Hector. He must pay for what he's done. Out of honor, Hector agrees to meet Achilles on the battlefield for single combat. The two war heroes circle each other on the blood soaked earth in front of the gates of Troy. There's been a momentary truce between the two sides as their two greatest warriors prepare for combat. Achilles roars with rage as he runs toward Hector. Their swords slam into each other, creating sparks and a sound like thunder. Achilles slices at the weak spots in Hector's armor, drawing blood. Hector knows he'll be defeated. Achilles seems to fight with the ability of a god, and gods don't lose. He tries to fend off Achilles's blows, but the Greek hero is too strong and too fast. Achilles plunges his sword into Hector's body, ending the battle. Still in a blind fury and filled with grief from the loss of Patrick, Achilles drags Hector's dying body toward his chariot and ties it to the back. A river of blood flows across the sand. Achilles urges the horses forward. The chariot rides away, dragging Hector's body behind him. This goes on for days before King Pri begs Achilles to stop desecrating his son's body. Achilles anger has begun to subside. He looks behind his chariot at the mangled body of his enemy and then at the old man that is his father. Achilles agrees to return Hector's body for a proper burial. The fighting between the Greeks and Trojans continues on. Achilles fights alongside his men, unable to do anything else to mend his broken heart. As he engages in battle after battle, something unbelievable happens. When Achilles was born, he was dipped into the river sticks by his mother. This is why he seems to be immortal. Being able to fight without the fear of dying made him one of the greatest warriors the world has ever known. However, when his mother did this, she held her son by the heel. This became the only part of his body that never touched the river sticks and therefore was his only true vulnerability. Even though Paris only wants to spend time with Helen, his father makes him take a more active role in the war after his brother Hector is slain by Achilles. While in battle, Paris spots Achilles tearing through Trojan forces. Paris draws his bow and pulls back on the string. He does not have much experience in battle or shooting a bow, but he wants to avenge his brother. Paris takes aim at Achilles midsection and lets an arrow fly. His aim is off and instead of hitting the Greek hero in the chest, the arrow slices through his heel. Wounded, Achilles falls down. Before any of his men can reach him, the Trojan soldiers fall upon Achilles. He's stabbed over and over until he finally succumbs to his wounds. The epic life of Achilles has been brought to an end by a misguided arrow to the heel. The Greeks managed to recover Achilles body and give him a warrior send off to the gods. It's tradition in Greece for the armor of a fallen hero to be given to another warrior with comparable stature and skill. Unfortunately, no one can live up to Achilles's greatness as he was practically a demigod. So, the honor falls to a man named Odysius. Adysius has proven he's a good fighter and a cunning warrior. But even with Achilles's armor, he's nowhere near as skilled as the former Greek hero. Luckily, he doesn't have to be. A soldier named Felactities has recently discovered a way to create deadly poison arrows that can be used in long-range attacks. These lethal arrows are called Hercules arrows. As the name suggests, they're powerful. The Greeks launch a barrage of arrows at the men standing at top the walls of Troy. One nicks Paris. A drop of blood trickles from the wound. The tip of the arrow barely causes a scratch, but it doesn't matter. The poison has already begun to work as it enters the young prince's body. Days later, he dies in the arms of his lover, Helen. It is after this death of Achilles in Paris that Adysius comes up with a plan so ingenious that it'll become a legend. The Trojan War has continued for over a decade. Nothing seems to be able to breach the city walls of Troy. So, instead of trying to force their way in, Odysius recommends the Greeks try a different tactic. They will trick the Trojans into letting them in. The Greeks take apart several of their ships and reuse the wood to make a giant wooden horse. The inside is hollow, and the Greeks pack their best warriors into the belly of the beast before sealing up the giant horse and leaving it just outside the gates of Troy. The following morning, the Trojans awake to find the wooden horse sitting outside their city. They believe it's a sign that the Greeks have given up and returned home, leaving the beautifully assembled horse as a peace offering. The Greeks sold the ruse by pretending to sail their ships away from the coast of Troy, when in reality, they just repositioned them in a cove nearby. The Greek soldiers now lay in hiding, waiting for the men inside the horse to open the gates. The Trojans are fooled and joyfully open the gates to the city to bring in the horse. They celebrate that night with copious amounts of wine and food. The war has finally ended and the Trojans believe they're victorious. Due to the late night partying and heavy drinking, most of the Trojan soldiers fall into a deep sleep. Time has come for the Greeks to make their move. The soldiers burst out of the belly of the wooden horse. They run to the gates of Troy and open them so their allies hidden just outside the walls can come rushing in. The soldiers ignite torches and set the city ablaze. As the Trojans awake from their drunken slumber, they're slaughtered by the thousands. The Greeks ransack the entire city of Troy and leave it in smoldering ruins. Before the Greeks leave the city of Troy, they grab Helen. She's carried kicking and screaming back to her former husband, Minolaus. The Greeks return home after years of war. Many reach a tragic end on their way home to Greece. This is the story of the Trojan War that we've obtained from ancient writings. But what other sources are there to prove that Troy existed in the Trojan War actually happened besides the word of the ancient Greek philosophers? Surprisingly, historians and archaeologists have several lines of evidence to pull from besides Homer's Iliad and Virgil Zeniad. We now know that there wasn't just one city of Troy, but several different cities of Troy built on top of one another. In 1870, archaeologists discovered a site in an area of Turkey called Hisar. The ruins bore a striking resemblance to the Troy of ancient Greek writings. Unfortunately, the man who first excavated the site, Hinrich Schlyman, was not a true archaeologist as much as he was a treasure hunter. Schlimman used dynamite to blow huge holes in the archaeological site looking for jewels and anything of value. And what he found was astonishing. Real archaeologists who actually care about preserving history found that there were nine cities built on top of one another at the Hisarlic site. Schlimman had blown a hole as deep as the second city of Troy where he found jewels that he assumed belonged to Helen. But after archaeologists dated the jewels, they were found to be about a thousand years older than when the Trojan War was supposed to have taken place. Over time, archaeologists concluded that the sixth or seventh layers of the city were likely the Troy from the Iliad and where the epic story of the Trojan War was first written about. When examining the different city layers, number six is massive enough to be Troy written about by Homer. However, the city doesn't seem to be destroyed by war, but by an earthquake. At first, this made people dismiss the idea that layer 6 was the Troy they were looking for. But recent theories have put it back in the running. The giant horse written about in the Iliad might have been a metaphor for Poseidon. This is because he's not just the god of the sea, but the god of horses as well. But it gets even crazier. Poseidon is also the god of earthquakes. Therefore, Homer might have used the Trojan horse as a metaphor to explain how Poseidon caused an earthquake that breached the walls of Troy and caused them to fall. This would have allowed the Greek forces to enter the city and win the war. The seventh oldest layer at the site of Troy was almost certainly destroyed by war, as archaeologists have found arrowheads and other weapons in the streets of the city. However, the city itself does not seem to be as big or as grand as the one described in Homer's epic, which has turned some historians and archaeologists off the idea that it's the Troy from the Iliad. Then again, since Homer wasn't there, perhaps he took the war of the seventh Troy and combined it with the grandeur of the sixth Troy. So, there's very little doubt that Troy existed or that the Trojan War took place. But what about the story of the Trojan horse? How true is this piece of the story? The Trojan horse was mentioned in an ancient Greek play called the Trojan women by Uripides. This was thought to be written after the Iliad but before the Aniid. In it, the horse is metaphorical and repres