The Trojan War Saga - Season One Complete - Greek Mythology in Comics - See U in History

In distant Asia Minor, a city shone whose name was Troy. The wealth and splendor of this metropolis eclipsed all neighboring cities. It also had magnificent walls built by the gods. This kingdom developed rapidly. Some people said that the city would become more developed than the legendary Atlantis. But the spinning goddesses of fate knew that the only similarity between Troy and Atlantis was their sad fate. In Troy reigned Priam alongside his wife Hecuba. He had already had his firstborn son Hector, and the queen was pregnant again. The night before the baby was born, the queen had a terrible nightmare. In this dream, the city of Troy was burning in flames. The king visited the oracle to try to understand the meaning of the dream. The answer given by the oracle was desperate. It was said that the birth of the second child would ruin Troy. On that same day, Hecuba gave birth to the child. He was a strong and healthy baby boy. But Priam just wanted to avoid that terrible prophecy. The baby had to be sacrificed to safeguard his kingdom. Hecuba tried to protect her son, whom she had named Alexander, but could do nothing in the face of the king's will. The baby was handed over to the shepherd Agilus, who was given the mission to kill the baby. The shepherd took the baby to a forest at the foot of Mount Ida. But when he arrived there, he didn't have enough courage to carry out the task. He put the baby on the ground and abandoned him to his fate. After several days, the shepherd still had the image of the baby in his mind. He decided to return to the place where he had abandoned him. Incredibly, the baby was in good health, suckled by a she-bear. The shepherd realized that the life of the little prince of Troy would not end prematurely, for this was the will of the gods. Agilus took the child and raised him as his son. The baby was named Paris, and grew up along with Agilus' other sons. Paris became a man of impressive beauty, also having great physical strength. Like his adoptive father, he became a shepherd. He had a bucolic life in the countryside. His was the beautiful nymph Oinone, who swore him eternal love. His life did not seem fit for the prophesied destiny, but he did not know that he was about to make a choice that would affect everyone around him. Young Paris, while tending his flock, noticed that one of his young rams was straying away from the others, heading for a cave. He went to the cave to search for the lost ram, but inside the cave, Paris found something unbelievable. There were three women with divine beauty. The shepherd did not doubt that they could only be goddesses. The young man did not know that he was about to make a decision that would change the fate of the world forever. Earlier that same day, the Nereid Thetis married the hero Paleus. All the deities were invited to the marriage. The gods satisfied themselves at a great and lively banquet. But one goddess was not invited. Eris, the goddess of discord. She was furious and decided to take revenge. Sitting at the banquet table, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Hera, the queen of the gods, were chatting amiably. The goddess of discord flew over the table and dropped a beautiful golden apple between the goddesses. On the beautiful bud was the inscription, To the most beautiful. This apple would become known as the apple of discord. The three goddesses fought over the apple. After all, each considered herself the most beautiful among the goddesses. With his powerful roar, Zeus stopped the goddess' dispute. He said that attitude was not worthy of such important divinities. Zeus thought of a way to solve the standoff. He chose an impartial judge to elect the most beautiful of the goddesses. The apple of discord was given to Hermes, who would lead the goddesses to the judge. Of all the men in the world, the young shepherd Paris was chosen to settle the dispute. He was not the wisest, nor was he a great connoisseur of the concept of justice. But the Morai, the women of destiny, had woven this future for him. After learning of his task, the goddesses were introduced to the shepherd. I am Hera, the wife of Zeus. Choose me as the most beautiful and I will make you the richest king in all Asia, give you a palace as splendid as Olympus. I am Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. Choose me and you will be the greatest general ever. Instead of commanding herds, you will lead armies and be known as a great conqueror. And I am Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. My epithets would already guarantee me the title of the most beautiful of them all. Choose me and I will give you the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. Aphrodite showed him the image of the beautiful princess Helen of Sparta. Paris' heart was won by the desire to have that woman so beautiful that she could only be compared to the goddess of beauty herself. Thus, the young Paris handed the golden apple to Aphrodite. The goddess of beauty celebrated her victory, but resentment remained in the hearts of the two unsuccessful goddesses. The goddesses Athena and Hera vowed to take revenge on the Trojan prince, and the people of Troy would pay a great price for Paris' choice. The city of Sparta was celebrating the return of the princess Helen, who had been kidnapped by the hero Theseus, but had been rescued by her twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Helen was looking for a suitor, and, because of her beauty, she was the most desired princess in Greece. Knowing that the beautiful Helen had reached the age to marry, all the suitors went to Sparta. Her father, King Tyndareus of Sparta, did not know which husband to choose for his daughter, for any choice might offend the others. He was at a crossroads. Among the nobles was Odysseus, the king of the island of Ithaca, known for his cunning and sagacious mind. Although he was the son of Laertes, one of the Argonauts, some said that he was actually the son of Sisyphus, the man so clever that he tricked the gods and even death. Odysseus had no interest in Helen. He knew that such a beautiful woman would only bring him trouble, and his heart was already in love with Penelope. She was not as beautiful as Helen, but she was much more intelligent. The shrewd nobleman approached the king and made him a proposal. He asked the monarch to use his influence over his brother Icarius to convince him to give Penelope's hand in marriage. By doing this, he would help the king resolve that difficult situation. Tyndareus, aware of Odysseus' famous shrewdness, readily accepted the proposal, and Odysseus told him what the monarch would have to do. After listening to Odysseus' plan, Helen's father spoke to the suitors. With all solemnity, the king said that he would not interfere with the will of the gods. Therefore, he would let Princess Helen choose her husband. The suitors cheered up. Those who thought they had little chance of being chosen by the king realized that there was a new window of opportunity. But the king demanded that everyone would have to swear to accept Helen's decision, and they would defend the sacredness of that marriage, even if it led to war. All the suitors accepted the Spartan king's proposal and took the oath, sealed with the sacrifice of a horse. Helen was allowed to choose her husband. She carefully evaluated everyone. Among them, the bravest warriors, kings, and nobles of Greece. The only man unavailable was Agamemnon, the powerful king of Mycenae, married to Clytemnestra, her sister, until she saw Prince Menelaus, so handsome that her knees trembled. Everything happened as Odysseus and the king had planned. The king of Ithaca was sure that Helen would choose Menelaus, because he was undoubtedly the most attractive. And Odysseus knew of Princess Helen's youthful naivete, which would cause her to choose the most handsome man. But the cunning king of Ithaca had a much more strategic vision in allowing Helen to choose her husband. Menelaus was not just any nobleman. He was the brother of Agamemnon, the most powerful king in all Greece. In this way, the other suitors would never attempt to enter a contest for Helen, for fear of the wrath of Menelaus and his powerful brother. Just as he promised, Icarius, Penelope's father, gave his daughter to the hero. Thus, Odysseus cleverly conquered one of Greece's most precious treasures. Helen and Menelaus married, and with the death of Tyndareus, the couple inherited the throne of Sparta. For several years, the couple lived in relative harmony, and Princess Hermione was born of this union. But the kingdom of Sparta would be shaken by a storm. King Priam of Troy had more than 50 children. Among them were the twins Cassandra and Helenus. Early in their infancy, their father decided that they would be given to serve in the temple of Apollo. One day, when they were still children, they both played in Apollo's temple and forgot the time to return home. As it was already late, they decided to sleep in the temple. During the night, a serpent sent by Apollo licked the youngsters' ears, and thus they received the gift of prophecy. Young Cassandra grew up to be a beautiful woman, who marveled the god Apollo. The god declared his love for the young girl, but she rejected him. Apollo managed to hide his anger at her rejection and asked her for only one kiss. When the young woman brought her lips close to the god, he spat in her mouth and cursed her. Cassandra still had the power of prophecy, but had lost the power of persuasion. In this way, no one ever believed in her prophecies again. Cassandra came to be seen and treated as crazy. If poor Cassandra had not rejected the god Apollo, the great bloodbath that was coming could have been avoided. In Troy, preparations were being made for the annual festival in honor of Prince Alexander of Troy, who everyone believed had died. The soldiers of the royalty went to Mount Ida in search of prizes for the winners of the festival games. The guards chose the shepherd Paris' favorite bull as a tribute for the games, but he was unwilling to lose the animal he held so dear. So he went to Troy to participate in the tournament and try to get his bull back. Oenone, the nymph who lived with Paris as if she were his wife, prophesied. If he left for Troy, he would never have her in his arms again, as he would cross the Aegean Sea and find another woman who would win his heart. And when he finally decided to seek Oenone again, it would be too late. The young shepherd had never been to a city like Troy and was amazed at its splendor and grandeur. He signed up for the games, where he would fight against the best warriors of Troy. Among them were some of King Priam's sons, including Hector, the crown prince. The daring shepherd beat each of his opponents in the tournament, including some of King Priam's sons. Paris made it to the final of the tournament, where he would face Hector, the bravest Trojan warrior. The fight between the lost son of Priam and his heir and champion of Troy was close, but unbelievably, Paris defeated the mighty Hector. Diaphobus, also King Priam's son, was furious to see a shepherd humiliate the royal house of Troy. He and his followers took up their weapons and attacked Paris. The shepherd fled and found shelter in Zeus' temple. Cassandra, the discredited prophetess, who had already recognized her brother and knew that he would lead Troy to ruin, cried out for them to kill Paris. But instead of listening to Cassandra's cries, King Priam and Queen Hecuba asked the pursuers of Paris to stay away. The queen approached Paris and, through tears, recognized that this was her son whom she thought was dead. Agilus, the foster father of Paris, confessed that he didn't dare to kill the prince when he was just a baby, and that the mori would have chosen a different fate for him. Agilus showed the rattle made by Hecuba for her baby, and all doubts about the prince's identity were dispelled. The parents of Paris, in tears, embraced their reborn son, and everyone celebrated the return of the Trojan prince. It had been ten years since Paris had regained his position as Prince of Troy. Suddenly, an entourage from Sparta docked at a location near Troy. Menelaus, the king of Sparta, was leading the Greek entourage, which asked permission to take the remains of Greek warriors, who were still there from the conflict between the Achaeans and the Trojans. Paris was responsible for hospitality receiving the visitors, according to Trojan tradition. The Greeks were very pleased with the welcome. Before leaving, Menelaus stated that he wanted to repay the prince's hospitality, and invited him to visit Sparta. Priam, the king of Troy, was missing his sister Hesion, who had been kidnapped by the Greeks when Hercules attacked Troy. The king decided to organize a squadron that would leave for Greece to recover the king's sister, who was at Salamis. The monarch allowed all necessary means to be used to accomplish his mission. The command of the expedition was given to Prince Paris, who would have the help of Aeneas, prince of Dardanus. With the help of the goddess Aphrodite, the winds drove the Trojan ships toward the Spartan coast. Paris took advantage of the invitation extended by Menelaus to improve his relationship with Sparta and re-establish his forces before setting sail for Salamis, where the sister of the king of Troy was. King Menelaus was very pleased and welcomed the Trojans, wanting to show the best of Greek hospitality. Menelaus was very proud of his beautiful wife, and so he ordered her to wear her most beautiful attire to be presented before the Trojan entourage. Paris was amazed to find the beautiful queen Helen. She could only be the woman who Aphrodite had promised her love. The naive queen did not know that Eros was spying on her with his bow at the behest of Aphrodite. Helen was also surprised by the charm and beauty of the prince from Asia. He was more handsome than all the Greeks she had ever seen. Menelaus was perhaps the most handsome of the Greek kings, but his beauty was eclipsed by Paris, who had an almost divine pulchritude. The queen's heart was pierced by one of Eros' arrows, and Helen suddenly fell in love with the Trojan prince. The following days were marked by feasts and banquets promoted by the king of Sparta in honor of his noble Trojan guests. Far from the king's eyes, a flame warmed the hearts of the Trojan prince and the queen of Sparta. But, as if fate was written, a piece of news from the island of Crete facilitated the fulfillment of Aphrodite's promise. Catreus, Menelaus' grandfather and king of Crete, had died. So Menelaus left to be present at the funeral in Crete, but he left his guest in the care of the queen, who would reign in his place. As soon as the king of Sparta left, Paris and Helen materialized all the repressed passion. The adulterous couple was consumed by a passionate madness. The prince of Troy and the queen of Sparta decided to flee together to Troy. Paris would still commit one last sin against Menelaus' hospitality. He gathered his men to rob the treasury of Sparta. The palace's small defensive line was surprised and could do nothing to protect their king's treasures. The population of Sparta revolted against the Trojans and tried to prevent the escape of Paris, who was attempting to kidnap their queen. They hurled stones and arrows, but, protected by the Trojan guard, the couple managed to embark safely. The Trojan squadron left Sparta carrying on its deck a great treasure in gold, silver, and jewels. The couple of lovers seemed satisfied and believed to be on their way to happiness. But the trail left by the lovers was followed by Ares, the god of war, and his sinister retinue. Paris and Helen would bring war, death, and despair to Troy. Helen's abduction would be the trigger for the beginning of a conflict that would be sung about for millennia to come. The War of Troy was beginning. Queen Helen of Sparta and the Trojan prince Paris docked on the island of Cranae, near the coast of Peloponnese. They were drunk with passion instilled by Eros and wished to materialize that feeling. Paris and Helen had their first night of love on the beaches of Cranae. Meanwhile, the other Trojans were having fun with the treasures stolen from Menelaus. But the news quickly reached Crete, where Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon were still mourning the body of their grandfather. Menelaus felt an enormous fury and thirst for revenge. Agamemnon tried to calm his brother and assured him that he would do everything possible to enforce the oath that the Greek nobles took when Helen chose Menelaus as her husband. In the glorious city of Mycenae, Greece, dozens of warlords entered through the legendary Lion Gate and made themselves available to fulfill the oath. Before Agamemnon and Menelaus, they made their warriors available. These nobles had various motives. Some were motivated by honor, others seeked to profit from the plunder of the rich city of Troy, and others, above all, desired glory. A gigantic army was formed with the goal of rescuing the Spartan queen. But the wise Nestor was an old king who had already participated in the most varied missions. He knew that they couldn't leave for Troy without recruiting the cunning King Odysseus of Ithaca. The small island of Ithaca was not very wealthy, and its few soldiers were not renowned. But its king was known to be clever, an attribute that could make a huge difference during the Greek campaign against Troy. Odysseus led a full life with his beautiful wife Penelope, with whom he had a son named Telemachus. When Odysseus heard that the Greek kings had gathered to fight Troy, he knew that someone would soon summon him. The king of Ithaca had no desire to leave his kingdom and family to take part in an uncertain adventure. So he decided to visit the Oracle. If he were told that the war would be short and that he would return safe and sound, he would participate in the mission. But if the prophecy said otherwise, Odysseus would find a way to slip away. Halitherses, the old soothsayer, prophesied if Odysseus left for Troy, he would not return until 20 years later. During that period, he would lose all his men and no one would recognize him. Faced with this omen, Odysseus decided to do everything possible to prevent his going to Troy. Odysseus pretended to be mad. The news that the king of Ithaca had gone crazy spread throughout Hellas. The news reached the kings who were gathered around Agamemnon, saddening them. But Palamedes, the king of Euboea, who was almost as intelligent as Odysseus, was suspicious. Palamedes, Melaneas, and Agamemnon left for Ithaca to check on Odysseus' situation. They were greeted upon arrival by the beautiful Penelope, with her son Telemachus on her lap. She seemed saddened by her husband's situation. Odysseus worked the land with a plow pulled by an ox and a donkey, an unusual combination. In addition, he sowed the land with salt. Menelaus and Agamemnon found that Odysseus had lost his lucidity. But Palamedes, despite that grotesque scene, was not convinced. He took the hero's son from his mother's arms and placed him in front of the path Odysseus was walking with the plow. The king of Ithaca stopped the animals abruptly so as not to run over his son, proving that his madness was just a trick. Odysseus glared furiously at Palamedes as he returned his son to his mother's arms. Odysseus asked his countrymen to forget that episode, for their future was Troy. He vowed that he would fight the Trojans with unparalleled courage, together with the two sons of Atreus. Odysseus left for war, leaving behind his beloved wife and little son. Odysseus would never forgive Palamedes for having unmasked him. As soon as there was an opportunity, he would take revenge on the king of Euboea for putting his son at risk and driving the patriarch away from his family. Meanwhile, Odysseus was given his first mission, to find the whereabouts of Peleus' famous son, named Achilles. Achilles had barely come of age. However, despite his youth, he was already recognized as the best Greek warrior. Achilles was the son of King Peleus of Thessaly, with Thetis, a sea deity. There was a myth that claimed his invulnerability. When he was a baby, his mother immersed him in the sacred river Styx. Due to this ritual, he would be protected by the gods. His only weak point was his heel, which did not touch the water of the sacred river. Achilles grew up and, together with his faithful friend Patroclus, was trained by the centaur Chira, the renowned trainer of heroes, to become the greatest warrior of his time. Greek preparation for war was advanced, but King Agamemnon knew that the Hellenes would not leave for Troy without their greatest hero. The diviner Colchus had predicted that, without Achilles among the Achaeans, victory in Troy would be impossible. Odysseus, upon learning of this prophecy, set out in search of Achilles. The hero of Ithaca strongly desired the success of this expedition, so that he could return safe and sound to his land, where he would meet again his beloved Penelope and his son Telemachus. Thetis knew about the prophecy which claimed that, if her son fought at Troy, he would never return alive. And, making use of matriarchal power, she ordered Achilles to hide in the court of King Lycomedes. There, he would dress as a woman and mingle among the countless daughters of the king, receiving the name of Pyra. In this court also lived the princess Didamia, Achilles' girlfriend, with whom he already had a four-year-old son. His name was Neoptolemus, nicknamed Pyrus. Following some clues, Odysseus arrived at the palace of King Lycomedes, who received him with every hospitality and introduced him to his many daughters. Among them was Achilles in disguise. The king of Ithaca had with him gifts for Lycomedes' daughters. On a table, he placed jewelry, Egyptian makeup, perfumes, mirrors, silk, and a sword. The girls were excited to see the gifts. They began to try the gifts, and Odysseus noticed that one had her eyes fixed on the sword. Suddenly, one of Odysseus' men ran into the palace, shouting that they were being attacked by pirates. The girls screamed hysterically, running to their rooms, but Achilles instinctively grabbed his sword and assumed a fighting stance. There were no pirates. It was all a ploy organized by Odysseus, and in this way, the cross-dressing hero was unmasked. Achilles, feeling ashamed that he had been exposed, was pleased to be summoned to head for Troy along with the other Greek heroes. He had remained hidden only by the action of his divine mother. Achilles bade farewell to the princess Didamia and his son Pyrrhus. This little boy was destined to achieve glories almost as great as those of his father. Achilles promised Odysseus that he would gather his men and join Agamemnon's army to achieve glory in front of the walls of Troy. While Agamemnon was managing the last preparations before leaving with his gigantic army towards Troy, he decided to send an embassy to the court of King Priam of Troy on a diplomatic mission. The Greek delegation included the astute Odysseus of Ithaca, Palamedes of the island of Euboea, and Menelaus, king of Sparta. The arrival of the Hellenic entourage surprised the entire Trojan court. Until that moment, news of Helen's abduction had not yet reached Troy. The Greek heroes demanded an audience with King Priam to deal with their prince's terrible offenses. Priam received the emissaries in his palace, believing that the litigants would ask for the rescue of Princess Hesio. After all, that was the purpose of the Although Odysseus was known to solve any situation, his rival Palamedes was the leader of the entourage. Palamedes was known to have the gift of speech and to have a silver tongue. He was so good with words that he was the inventor of several letters of the Greek alphabet. The leader of the entourage presented his case to the king of Troy, exposing the crime against hospitality committed by Paris, who kidnapped his host's wife and stole his treasures. Palamedes demanded that the king of Troy peacefully return the queen of Sparta to her husband, and he threatened to take the war into Trojan territory if King Agamemnon's demands were not met. At that moment, Priam's sons took up their swords, feeling offended at the Greek threat. But Priam ordered the princes to put away their King Priam claimed to be unaware of his son's actions, and said that the Greek queen was not hiding in his court. The king also said that the Greeks had no morals to support such demands. After all, in the recent past, Hercules had kidnapped the princess Hesione of Troy, taking her to Greece. Priam said he would return Helen to the Greeks if they would return his sister, whom he had not seen for a long time. Palamedes emphasized that the great king Agamemnon's terms were non-negotiable. Hesione lives happily in Salamis, where she reigned alongside her husband, having sent her beloved son Teucros to join the huge Hellenic army to turn the walls of Troy into dust. Trying to keep calm, Priam said that, given the case, Queen Helen of Sparta would be returned to her homeland if she appeared at court, and that was her wish. Otherwise, she would have asylum and protection in Troy. Odysseus realized that Palamedes was only increasing the animosity between the two peoples. The king of Ithaca tried to lessen the tension of Palamedes and Priam's speeches. He, upon entering Troy, had realized that the city was a real fortress, and the walls built by Apollo and Poseidon were practically impenetrable. A siege of that city would make the war last for years. Therefore, Odysseus tried to get Palamedes and Priam to come to a reasonable agreement. But the Trojan king had his pride wounded by Palamedes' threats, who sowed seeds of Arras in Priam's heart. The diplomatic mission failed. War was around the and the hatred Odysseus felt for Palamedes grew. His rivals squandered the opportunity to keep peace between the two peoples. In Greece, several kings presented themselves at Aulis, where the great army was forming. These kings gathered there to fulfill the oath sealed among the nobles, who swore to defend the marriage of Menelaus and Helen of Sparta. And, to fulfill that oath, the nobles sent their ships and best warriors to form the greatest army the Greek world had ever seen. The Hellenes wished that Nemesis and the Erinyes would be on the Greek side in their quest for revenge and retribution, fomented by the injury to Paris, the Trojan prince, who had violated the enforced laws of Zeus by kidnapping the beautiful Queen Helen. All the resources and supplies needed to further the endeavor against the Trojans were gathered. And diplomatic efforts to avoid a full-scale conflict had failed. War was about to break out. The order was given for all commanders and men to prepare to depart. As soon as the wind conditions were favorable, the mighty army would leave for Asia. All the armies were mobilized, but a great calm was felt on the beaches of Aulis. The wind necessary for the departure stopped blowing. Not even a simple breeze seemed to help the efforts of the Achaeans. Several windless days passed. The soldiers, who had long been waiting, began to grow impatient. The temporary camps had not been planned for such a long stay. Supply problems and disease proliferation began to lower the morale of the combatants. Some soldiers died ingloriously, without having set foot on Trojan land. Discontent was general. It seemed that the gods were not willing to favor the Greeks in their goals. All kinds of rumors began to circulate through the camp. To prevent the situation from getting completely out of control, the nobles decided to turn to a well-known seer. His name was Calchas. The priest was appointed as the official seer of the Greek army. At that time, no army had the courage to go off to war without a seer capable of interpreting the auspices of the gods. By observing the flight of birds and examining the entrails of animals sacrificed to the gods, these priests were able to communicate with the gods. And, through the prophetic powers granted by Apollo, these men were able to reveal the wishes of the gods. The men gathered around and watched Calchas apprehensively as he looked to the sky for a message from the gods. The seer's serene expression quickly changed to a sorrowful countenance. The seer addressed the crowd and revealed the will of the gods. He stated that such tranquility was not just a meteorological phenomenon. The absence of wind was a reprisal of the goddess Artemis against Agamemnon. The king, son of Atreus, had killed one of the deer consecrated to the goddess Artemis during a hunt. And, as if that were not enough, Agamemnon had the courage to say that not even the goddess of hunting could kill that creature with such a sharp blow. Offended, the goddess demanded that the winds stop blowing on the shores of Aeolus until the great king was reconciled with the goddess. To do that, he would have to sacrifice what he loved most, his beautiful young daughter Iphigenia. Great sorrow struck all who heard those omens. But no one would suffer more than Agamemnon. The great camp of the Greek army was exceedingly silent. The terrible omen uttered by the seer Calchas affected all the Achaeans. After all, to demand of a man the sacrifice of his beloved daughter seemed inconceivable. In his tent, the great sovereign Agamemnon was dismayed at his terrible fate imposed by the ladies of destiny. His greatest desire had always been to have all the Greek nobles under his command, seeking a common goal. But he was not prepared to pay the horrendous price needed to fulfill his ambitions. The king of Mycenae talked to his brother Menelaus and said that he would not sacrifice his beloved daughter just to rescue his brother's wife, who had been kidnapped by the Trojans. And he stated that his wife, Clytemnestra, would never allow one of her daughters to be sacrificed. Menelaus, who initially understood his brother's pain, was more incisive, showing the truth that his brother's pain did not allow him to decipher. He said that the thousands of men who were there were someone's sons, and that that father sent his most precious treasure to fight and sacrifice for the honor of the people. These patriarchs put into his hands the most formidable generation of young men that Greece had ever produced, to shed their sweat and blood for the glory and pride of their land. The most powerful man in He knew that there was no other way but to carry out the will of the gods. Agamemnon knew that his wife would not agree with that decision, so he decided to deceive her. In his letter to the queen, Agamemnon called for the presence of the princess Iphigenia in the military camp to celebrate her marriage to the renowned hero Achilles. Menelaus and the other Greeks were pleased with Agamemnon's brave decision, but Odysseus remained suspicious. In the evening, another messenger hastily departed from the tent of the paramount chief, unaware that Menelaus and Odysseus were watching him. They intercepted the messenger, carrying a message for the queen of Mycenae, ordering her not to bring her daughter to the A short time later, Iphigenia and Queen Clytemnestra arrived at the camp of the Achaeans. They realized that the reception was very different from what they had imagined, as it resembled a funeral. Agamemnon pressed his daughter against his chest, and many tears fell from his eyes. The princess was surprised as she had never seen her father cry. The queen told her not to worry, as he was thrilled to give his beloved daughter to another man. Suddenly, in a fluke, Achilles passed nearby, and seeing him, the queen congratulated the man on his betrothal. But Achilles did not seem to understand what was happening, as he had not established any marriage. Achilles quickly realized Agamemnon's plot. The latter had used Achilles' name to lure his daughter into sacrifice. Feeling outraged, he revealed the whole truth to the queen. Clytemnestra knelt at Achilles' feet, and, taking his hand, begged him to defend her daughter against such a treacherous act. Achilles assured the queen that he would defend Iphigenia and her honor, even if it cost him his life. The queen ran to Agamemnon's tent, where the priests who had organized the sacrifice were already gathered. Clytemnestra embraced her daughter to protect her, and told her everything her father had prepared. The young princess could not believe that her father would be capable of such a thing. Iphigenia begged her father not to let them sacrifice her, as she was innocent and had nothing to do with that dispute. But consumed with sorrow, Agamemnon said that it was the will of the gods, and before them even the mightiest of kings was powerless. Achilles suddenly entered the tent, sword drawn, and said that no one would touch the princess while he was alive. He also said that if they killed him, the whole expedition would be ruined, as it was prophesied that the Greeks would only achieve victory if he fought on the walls of Troy. The young princess seemed to be moved by the wisdom of the gods, and Achilles put down his sword. She said she would agree to be sacrificed, for on this depended the lives of all the Greek warriors, and of the sons of Greece who would shed their blood on Trojan soil. She would give her blood on behalf of all the women of Greece. Achilles took Iphigenia's hands, and told her that she was the most virtuous woman he had ever known. He added that he would have had the highest of honors if he had been her husband, if that had been the will of the gods. Iphigenia asked her mother to forgive her father, as he had no other choice but to obey the will of the gods. The whole army was moved to see the princess haughtily climb the stairs that led to the altar of sacrifice. Agamemnon placed the dagger around the neck of his daughter, who calmly offered it. She asked the goddess Artemis to accept the supreme sacrifice on behalf of all Greece. The king, letting out a great cry of pain, slashed the neck of his beloved daughter. Shortly afterward, Agamemnon laid the inert body of Iphigenia on the altar. A strong wind began to blow towards Troy, and the thousands of warriors on the beaches of Aeolus celebrated the heroic sacrifice of Princess Iphigenia. Agamemnon, still covered in his daughter's blood, swore that Troy would be ruined and that he would use its ashes to build a monument to Iphigenia's sacrifice.