Dateline: Troy

Fleischman, Paul. Dateline: Troy. 1996. 80p. ISBN 1-56402-469-5. Available at 398.2 FLE on the library shelves.

The Trojan War is one of the better known ancient conflicts that pitted Greek city states against Troy. When Zeus was asked to judge who was the fairest between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, he decided that Paris of Troy should judge. Reputed a fair judge, Paris was promised Helen’s hand if he selected Aphrodites as the fairest. After doing so, Helen was struck and when she met Paris she immediately decided to be with him. Paris maneuvered Helen’s husband out of the way, then departed with the Greeks’ treasure and their most beautiful woman and returned to Troy.

Bound to help the King of Sparta, other Greek cities sent soldiers and commanded that Troy send Helen back. Upon Troy’s refusal, the Greeks set sail and lay siege to the city. At turn plagued and helped by the Gods, who were fighting each other, the Greeks eventually managed to enter Troy’s formidable defenses using a wooden horse as an stratagem. Many Greek heroes died during the ten years that the war lasted, and in the end all most the combatants found ruin and death.

Out of this foundational myth arise stories such as Odysseus and the founding of Rome.

Told in alternate pages with a summary and newspaper headlines, this book demonstrates that the story lines that influenced live over 2,500 years ago are still with us today. The tragedy that is Troy and humankind’s cupidity continues to influence the world today.