Events of the Trojan War and Aftermath

1195 BCE Paris Brings Helen to Troy

1195 BCE

Paris travels to Sparta while Menelaus was away, seduces his wife Helen and takes her to Troy

1195 BCE Paris Wins Helen's Hand

1195 BCE

Zeus appoints Paris to judge which goddess was more beautiful: Hera, Athena or Aphrodite. Aphrodite offered him Helen of Sparta in return.

1194 BCE The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

1194 BCE

Agamemnon sacrifices his young daughter Iphigenia to Artemis to summon the winds needed at the instruction of the seer Calchas.

1194 BCE Call to War

1194 BCE

Agamemnon summons all of the Achaeans to retrieve Helen from Troy. They all gathered to set sail from Aulis.

The Siege of Troy

Period: 1194 BCE to 1185 BCE

The war mostly took place outside the walls of Troy. The city was highly defended and practically impregnable.

1184 BCE Patroclus Dies

1184 BCE

Patroclus asked Achilles to let him lead Achilles' troops, the Myrmidons. Achilles agreed and lent Patroclus his armor. Patroclus went into battle. But then the greatest of the Trojan heroes, Hector, Son of Priam, mistaking Patroclus for Achilles, killed him.
The death of his dear Patroclus so grieved Achilles that he reconciled with Agamemnon (who returned Briseis) and entered the battle.

1184 BCE Death of Hector

1184 BCE

Achilles met Hector in single combat and killed him. Then, in his madness and grief over Patroclus, Achilles dishonored the Trojan hero's body by dragging it around the ground tied to his chariot by a belt. This belt had been given Hector by the Achaean hero Ajax in exchange for a sword. Days later, Priam, Hector's aged father and the king of Troy, persuaded Achilles to stop abusing the body and return it for proper burial.

1184 BCE Death of Paris

1184 BCE

Philoctetes was persuaded or forced to come to Troy because he possessed the bow and arrows of Heracles. He was healed by Podalirius or by Machaon, sons of Asclepius. Philoctetes then shot Paris who, seriously wounded by a poisoned arrow, returned to his first love Oenone. But she, still grieving for his betrayal, refused to heal him and he died.

1184 BCE Chryseis and Briseis

1184 BCE

Agamemnon captured Chryseis, priestess of Apollo. When he refused to return the priestess to her father, a plague struck the Achaeans.
Calchas, the seer, summoned once again, augured that health would be restored only when the priestess was returned.
Agamemnon agreed, but only if he could have a substitute war prize: Briseis, Achilles' concubine. When Agamemnon took Briseis from Achilles, the hero was outraged and refused to fight, stalling the Greeks who had been besieging Troy for 10 years

1184 BCE Gift of Achilles Armor

1184 BCE

Ajax 'the Greater' and Odysseus competed for Achilles' armor after his death. Odysseus won.
As a revenge, Ajax planned an attack on the army, but Athena drove him mad.
And when he came to his senses, he let himself fall upon the sword he had received as a gift from his enemy Hector and died.

1184 BCE Death of Achilles

1184 BCE

Paris kills Achilles, who dies from an arrow to his heel.

1183 BCE Assault of Cassandra

1183 BCE

Ajax 'the lesser' found the confusion favorable in order to rape the princess and seeress Cassandra, who was clinging to the wooden image of Athena, which is believed to have been knocked over from its stand, as he dragged her away from the sanctuary.

1183 BCE Sacrifice of Polyxena

1183 BCE

Neoptolemus sacrifices Polyxena, Daughter of Priam and Hecuba, on the Tomb of Achilles

1183 BCE Plan is Executed

1183 BCE

The fleet was guided back by Sinon, who had been left behind by the Achaeans during their pretended retreat, in order to light a beacon lamp as a signal to them. Also Helen, they say, was awake that night and signalling from her chamber to the Achaean fleet to return.
And when those who were inside the wooden horse thought that the Trojans were asleep, they opened the gates for the rest of the army, which had already returned from Tenedos.

The Trojan Horse

1183 BCE

The Trojans, finding the Achaean camp deserted and believing that they had fled, dragged the hollow wooden horse into the city, and stationed it beside the palace of Priam.
As they deliberated what they should do, the prophetess Cassandra declared that there was an armed force in it, but her words had no effect since she was fated not to be believed in her prophecies.
The seer Laocoon confirmed her prophesy but was tortured by Athena into silence.

1183 BCE Death of King Priam

1183 BCE

Achilles' sonNeoptolemus found the king of Troy at the altar of Zeus.
And Neoptolemus, dragging him out of the temple, slew him at the gate of his own palace.

1183 BCE Dividing the Spoils

1183 BCE

Once Troy was defeated, Andromache, who could have inherited the throne and palace, was given as a special award to Achilles' son Neoptolemus, just as Agamemnon received Cassandra, and Odysseus got Hecabe. Andromache's son, Little Astyanax, was thrown down by the Achaeans from the battlements at Troy

1183 BCE Deiphobus wins Helen

1183 BCE

After the death of Paris, Priams sons Deiphobus and Helenus vie for Helens hand.

1183 BCE Capture of Helenus

1183 BCE

Disgruntled Helenus retreated to Mount Ida, where Odysseus later captured him.
He tells Odysseus, perhaps after torture or coercion, how to capture Troy: the Bone of Pelops was fetched, Neoptolemus was brought to Troy, and Odysseus stole the Palladium with the help of Helen.

1182 BCE Ajax Meets His End

1182 BCE

Athena was angered that Ajax 'the Lesser' desecrated her alter. They say that Athena threw a thunderbolt against his ship which went to pieces.
Ajax made his way safe to a rock, but then Poseidon smote the rock with his trident and split it, causing him to fall into the sea and perish.

1182 BCE Calchas's Journey

1182 BCE

Calchas, the seer who instructed so many human sacrifices, journeyed southwards through Asia Minor.

1182 BCE Menelaus Fleet Destroyed

1182 BCE

Menelaus is left with only 5 ships after storms destroy the rest of his fleet

1182 BCE Fate of Agamemnon and Cassandra

1182 BCE

Agamemnon returns to Mycaena with Cassandra as his slave. Upon his return they are both murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover.

1182 BCE Odysseus's Fleet is Lost

1182 BCE

Odysseus and his twelve ships were driven off course by storms.

1182 BCE Odysseus- Lotus Eaters

1182 BCE

The crew lands on an island inhabited by the Lotus-Eaters, who offer the intoxicating lotus fruit. Consumption of the fruit induces a state of forgetfulness and a desire to abandon the journey home. Odysseus combats this lethargy by forcibly retrieving his men and compelling them to resume the voyage.

Menelaus Wanders

Period: 1182 BCE to 1174 BCE

Menelaus wandered for eight years in several Mediterranean countries before he and his wife could return to Sparta.
Menelaus, returning with five ships, came first to Sunium in Attica, but thence he was driven again by winds to Crete. And from Crete he wandered up and down Libya, and Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Egypt.

1181 BCE Neoptolemus Arrives in Epirus Islands

1181 BCE

Neoptolemus set out for the country of the Molossians by land, burying Phoenix, who died on the way. Having vanquished the Molossians, he reigned over them and became king of the islands off Epirus.

1181 BCE Odysseus and the Cyclops

1181 BCE

Odysseus and his men encounter the Cyclops Polyphemus, a formidable one-eyed giant. Polyphemus traps them in his cave and begins devouring the men. Through cunning deception, Odysseus blinds Polyphemus, enabling their escape. This act of hubris angers Poseidon, Polyphemus’s father, who curses Odysseus, ensuring prolonged suffering and adversity on his journey.

1181 BCE Orestes Visits Delphi

1181 BCE

Orestes, son of Clytemnestra, was sent to Phocis to protect him from his mother's lover.
When Orestes grew up, he went to Delphi and asked the oracle whether he should avenge his father's death. And as the oracle of Apollo told him that he should, he departed secretly to Mycenae together with Pylades.

1181 BCE Calchas Dies

1181 BCE

When the group of Calchas arrived to Colophon, they were received by the seer Mopsus.
An oracle had said that Calchas was destined to die when he met a seer superior to himself and this seer proved to be Mopsus. When these two men met they naturally began to dispute, for colleagues often look at each other with envious eyes, putting their own personal prestige in the first place and the science they practise in a subordinate position. Mopsus proved to be the better seer. Calchas died from grief.

1181 BCE Odysseus's Trials Continue

1181 BCE

Odysseus visits Aeolus, the master of the winds, who gifts him a bag containing all favorable winds to facilitate his journey. Unfortunately, Odysseus’s crew opens the bag while Odysseus sleeps, inadvertently releasing the winds and blowing the ships off course.
They then arrive at Laestrygonians, a race of giant cannibals. These monstrous beings attack the ships, destroying all but one. Odysseus and the surviving crew members narrowly escape, suffering devastating losses.

1180 BCE Odysseus and Circe

1180 BCE

Odysseus and his remaining men reach the island of the sorceress Circe.
Circe transforms several of Odysseus’s men into swine.
With divine assistance from Hermes, Odysseus resists her enchantments and compels Circe to restore his men to their human forms.
The crew remains on Circe’s island for an extended period, during which Circe imparts crucial knowledge about navigating future perils.

1180 BCE Odysseus Continues

1180 BCE

Odysseus journeys to the Underworld to consult the prophet Tiresias, who guides how to return home.
He encounters the Sirens. His men are to plug their ears with beeswax while he himself is bound to the mast.
Odysseus faces a perilous passage between Scylla, a six-headed sea monster, and Charybdis, a treacherous whirlpool.
The crew lands on the island of Helios. His starving men slaughter the divine cattle. Zeus unleashes a storm, resulting in the death of all crew members except Odysseus.

1180 BCE Neoptolemus Marries Andromache

1180 BCE

Neoptolemus married Andromache

Odysseus Lives With Calypso

Period: 1179 BCE to 1172 BCE

Odysseus washes ashore on the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso detains him for seven years, offering immortality and eternal youth in exchange for his companionship. Ultimately, the gods decree his release, and Calypso reluctantly consents, restoring him to his quest for home.

1175 BCE Orestes' Revenge

1175 BCE

Seven years after Agamemnon's death, Orestes returns fromAthensand avenges his father's death by slaying both Aegisthus and his own mother, Clytemnestra.

1174 BCE Hermione Marries Neoptolemus

1174 BCE

Neoptolemus comes to Sparta and demands Hermione from Menelaus.
She was promised to Orestes who, at the time, was insane.
Menelaus decided to honour the promise he had made at Troy and gave Hermione to Neoptolemus.

1174 BCE Orestes Pleads with Menelaus

1174 BCE

On his return via Argos, Menelaus met his nephew Orestes, who had just avenged his father's murder, and was pursued by the laws of men as well as by those divine.
Threatened by the death penalty, Orestes asked Menelaus for help, reminding him of the assistance he had received from Agamemnon when Helen was abducted.
But Menelaus, who was not ready to help, just promised to beg the citizens and Tyndareus, father of both Helen and Clytaemnestra, for mercy.

1174 BCE Menalaus Returns to Sparta

1174 BCE

Menelaus then did as instructed, and eight years after leaving Troy he returned home with Helen.

1174 BCE Orestes Goes Mad

1174 BCE

Orestesgoes mad and spends most of the time in bed, wasted with a fierce disease, having fits of insanity, and is pursued by theErinyes (Furies), whose duty it is to punish any violation of the ties of family piety.
He takes refuge in the temple atDelphi, but even thoughApollohad ordered him to kill his mother, the god is powerless to protect Orestes from the consequences.

1173 BCE Helen Removed by Apollo

1173 BCE

Orestes and his sister devise a plan to murder Helen to force the hand of Menelaus.
Apollo comes down and takes Helen to heaven.

1173 BCE Hermione and Andromache's Feud

1173 BCE

Neoptolemus made Hermione his queen, keeping Andromache as a concubine.
Hermione remained childless, and accused Andromache of using spells.
Hermione plotted against Andromache's life during Neoptolemus' absence.
Neoptolemus was in Delphi for the second time, wishing to make amends to Apollo.
Menelaus came to Neoptolemus' palace decided, on behalf of his daughter, to kill Andromache and give the child Molossus to Hermione.
Neoptolemus' grandfather Peleus arrived and saved Andromache's life.

1173 BCE Trial of Orestes

1173 BCE

Orestes went from Delphi to Athens, where he was brought to trial by the ERINYES.
The votes at his trial were equal, and that is why Orestes was acquitted, being helped by Athena, who presided over the first court that tried a case of homicide.
However, Orestes remained insane after the trial, having fits of madness as before. Once he bit off one of his fingers, the ERINYES ceased to torture him, and he recovered his senses.

1172 BCE Orestes Retrieves Hermione

1172 BCE

Orestes travels to Neoptolemus' palace and reclaims Hermione, who was happy to marry him.

1172 BCE Odysseus Returns to Ithica

1172 BCE

Odysseus is shipwrecked. The Phaeacians provide Odysseus with a ship and crew.
Odysseus arrives in Ithaca. Disguised as a beggar by Athena’s intervention he sees the suitors. Reuniting secretly with his son, Telemachus, they plot to reclaim the throne.
Odysseus reveals his true identity and orchestrates the slaughter of the suitors. This act restores order and reestablishes his rightful place as the ruler of Ithaca.
After proving his identity Odysseus and Penelope are joyously reunited.

1172 BCE Odysseus's Exile

1172 BCE

Because of this massacre, Odysseus was accused by the kinfolk of the slain suitors, and then he submitted the case to the judgment of King Neoptolemus of Epirus, who condemned him to exile.

1171 BCE Orestes Kills Neoptolemus

1171 BCE

Orestes went with an armed force to Delphi when Neoptolemus was there and killed him.
To suffer what a man has himself done to another is called "The Punishment of Neoptolemus," for Neoptolemus killed King Priam in a temple and was himself killed in a temple.

Odysseus Lives in Thesprotia

Period: 1171 BCE to 1155 BCE

Odysseus takes his exile in the land of the Thesprotians. There he married the queen Callidice. When Callidice died, Odysseus returned home to Ithaca, leaving their son, Polypoetes, to rule Thesprotia.

1165 BCE Menelaus Dies

1165 BCE

Menelaus dies of old age and was made immortal by Hera, and some affirm that he dwells in the Elysian Fields or Blessed Islands together with Helen.

1160 BCE Orestes Dies

1160 BCE

Orestes was killed in Arcadia by the bite of a snake. Hermiones death was never reported

1155 BCE Odysseus Dies

1155 BCE

When Telegonus learned from his mother, Circe, that he was the son of Odysseus, he sailed in search of his father.
Having come to Ithaca, he drove away some of the cattle, and when Odysseus defended them, Telegonus wounded him with the spear he had in his hands, which was barbed with the spine of a stingray, and Odysseus died of the wound.
Telegonus then recognised him and bitterly lamented what he had done.