Timed Reading — The Iliad and the Odyssey

The events after the Iliad that lead to the fall of Troy are not a part of the poem. After the burial of Hector, the Trojans call for help from various allies, and the Greeks begin to lose the war. In one battle, Paris kills Achilles with an arrow guided by Apollo. It strikes Achilles in the right heel, the only place where he is vulnerable. Ajax and Odysseus are able to rescue Achilles’ body, but quarrel over who should receive Achilles’ splendid armor. When it is awarded to Odysseus, Ajax becomes so furious that he threatens to kill some of the Greek leaders. When he realizes his lack of honor, he commits suicide.

With the death of their two greatest warriors, Ajax and Achilles, the Greeks become uneasy about ever capturing Troy. After consulting various seers and oracles, they are given a series of unusual tasks that they must complete to win the war. Although each of these tasks is accomplished, they are still not able to breach the walls of Troy.

Then Odysseus conceives a plan to get into the city. A great horse of wood is constructed with a hollow belly that can hold many warriors. At night, the horse is brought before the city. Odysseus and some of his men hide inside the horse. The rest of the Achaeans burn their camps and sail to a nearby island. The next morning, the Trojans find the Greeks gone and the huge, mysterious horse at the gates. Hearing that it is a gift to Athena, the Trojans pull the gigantic horse inside to honor the goddess.

That night, the soldiers creep out of the horse, kill the guards, and open the gates to let the Achaean army in. The Achaeans set fires throughout the city, massacre the inhabitants, and loot the city. King Priam is killed, and by morning all but a few Trojans are dead. Only Aeneas, with his father, son, and a small band of Trojans, escapes. The women who are left are given to the Greek leaders as war prizes to be used as slaves. Troy is devastated.