1# Women of Troy 2 3**Euripides (Athens, c. 450 BC)** 4 5## Background 6 7- Set in 415 BC, after Trojan War 8- Inspired by Homer's Iliad - mythical poem by Homer (Greek poet). Final weeks of war. 9- 416 BC - Greeks invade Melos (Peloponnesian War). Melians neutral (relationship to Sparta) 10- Athenians believed they were most civilised society 11 12### Trojan War 13 14- Eris, goddess of discord, gives golden apple to Hera, Athena, Aphrodite 15- Zeus sends Eris to decide who has apple 16- Paris/Alexander steals Helen from her husband Menelaus with help of Aphrodite 17- King Menelaus gathers army 18- Helen of Sparta becomes Helen of Troy 19- war lasted 10 years 20- Achilles & Hector killed 21- gods take sides & end war 22- Trojan horse - invented by Athena, executed by Odysseus & Athenians 23- Trojans had banquet at end of war when Trojan horse arrived 24 25### Euripides 26 27- Athenian, 450 BC 28- Golden Age - political/artistic/intellectual reneissance 29- progressive representation of female characters, graphic/uncouth plays 30- critical of society 31- Athens attacked by Sparta >5 times 32 33 34 35 36## Characters 37 38**Poseidon** - (careless) god of the sea, built Troy w/ Apollo 39**Apollo** - god, affair w/ Cassandra in exchange for persistent foresight 40**Athene** - goddess of wisdom - supported Greeks in Battle of Troy 41**Hecuba** - widow of Priam, King of Troy. Old & "grey-haired". 42**Priam** - husband of Hecuba. 50 kids. 43**Alexander** - aka Paris. Son of Priam & Hecuba. Kidnaps Helen from Sparta (most beautiful) 44**Cassandra** - their daughter, a prophetess. Manic. 45**Andromache** - their daughter-in-law, widow of Hector 46**Talthybius** - Greek officer - assigns women 47**Menelaus** - King of Sparta 48**Helen** - his wife, Trojan, imprisoned 49**Chorus** of Trojan women, captured 50**Astryanax** - small boy, Hector and Andromache's son 51**Greek soldiers** 52 53 54 55- *trojan* - native of Troy 56- Epeios (Greek) built Trojan horse to defeat King Priam of Troy (city) 57- Women are captured and enslaved/raped, men are killed 58- "All the women of Troy who've not yet been allocated are in this building here" 59- Poseidon & Athene destroy Greece with help from Zeus 60- Invasion depiction - p.26