The Legend of The Trojan War:

There was a huge wedding on Mount Olympus (Home of the Gods). All of the Gods and Goddesses were invited; except for one, Eris The Goddess of Discord. She was furious!! So she came up with a plan to get back everyone at the wedding. She created a golden apple that had marking on it "For the Fairest". She figured that all of the women at the party would say the apple was for them (because they were so vain). Turns out Eris was right, a cat fight ensued. In the end there were 3 Goddesses still standing. Hera (Goddess of Marriage and Family) Zeus' wife and sister, Athena (Goddess of Wisdom and War) Zeus' daughter, and Aphrodite (Goddess of Love and Beauty) (Zeus' Muse, daughter).

The decision on who was to be named the fairest was given to Zeus. Zeus refused to judge because he didn't want any of the contestants mad at him. So Zeus told Paris, Prince of Troy that he would have to choose. So, The Goddesses traveled to Mount Ida to try and pursuade Paris to pick them as the fairest. Hera offered Paris wealth and power, Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife (even though he was already married), and Athena offered him fame in battle.

Paris chose Aphrodite. So, Aphrodite took him to pck up the most beautful woman in the world (Helen). Turns out she was married too. Her husband was King Menelaus of Greece. He was livid that Paris took his wife, Helen. He asked his brother, Agamemnon, to lead the Greeks to Troy to get his wife back. Two men that were great warriors did not want to go, Achilles' Mother tried to hide him in woman's clothes, so he would not have to go. He was found out when he went to a market and went straight to the weapons' table and handled them like an expert. Odysseus did not want to leave his newborn son, Telemachus, and his wife Penelope, so he feigned insanity. They found him out by placing his newborn son infront of a plow. Odysseus stopped and saved his baby, so they knew he was faking it.

They sailed to Troy and fought for 9 long years. In the 10th year (the last year of the war)a fight ensues between Agamemnon (leader of the Greeks) and Achilles (The greatest warrior of the Greeks),it is what changes the course of the war, and the main story line of The Iliad . Agamemnon had taken Chryseis (the daughter of a priest of Apollo) as his captive. The Priest begged to get his daughter back, but Agamemnon refused. So, the  Priest prayed to Apollo to help him get his daughter back. Apollo heard his prayers and sent a sickness to the Greeks. All of the Greeks became ill and could not fight.

Achilles went to Agamemnon and begged for him to release Chryseis, Agamemnon refused. Agamemnon finally agreed to release her, but only if Achilles gave Agamemnon his captive. So, Achilles did , but said he would no longer fight. This caused the Greeks to start losing the war. Everyone begged Achilles to return to the war. Finally his best friend, Patroclus implored him to return, Achilles still said no, but gave Patroclus his famous suit of an armor.

During a battle Hector (the greatest warrior in Troy and Paris' brother) killed Patroclus thinking he was Achilles). This action ignites rage in Achilles, and gets him to return to battle to avenge Patroclus' death. Achilles kills Hector, then drags his body by chariot all around Troy. King Priam (father of Paris and Hector) begged Achilles to release Hector's remains, so that he could be given a proper burial (very important to the Greeks). Achilles obliges and they continue fighting. Odysseus and Ajax both want the suit of armor. Ajax never forgives Odysseus for getting the suit.

The war is finally won by a trick. Odysseus creates a large wooden horse, he says to let the Trojans think they have won. Make it appear as if their ships are heading home, and present the horse as an offering to the Goddess Athena. Meanwhile, the horse was packed with the warriors, waiting to surprise attack the Trojans.

One problem, a priest of Troy, Laocoon warned the Trojans not accept the gift because it was a trick. At that point Athena (friend of Odysseus) asked her Father Zeus to get rid of Laocoon. Zeus complied and asked Poseidon to assist. Poseidon sent two serpents from the sea to eat Laocoon and his two sons. After that the plan worked perfectly. 

The Trojans partied all night and passed out, the Greeks then climbed out of the horse and killed them all. King Menelaus got Helen back and returned home to Sparta. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus 10 year journey home.