Alan (the Lone Librarian) Teder’s Reviews > Troy: The Greek Myths Reimagined > Status Update

Although Achilles wore no armour, the mere sight of him, standing high on the embankment, bathed in an unearthly light and uttering the most piercing and monumental battle-cry was enough to scatter the Trojans. Three times Achilles yelled his terrible war cry. The Trojans and even their horses were filled with fear. In triumph the Achaeans bore the body of Patroclus back to their camp.

"And you will do without me!" said Achilles. "Hear me proclaim this, you loathsome turd from the ass of Typhon. From this moment on I declare myself out of your war. The gods themselves could not persuade me to lift one finger to help bring your brother's precious wife out of Troy. She's nothing to me - and you, King of Pigs, are less than nothing to me. The day will come when you will crawl on your knees ..."

We know how wars that each side believed would soon be decided can stretch out over months and years. The Greeks and Trojans were perhaps the first to discover this unhappy truth. ... For nine years the Trojan War was more plunder than thunder.

Given the intervention of the gods and other magical and supernatural happenings, I have—as mentioned in the Introduction that you so wisely skipped—thought it best to tell the story of the war and its aftermath without attempting to dot every sequential iota or cross every chronological tau.

‘It is a wonderful idea!’ said Priam. ‘... You’re a good boy Paris, and I bless the day you were restored to us.’
But Paris was not a good boy. He had no intention of sailing to Salamis to negotiate the return of some old aunt for whom he cared nothing. What was Hesione to him, or him to Hesione? Aphrodite had whispered his true destination. Sparta and the promised Helen.
No, Paris was not a good boy.

There is a story that Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, besieged the city and threatened them thus: "If I defeat you, we will raze your city to the ground, we will kill every man and boy in the city and take every woman and girl into slavery."
The Spartans sent a one word reply: "If."
This is often thought to be the original laconic reply.

[Slow going, even though it is on audio. An entertaining narration by Stephen Frey but we're an 1 hour in and not even close to the Trojan War yet. Lots of pre-history and family history and family curses, etc.]