Part I
1. Introduction to Troy
- Troy was a rich and powerful city located in Asia Minor, near the Aegean Sea.
- The city was known for trade, agriculture, and strong defense.
- Mount Ida stood behind Troy, providing fresh water and fertile land for farming.
- The Trojans built high walls around the city to protect it from enemies.
2. The Cause of the War
- The war started because of Helen, the most beautiful woman in Greece.
- Helen was married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta.
- Paris, the prince of Troy, took Helen to Troy, which made Menelaus very angry.
- The Greeks saw this as an insult and gathered their best warriors and kings to attack Troy.
- The Greek army was led by King Agamemnon, Menelaus’ brother.
- This war, known as the Trojan War, lasted for ten years.
3. The Long and Bloody War
- The Greeks sailed to Troy and surrounded the city, preventing supplies from entering.
- The war lasted for ten years, with daily battles between Greek and Trojan warriors.
- Many brave warriors died, including:
- Hector (Trojan) – He was Troy’s greatest hero and protected the city for nine years.
- Achilles (Greek) – He was Greece’s strongest warrior and killed Hector, but later died from a poisoned arrow in his heel.
- Paris (Trojan) – He was later killed by a poisoned arrow.
- Despite the heavy losses on both sides, the war continued because neither side gave up.
- The Trojans were tired of being locked inside their city, and the Greeks wanted to return home, but no one won the war.
Part II
1. Odysseus’ Clever Plan
- The Greeks realized that they could not win by force and needed a clever trick.
- Odysseus, a smart Greek warrior, came up with a plan to deceive the Trojans.
- He suggested building a huge wooden horse and hiding Greek soldiers inside it.
- The Greeks then burned their tents and pretended to leave Troy in their ships.
- Only one Greek soldier stayed behind to mislead the Trojans.
2. The Trojan Mistake
- The next morning, the Trojans saw the empty Greek camp and thought they had won the war.
- They also saw the huge wooden horse left outside their city.
- A Greek prisoner (who was left behind on purpose) told the Trojans a lie.
- He said the horse was a gift to the sea-god Poseidon and would bring good luck to Troy.
- The Trojans believed him and decided to bring the horse inside the city.
- Their wise priest warned them that it might be a trick, but they ignored him.
- To bring the horse inside, they broke part of their own city wall.
3. The Fall of Troy
- That night, the Trojans celebrated their “victory” and drank and feasted.
- They thought they had won the war and went to sleep peacefully.
- While the city was asleep, the Greek ships returned in the dark and waited outside Troy.
- The Greek soldiers hidden inside the horse came out and opened the city gates.
- The entire Greek army entered Troy and started burning houses, temples, and palaces.
- The Trojans were completely unprepared and many were killed in their sleep.
- King Priam (the king of Troy) and his sons were killed.
- The women, including Hector’s wife and mother, were taken as slaves.
- Helen, who had started the war, was found by her husband Menelaus.
- Menelaus forgave Helen, and she was taken back to Greece.
- By morning, Troy was completely destroyed.
Important Lessons from the Story
1. Overconfidence Leads to Disaster
- The Trojans made a big mistake by believing the Greek prisoner’s lie.
- They ignored their priest’s warning and brought the horse inside their city.
- This cost them everything, including their kingdom and lives.
2. Clever Thinking is More Powerful than Strength
- The Greeks could not win by fighting, so they used intelligence instead.
- Odysseus’ trick helped them defeat a stronger enemy without a direct battle.
3. War Brings Great Suffering
- The war lasted ten years, but in the end, both sides suffered heavy losses.
- Thousands of soldiers died, and the beautiful city of Troy was burned.
4. Always Be Cautious of Enemies’ Tricks
- If the Trojans had been more careful, they could have avoided destruction.
- They should have investigated the wooden horse properly instead of celebrating too early.
📌 Summary in One Sentence:
The Greeks won the Trojan War not by strength, but by tricking the Trojans into bringing a wooden horse into their city, which led to Troy’s destruction.
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