JCC Background Guide

Jcc: Trojan

War

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History of Trojan War

The Trojan War was one of the most important events in greek mythology, providing creative impetus for generations of Ancient Greek writers, inspiring works like Homer’s Iliad and Homer’s Odyssey and works of Virgil and Ovid. While the event is considered by many to be almost purely speculative, ruins were discovered within Turkey in the late 19th century, in a location corresponding to the historical location of the city of Troy, and evidence was found of a conflict occurring around 1200 BC - the time of the Trojan War. The power of prophecy plays a large role in the origins of the Trojan War, as well as the whims of Zeus, the head honcho and the big man of the olympic pantheon. Zeus was not a faithful husband to his wife Hera, and had many affairs with mortal women, spawning many demigods. Additionally, Zeus had created too many people, and wished to reduce the population of the earth, and the population of his demigod children through a great flood-esque event. Zeus, however, was a little more sadistic than the god referred to in Abrahamic texts, and so envisioned doing this through a war. Zeus also wished, above almost all else, to retain his control over olympus after dethroning his father Cronus. Two separate prophecies were given to Zeus at some moment in time: That one of his sons would overthrow him That the son of Thetis, a sea nymph that he had intentions of procreating with, would be greater than his father. Thus, Zeus decided to marry Thetis to a mortal man, Peleus. All gods were invited to their wedding, during which the goddess of discord, Eris, tossed her Apple of Discord into the air, touting it to be a prize for the fairest goddess, and thus sparking discord amongst the goddesses. Three goddesses were to be judged in order to win the Apple of DIscord: Aphrodite, goddess of love; Athena, goddess of wisdom; and Hera, goddess of marriage, amongst other things. Zeus, was naturally the first choice to judge the goddesses. He, however, wished to remain impartial, and consequently, wished to delegate the role of choosing the fairest goddess to another individual. Then he saw his chance. He delegated the role of choosing the fairest of the three goddesses to Paris, prince of Troy, and an individual who was prophesied to be the downfall of Troy. Paris chose Aphrodite, and so Aphrodite rewarded him with the love of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. Helen, however, was already married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Helen then eloped with Paris back to Troy. Naturally, Menelaus and his family were angry, and so Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus, gathered an Achaean (greek) army and besieged the city of Troy for 10 years. Thus, the Trojan War had begun, and Zeus had gotten his wish. Naturally, many heroes would rise and fall during this great conflict, and it is your role as delegates to determine the outcome of this momentous event, and to cement and edify your place in history as a hero, a tragic figure, a villain, or a liability within the war.

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Key Events

Menelaus V. Paris Tired of indecisive battles, Menelaus (king of Sparta) challenged Paris (prince of Troy) to one on one combat. The fight started with the two warrior throwing their spears at each other. Menelaus’ weapon having gone through Paris’ shield and almost killing him, the king with his sword struck a fearful blow on the Trojan prince’s helmet. The sword shattered, though, and fell in pieces into the dust. Menelaos then grabbed Paris’ helmet and dragged him from the field. Choking as his helmet strap wrapped around his neck, Paris was saved through the intervention of Aphrodite who broke the strap and spirited him away. Ajax V. Hector Similar to the first fight, the two started by throwing spears at each other which ended up being ineffective. Hektor then threw a large rock at the Greek, only for him to fend it off with his shield. Ajax then returned an even bigger rock, smashing Hektor’s shield. They then drew their swords but were stopped by their comrades who called for an end to the fighting as night was approaching. Displaying ancient code of honour, the two warriors even said goodbye on friendly terms by exchanging gifts. Attack of the Greek camps. Following a day of fighting, Hektor led the Trojans in an attack on the walls of the Greeks’ camp. Breaking through the gates, the Trojans sent the Greeks fleeing in back to their ships. However, as Zeus was momentarily distracted by the charms of Hera, Poseidon stepped in to encourage the Greeks who rallied together and forced the Trojans to retreat. The tide of battle changed again and, with the support of Apollo, Hector once more beat back the Greeks to their ships. Death of Patroklos Near-invincible Achilles was quite possible the greatest warrior in the world. Much to the Greek’s frustration, though, he sat out most of the war as Agamemnon had previously stolen his female war prize Briseis. With the Greek camp under attack, Patroklos appealed to his mentor and great friend Achilles to rejoin the conflict and, when he still refused, Patroklos asked for permission to wear his armour and lead the fearful Myrmidons himself. Patroklos then led the Greeks, the Trojans were swept back and he managed to kill the Trojan hero Sarpedon. Flushed with success, the young heronrashly carried the fighting on towards Troy. However, at this point, great Apollo intervened on behalf of the Trojans and struck the helmet and armour from Patroklos, shattered his spear and knocked his shield from his arm. Thus exposed and defenceless, Hektor stepped in to deal the fatal blow with a pitiless stab of his spear. When Achilles discovered the death of his great friend Patroklos, he was overcome with grief and rage and he swore to take terrible revenge on the Trojans and Hector in particular. Before he could enter the fighting, though, Achilles needed new armour and this was provided by his divine mother Thetis who had Hephaistos, the master craftsman of Olympus, make him the most magnificent set of armour ever seen.

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Achilles V. Hector Hektor remained standing outside the walls but at the sight of Achilles on a rampage, his nerve gave way and he made a run for safety. Achilles, however, gave chase and pursued the Trojan prince three times around the city walls. Finally catching him, Achilles killed his quarry with a vicious stab of his spear in Hector’s throat. Achilles then stripped the body of its fine armour and, tying Hektor by the ankles to his chariot, Achilles dragged the body back to the Greek camp in full view of Priam standing atop the fortifications of the city. This was a shockingly dishonourable act and against all the rules of ancient warfare. The Trojan Horse The final and decisive action was, though, the idea of the wooden horse. Odysseus, inspired by Athena, thought up the ruse to get a body of men inside the walls of Troy. First, the Greeks all sailed off into the sunset leaving a mysterious offering to the Trojans of a gigantic wooden horse which in reality concealed a group of warriors within. Just to make sure the Trojans took the horse within the city, Sinon was chosen to stay behind and tell a cock and bull story about the Greeks having given up and left a nice present. The Trojans did take the horse inside the city walls but whilst they were enjoying a drunken celebration of their victory, the Greeks climbed out of the horse, opened the city walls for the returning Greek army, and the city was sacked and the population slaughtered or enslaved.

Questions for further research

1. How has your character interacted with other figures in the past? 2. What long-term impacts did your character have? 3. What important allies and enemies did your character have? 4. Were the actions made by your character deemed helpful or detrimental to his/her

side's cause? 5. How has divine intervention shaped the life of your character? 6. If your character is the leader of a certain kingdom or territory, how have, or will their

actions (or the war itself) impact their kingdom. 7. Did your character have any ulterior motive for fighting in the war? 8. What important figures were related to your character? Does their lineage influence

their interactions or others' perceptions of them?

Abstract topics

1. The political and the economic situation between the Greek city states and foreign nations out of the Balkans such as Troy.

The city states such as Sparta, Athens, Mycenae and Cretes were involved in the conflict against Troy and their allies. The political situation in the Balkans was complicated as the city states had different political ideas and cultural differences also not to forget about previous battles that have occurred. How will your allies cooperate despite the differences? Try to research about basic informations of your allies’ ideas.

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2. Your alliance or your wealth?

When events come such as the God is forcing your city to leave the war so that the side the God is supporting will win. Will you choose your own city’s wealth/ country’s wealth or will you choose the everlasting glory with all prestiges? Try to consider what benefits each decisions will bring and know each choices results in greater consequences like the Butterfly Effect.

Character List Troy:

Agenor (King of Tyre) Antenor (Royal military advisor) Chryses (prophetic role) Glaucus (Lycian Army Leader) Hector (crown prince of Troy) Mentes (Sicones leader) Paris (prince, abductor of Helen) Penthesilea (leader of the Amazons) Polydamas (Trojan military commander) Priam (king of Troy) Queen Hecuba (citizen advocate) Rhesus (leader of Thrace) Sarpedon (Lycian prince)

Greece:

Menelaus (king of Sparta) Achilles (leader of the Myrmidons) Patroclus (Achilles’ advisor) Menestheus (king of Athens) Odysseus (king of Ithaca, military commander) Agamemnon (king of Mycenae) Calchas (prophetic role) Diomedes (military and naval commander) Nestor (leader of Pylos, military commander/advisor) Idomeneus (king of Crete) Ajax (warrior) Machaon (healer, citizen advocate)

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Character Profiles Troy:

Agenor Agenor is the son of Antenor, a counsellor to King Priam, and Theano, a priestess of Athena. He takes after his father, who is regarded as one of the wisest Trojan elders and advisors; however, Agenor is a soldier, preferring a more active role in defending his nation. Agenor is fiercely devoted to Troy and the Trojans, with his greatest asset being his ability to think clearly and quickly in the chaos of war. He is experienced at interpreting enemy plans, and will do whatever it takes to thwart them, valuing his nation above his own life. However, Agenor contends with one point of bitterness - despite his clear wartime leadership abilities and devotion to Troy, he remains a mere soldier, which undermines his ambitions of becoming a commander in the army. As such, he secretly wishes for a full war with Greece so he may prove himself in battle. Antenor Antenor is a nobleman and a trusted advisor to King Priam. Atenor is staunchly against war, fearing for the safety of Troy, and strongly advocates that Helen is returned to Menelaus, so that the conflict be resolved without bloodshed. Due to his stance, he has earned the scorn of Paris, who desires Helen stay with him in Troy. Despite Paris’ scorn, Atenor knows his position is well supported by many other Trojan soldiers, who see the looming war as a horrible price for a frivolous gain. Furthermore, Antenor is concerned about the wider political tension that the current situation is causing, and that a war will exacerbate. He sees the Greeks as important potential allies due to their influence and geographical proximity; therefore, the prospect of a war seems especially foolhardy to him as it could alienate important people and deteriorate advantageous relationships. Chryses Chryses is a favoured priest of Apollo and has been granted the gift of prophecy. He can request information from the Gods*, who will often gift him with a prophetic vision that may or may not address his concerns. However, as Chryses knows well, the Gods are powerful and fickle, giving when flattered, and cruel and scarce when rebuked; therefore, Chryses stresses the importance of remaining in favour with the Gods throughout the conflict that Troy faces. While he cannot personally say whether war should or should not be avoided, as he believes that remaining in favour with the Gods is most important regardless of the path followed, he does wish to avoid battle. Above all, he loves his daughter, Chryseis, and wishes to see her safe. *The gods (crisis directors) will be more likely to give information to the seer than another delegate. Whether that information is correct or not is up to the council to decide.

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Glaucus Glaucus is a Lycian Prince, the grandson of Bellerophon, and a particularly courageous warrior. He is the second-in-command of the Lycian army under Troy, serving under his cousin Sarpedon. He values loyalty, especially to friends and family; therefore, while he wishes to defend Paris, and will go to war to do so, he cannot act indiscriminately as Diomedes, an old friend of Glaucus’ family, stands with the Greeks. Because of his kinship with Diomedes and because he holds Diomedes in high regard, Glaucus is somewhat sympathetic to the Greek cause, placing him a complex position. He hopes that his relationship with the Greeks will be advantageous in starting and conducting negotiations to secure a more diplomatic end to the conflict. Hector Crown Prince of Troy, Hector is the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba as well as the brother of Paris. He is respected among the Trojans and for his strength and honour. Hector is widely considered the mightiest warrior in the Trojan Army, but his prowess as a warrior is often undermined by his impulsiveness and thoughtlessness as a leader - he is especially prone to bursts of confidence after small victories, which result in highly risky decisions being made. Nonetheless, Hector is the commander of the Trojan Army, and is considered quite adept so long as he remains prudent. Beyond being a renowned warrior, Hector is a loving person, and cares significantly for his wife and children, wishing, primarily, that they remain safe during these troubling times. His relationship with his brother, Paris, however, is not as loving. While Hector forgives Paris’ indulgence, he is resentful that his brother endangered Troy, and is frustrated with his brothers’ cowardice. Mentes King Mentes is the king of the Cicones. He is friendly with King Rhesus of Thrace and Prince Hector, adopting the role of advisor to Hector in these troubling times. Because King Mentes is not as experienced as his fellow rulers in war, he wishes to achieve a more diplomatic solution to the conflict. Therefore, he often tempers Hector’s emotional outbursts, and urges Hector to be put more thought behind military actions. However, Mentes does ultimately support his Trojan allies in their endeavours and will stand with them when honour, something Mentes values greatly, is at stake; therefore, if the prospect of conflict becomes unavoidable, Mentes will happily engage in battle. The Cicones are not numerous, nor powerful, but they are fiercely loyal and will defend their nation and their allies with zeal against even the greatest enemies.

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Paris Prince Paris is the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba and is the brother of Prince Hector. Unlike the other Trojan princes, Paris was not raised as royalty, as his father and mother, unable to kill him as suggested by the seer Aesacus, who prophesized that Paris would be the ruin of Troy, gave Paris to a shepherd. Though the shepherd was meant to kill Paris, he could not, and proceeded to raise Paris on a farm. Eventually, Paris managed to defeat Priam’s other sons in a boxing contest, after which his identity as Prince of Troy was revealed, prompting Priam to take Paris back in. Paris’ noble birth is easily visible in both his intelligence and beauty, but his honesty is the quality most admired by the gods. Among the shepherds, he is known as the protector of men as he protected fellow shepherds from cattle thieves. Despite the positive light in which the commoners saw him, he is increasingly being seen as cowardly, self-centred, and unmanly as he pushes Troy to the brink of war through his dangerous relationship with Helen, which he refuses to end, scorning those who suggest he send her back to Greece. This negative outlook of Paris exacerbates existing concerns among the nobility as to his common upbringing and the ominous prophecy surrounding him. Further, Paris prefers to stay out of the fighting, partially because of his ineptitude at fighting, and discussion, favouring a more hedonistic lifestyle, angering those that see him as shirking his responsibility in the conflict. Penthesilea Penthesilea is a daughter of Ares, a queen of the Amazons, and is leading the Amazons to defend Troy against Greece. Amazons are considered fearsome warriors, but Penthesilea is especially respected for her bravery, her skill with weapons, and her wisdom during battles. Preferring strategy and thoughtful plans over rash action, Penthesilea is an adept general with numerous wartime victories under her belt. As an individual, Penthesilea values her honour and her reputation among her soldiers. She is hesitant to defy the Gods or to ignore pleas from her fellow Amazons, knowing that doing so would be to defy her duty and would tarnish her standing. Polydamas Polydamas is an ambitious young Trojan lieutenant and is close friends with Hector. Furthermore, Polydamas is cool-headed and prudent, foiling Hector’s rage and impulsiveness. Though he is exceptionally talented and intelligent, and has, as a result, become friends with Hector despite being a commoner, Polydamas’ advice is often ignored, which is a point of frustration for him, and demonstrates the difference between Polydamas and the other Trojan commanders. While the others defending Troy value honour, and will make foolhardy decisions to maintain their reputation, Polydamas prefers thinking in more practical terms, attempting to lead Troy to the least injurious victory possible. He views victory in more long-term prospects, preferring to win the war rather than the battle.

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Priam King Priam is the King of Troy, the father of Hector and Paris, and the husband of Queen Hecuba of Troy. His reputation as a wise and benevolent ruler precedes him, and he holds high acclaim with both the Trojans and the Greeks. His rule, naturally, is a reflection of his kindly person. Despite the trouble her arrival has caused, Priam treats Helen kindly, defending her when other Trojans or allies reduce her to a bargaining chip. Priam also has a soft spot for Paris, caring for him dearly despite prophecy suggesting that Paris will bring about the fall of Troy. Conflict arises, however, between his love of his son and his respect for Helen due to the looming threat of war. King Priam is elderly and has guided Troy to prosperity - a war would bring great danger to his city and tax his aging self. Queen Hecuba Queen Hecuba is the queen of Troy, wife to King Priam, and mother of Hector, Paris, and Troilus. She cares dearly for her sons, and does not want them to be endangered by a conflict, even if avoiding conflict means appearing weak or cowardly. As a result, she gently encourages Paris to return Helen, but avoids harsh admonishments, wanting her son to remain happy. Though she is not versed in battle strategy or politics during conflict, Queen Hecuba nonetheless speaks up for the lives of the citizens and soldiers of Troy, primarily focusing on the impact that war could have on the health and quality of life of the citizens. She wants to resolve the tension through words, not blades, and prays to the Gods everyday that a peaceful resolution is possible. Rhesus King Rhesus is the king of Thrace and friend of Mentes. He is famous for his horses, which are described as being “as white as snow and as swift as wind.” The horses have proven to be an asset in planning and executing military operations, as well as undermining enemy plans as soldiers and messengers are able to travel with greater haste to deliver messages or take up strategic positions. However, Troy does not have the advantage of Rhesus’ horses as the Thracian King is distracted by a Scythian attack on Thrace. Much of the Thracian military is tied up in defending their own nation; therefore, Rhesus wishes for a peaceful resolution to the Trojan and Greek conflict. He is particularly worried about a Spartan attack on Thrace, believing that being allies with a militaristic Troy will result in his nation being targeted and being forced to defend on two fronts. Despite this, Rhesus has chosen to be present in Troy, mainly hoping to nudge the great city away from war.

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Sarpedon Sarpedon is a Lycian Prince, cousin to Glaucus, son of Zeus, and the commander of the Lycian army at Troy. While he is regarded as an impressive warrior and strategist, his unique connection to the Gods comes with an unfortunate side-effect - his fate seems to be tied up with the Gods, whose frustration and benevolence wildly influence his life. In efforts to maintain some constancy, Sarpedon quietly prefers to appease the Gods, hoping that doing so will result in good tidings and less headaches. Despite his somewhat mercurial situation, Sarpedon is respected by his soldiers and contemporaries due to his level-headedness during decisive moments. Troilus Prince Troilus is a young military commander, warrior, and the son of Apollo and Queen Hecuba. Prophecy proclaims that, if Troilus is alive at twenty years of age, Troy will not lose. Due to the prophecy, Troilus increasingly finds himself a target of Greek attacks, and wishes to destroy the Greek kingdom so he may relax. His loathing of the Greeks is exacerbated by the fact his love, Cressida, defected to the Greeks and left him for Diomedes. Troilus’ hatred of Diomedes often places him in conflict with Glaucus, who is an old friends and contemporary of Diomedes. The degree to which Troilus has let Cressida’s defection affect him is a reminder of his youthful rashness and imprudent trustworthiness, making him similar and sympathetic to Hector, who is also plagued by thoughtlessness, especially due to overconfidence.

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Greece:

Achilles

Achilles is a proud and arrogant man. This arrogance is well-founded, in his unmatched capabilities as a warrior. The son of Thetis, Achilles is the leader of the Myrmidons and his close and very dear friend, Patroclus is his second-in-command. This powerful individual is invulnerable to any injury save for one spot; rumour has it that it is his heel that is vulnerable, that is yet to be proven true. In command of 50 Myrmidonian ships, Achilles detests any appearance of weakness and often amused himself with proving his worth and capability time and time again in battle. His hotheaded impulsiveness often puts him and his ego in conflict with other Greek leaders and especially Agamemnon, as he rarely yields to his authority.

Agamemnon

Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, is the commander of the Greek forces as well as the older brother to Menelaus. A rather arrogant and conceited man, Agamemnon is considered an arrogant warrior who considers soldiery and combat above everything - even over his family and his own people. He often refuses to listen to his council as he considers himself and his tactics to be better than theirs; a choice that oft leads to great detriment. This callous and war mongering king has 100 ships to bring to this conflict, and as the leader of the Greeks, he has all he needs to make all the war he desires.

Ajax

Ajax is a powerful warrior, and with no command, he is free to wander and mingle with all of the troops. As a result, Ajax is widely respected and liked by the troops and often the first to hear of any stirrings of internal discontent. He enjoys keeping a hand on the pulse of the troops, and the information he gains may help or hinder the Grecian commanders. A warrior whose ability is only surpassed by Achilles, Ajax is content to let others suss out the finer points and overtly political aspects of war. Despite this dislike of politics, this honourable warrior will offer his opinion in a slow and measured pace - a sign of how important and relevant his thoughts are.

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Atalanta

Atalanta was never supposed to join the war council against the Trojans. However, when she became privy to the knowledge that the goddess Aphrodite had caused this entire mess, she couldn’t stay away. Angry and wanting revenge against the love goddess for forcing her into a marriage, Atalanta has decided to join the Greek warriors. She cares little for the gods and rather, hopes they remove themselves from the war entirely and simply let it be fought by humans, with no godly interference. Renowned for her incredible speed and hunting skills, Atalanta is very good at learning news faster than any other council member and sometimes with tracking enemy movements. Her callous and headstrong attitude puts her at odds with Cressida and other overly masculine and arrogant characters. However, Atalanta is easily distracted, which means that she will give greater importance to things other than what the council needs to hear.

Calchas

Calchas is what some call the Grecian voice of reason. Originally from Troy, he defected to the Greek side early in the war, taking along with him his daughter, Cressida. Favoured by the god Apollo, who gifted him with the ability to see the future, Calchas is the guide that takes the Greeks to gain and regain the favour of the gods. However, the visions he receives are not always correct - the possibilities of the future are endless and thus what he sees may be correct or one of those possibilities*. Arrogant and weary of his prophetic prowess and the power he holds among the Greek leaders, Calchas will often use his ‘connection to the gods’ to sway the council’s opinions based on his visions. Many a time, however, he has found himself smoothing over the blunders and mistakes made by Agamemnon, a role that both amuses and frustrates the other council members.

Cressida

Cressida is a fickle woman: her true loyalty is easy to sway. When her father, Calchas, defected to the Greek side of the war, she was torn away from her love, Troilus, a Trojan military commander. Bitter over this parting, Cressida has been known to sabotage some of the Greek plans and attempt to spread sympathy for the Trojans. However, her affections often swing between Troilus and Diomedes - her new love interest. As a result, Cressida’s behaviour is often erratic as she switches often between helping or hindering the Greeks. Nonetheless, her affections can be won - but with an unknown price.

*Verification of visions will of course come from the Crisis council.

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Diomedes

Diomedes is a military and naval commander with a fleet of 30 or even more ships behind him and under his banner. His cool headed and calm demeanour ensure that his wisdom in council and his intelligence in the battlefield remain undiminished. Diomedes is fearless, his plans are oft daring and outrageous yet the Grecians will indeed consider and often implement them. There are rumours of course, that the Trojans are in awe of and frightened by this man’s abilities, and this in turn encourages Grecian soldiers to desire to follow him in combat. However, Diomedes is often a victim to his baser desires, as seen with the romance he shares with Cressida, and especially how this sometimes affects his actions.

Idomeneus

Idomeneus is the king of Crete and a fierce and respected fighter in his own right, with his skill often being mentioned as on par with Achilles and other warriors. A good friend of Ajax, with whom he shares similar opinions and stances with, Idomeneus is primarily a naval power. His Cretan navy is unparalleled among his allies and thus why he prefers naval combat to land combat. Idomeneus is not a fan of Agamemnon’s leadership, as the former had attempted to gain a part of the command over the Grecian forces - a request that was derisively denied. As a result of Agamemnon’s actions, Idomeneus has decided to put forth a number of ships much less than what he is capable of - something that could be rather costly to Agamemnon and his forces.

Machaon

Machaon is the son of Asclepius, and is a prominent healer in his own right. A primarily gentle soul, Machaon comes to council on behalf of his brother and the 30 ships they have brought from Thessaly. Machaon is reluctant for war, for he is primarily a healer and surgeon - someone that prefers to save lives rather than take them. His concerns rest primarily in the saving of the lives that don’t need to be lost in war: namely, the civilians of the Greek nations and even those of Troy. Despite his kind and gentle nature, Machaon is still a Greek and he still has that same honour, which means that he’ll fight to the last breath to protect the Grecian brotherhood. His belief is that to fight is a soldier’s duty and not a civilian’s.

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Menelaus

Menelaus is the king of Sparta and the husband of Helen. This honourable and respectful man is the husband of Helen,the woman whose beauty began this conflict. Through this marriage, Menelaus gained the throne of Sparta, after the previous king, Tyndareus, Helen’s stepfather passed. Sparta is a heavily warlike nation that enjoys and revels in the chaos that war brings. As such, the Spartans constantly desire bloodlust and combat, pushing their leaders into countless conflicts. Menelaus’ older brother, Agamemnon, is the king of Mycenae. He gained this position after his brother, Menelaus, helped him to avenge their father’s death at the hands of their uncle. Heavily loyal to his brother, Menelaus is the commander-in-chief of Greek forces that enter this conflict. He is a man of strong character and is very respectful of his soldiers and their opinions.

Menestheus

Menestheus is the king of Athens and what many consider a hesitant man. He dislikes combat and thus tends to avoid it as much as possible. Instead of on the battlefield, Menestheus’ talents lie more so in the organization of men and supplies. This logistically minded man prefers negotiations to combat and will do anything to avoid it, despite having a fleet of 50 warships at his disposal. The other leaders see this hesitation and do not enjoy it at all, which only leads to Menestheus’ advice in combat to be unheeded and ridiculed. Nevertheless, Menestheus’ prowess with logistics is irreplaceable and does earn him respect.

Nestor

Nestor’s time of glorious combat and activity on the battlefield has long passed. Instead, the leader of Pylos is now one of the strongest military advisors and commanders the Greeks possess. His wisdom has come with his age, and with his age, has come a certain attitude of bluntness. He is not afraid to call out his fellow and younger council members on their actions, but he strangely enough can never see the fault in his own. This ‘my way or the path to the underworld attitude’ has ensured that Nestor is a respected authority among the Greeks. Once a great warrior, he now sometimes has to act as a mediator between his allies, much to his consternation.

Odysseus

Odysseus is a powerful, wise and influential negotiator and king. His ingenious and cunning mindset has made him one of the undisputed Greek leaders. The king of Ithaca, Odysseus is reluctant to enter any form of war against the Trojans for the belief that it has no desired affect on him and his kingdom. This clever king is one of the Grecian strategists and an advisor to the commander of the Grecian army, Agamemnon. The unofficial morale keeper of the army, Odysseus was a man respected by both the Greeks and the Trojans. Additionally, Odysseus is the original man who came up with the Oath of Tyndareus, which bound many Greek leaders to honor the husband of Helen.

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Patroclus

Patroclus is a strong and valiant soldier, and his strong headed nature is both a strength and weakness for him. Patroclus will often be the first to lead a charge, but he never understands when to fall back. The second-in-command of the Myrmidons, Patroclus is a dear friend of Achilles, with whom Patroclus shares many ideals and opinions with. As a close advisor to Achilles, Patroclus is sometimes seen in total command of the Myrmidons whilst Achilles is off on his own. Despite his role as advisor, his friend’s hotheadedness often creates circumstances for his advice to be ignored.