The Trojan Cycle: Difference between revisions

Ancient fragments on the ''Cypria'', including Proclus's summary, are avaliable in English [http://omacl.org/Hesiod/cypria.html here].

* [[The Alliance]]: The Achaeans, thanks to the pact Helen's suitors swore. The Trojans are quick to call upon their own allies, as well.

* [[Apple of Discord]]: [[MacGuffin|Which started it all]].

* [[Your Cheating Heart]]: The moment Menelaus leaves for Crete, [[Love Goddess|Aphrodite]] [[Unusual Euphemism|brings Paris and Helen together]].

* [[Aeschylus]]'s

** ''Iphigenia'', a lost play on the sacrifice of Iphigenia at Aulis.

** ''The Shepherds'', also lost and thought to have been a satyr play. It followed the Achaean's arrival at Troy and the death of Protesilaus and Kyknos.

** ''Troilos'', a lost play on the death of Troilos by Achilles.

== ''Aethiopis'' ==

Ancient fragments on the ''Aethiopis'', including Proclus's summary, are avaliable in English [http://omacl.org/Hesiod/aethiop.html here].

* [[Action Girl]]: Penthesilea, the Amazon and daughter of the war god, who slaughters the Achaeans unchecked until Achilles slays her.

* [[Antagonist Title]]: ''Aethiopis'' refers to the Ethiopians, newly arrived Trojan allies whom Memnon leads.

* [[Your Days Are Numbered]]: And Achilles knew it.

* [[Aeschylus]]'s

** ''Memnon'', a lost play about Memnon's arrival to aid the Trojans, whom Achilles kills. This leads to Achilles's own death at the hands of Apollo and Paris.

** ''The Award of the Arms'', a lost play on the contest for the arms of Achilles after his death. Also possibly the first of a trilogy concerned with Ajax's maddness.

* Part of [[Ovid]]'s ''[[The Metamorphoses|Metamorphoses]]'', Book XII of which included the death of Achilles.

== ''Little Iliad'' ==

Ancient fragments on the ''Little Iliad'', including Proclus's summary, are avaliable in English [http://omacl.org/Hesiod/iliad.html here].

* [[Bolivian Army Cliffhanger|Achaean Army Cliffhanger]]: According to Proclus's summary, the epic ends with the Trojan guard down and the Achaeans poised to ravage the city.

* [[The Archer]]: Because Philoctetes is back.

* [[You Killed My Father]]: Paris killed Achilles (with Apollo's help). Neoptolemus arrives at Troy and nearly immediately kills Paris.

* [[Aeschylus]]'s

** ''Philoctetes'', a lost play about the Achaeans' attempt to get Philoctetes to Troy.

** ''Lacaenae'', a lost play believed to have followed the theft of the Palladium by Diomedes and Odysseus.

* Part of [[Ovid]]'s ''[[The Metamorphoses|Metamorphoses]]''. Book XIII includes the debate over Achilles's arms and Ajax's subsequent death.

== ''Sack of Ilion'' ==

Ancient fragments on the ''Sack of Ilion'', including Proclus's summary, are avaliable in English [http://omacl.org/Hesiod/ilium.html here].

* [[Continuity Snarl]]: Here Aeneas flees Troy after the ominous death of Laocoon, compared to his capture in the ''Little Iliad''. Astyanax is also killed by Odysseus rather than Neoptolemus.

* [[Darkest Hour]]: This is Troy's.

* [[Would Hurt a Child]]: Odysseus, who kills Astyanax.

* [[Euripides]]'s

** ''Hecuba'', a tragedy set after the fall of Troy, when Hecuba discovers her son, Polydorus's, death and that Polyxena is to be sacrificed at Achilles's tomb.

** ''Ajax the Locrian'', a lost play concerned with Ajax, who has dragged off Cassandra and harmed the image of Athena.

* Part of [[Ovid]]'s ''[[The Metamorphoses|Metamorphoses]]'': The fall of Troy and the aftermath is detailed in part of Book XIII.

== ''Returns'' ==

Ancient fragments on the ''Returns'', including Proclus's summary, are avaliable in English [http://omacl.org/Hesiod/ret-telg.html here].

* [[Big Screwed-Up Family]]: Agamemnon's. Aegisthus is his ''cousin''.

* [[Boring Return Journey]]: Very averted for several important Achaeans.

* [[Your Cheating Heart]]: Agamemnon's wife, Clytaemestra.

* [[Aeschylus]]'s

** ''[[Agamemnon]]'', a tragedy concerned with the homecoming of the epynomous character and his murder there. The first of Aeschylus's trilogy, the ''[[The Oresteia|Oresteia]]''.

* [[Sophocles]]'s

** ''[[Electra]]'', yet another version of the story.

== ''Telegony'' ==

Ancient fragments on the ''Telegony'', including Proclus's summary, are avaliable in English [http://omacl.org/Hesiod/ret-telg.html here]

* [[Abdicate the Throne]]: Odysseus leaves Thesprotia to Polypoites after the queen dies. Admittedly, he just goes right back to being king in Ithaca.

* [[A Man Is Not a Virgin]]: Odysseus.

** The prophecy in question could just as easily be translated as ''away'' from the sea. It also says he will die at an old age, surrounded by a prosperous people, which can't really be said about dying from a stingray spear on the beach. This, along with all the other contradictory details, has led quite a few scholars (both ancient and modern) to see the Telegony as a case of [[Adaptation Decay]].

* [[Sophocles]]'s

** ''Odysseus Acanthoplex'', a lost play where Odysseus tries to avert fate by banishing Telemachus after learning he would be killed by his son. [[You Can't Fight Fate|It doesn't work]].

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* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: There were likely varying versions of these stories in the [[Oral Tradition]]. Writing them down distilled them into the versions remaining today (though variety still exists).

* [[Badass]]: So many, Achilles in particular.