The Trojan War Trivia Quiz

Answer: Achilles

Achilles' mother, Thetis, knew that her son would be in great danger if he participated in the Trojan War. So, she hid him at King Lykomedes' palace, among his daughters and disguised as a girl. But Calchas the prophet told the Greek kings that they couldn't defeat the Trojans without Achilles. So, Odysseus went to Skyros with Diomedes to find him. Odysseus, disguised as a merchant, entered the palace and set down some jewels and dresses for women, and some weapons too.

While the other girls went to see the jewels and dresses, Achilles watched the weapons. And when Diomedes made a war signal with a horn, Thetis' son took the weapons and prepared to fight. So, he was recognized and accepted to follow the two kings to the war.

Answer: Ajax

Telamon was Hercules' friend. He was married to Periboea, a daughter of Alcathous, and they had a son, Ajax the Great. When he was born, Hercules was at Salamina. Wanting to make the child invulnerable, he covered almost all his body with the lion's skin he was always wearing.

The only part of the body that wasn't covered was the place under the hands, because Hercules held him from there. (Different versions of this story give other sites of vulnerability, but all agree that he, like Achilles, had a weak point.) Later, when Ajax wanted to commit suicide, he was hit there and died.

Answer: Achilles

Briseis was a woman from a town called Lyrnessos. She was taken as a slave by Achilles. Later, Agamemnon, when he was forced to free his slave Chryseis, took Briseis from Achilles. At this, Achilles decided to withdraw from battle. At the end, she was given to Achilles again.

Answer: Protesilaus

There was a prophesy telling that the first Greek warrior who set foot at Troy's coast would die. So, when the Greek ships reached the coast, no one wanted to come down first. The brave king Protesilaus from Thessaly got out of his ship first, and he was killed by Hector at the first battle. Achilles couldn't help him because he was battling Cycnus, Poseidon's son. Protesilaus' body was sent to Thessaly, to his wife Laodameia.

She mourned her husband and refused to marry again. Zeus decided to allow Protesilaus' soul to return for one hour to the world of the living and then he ordered Hermes to carry both of them to Hades.

Answer: True

The river Scamandrus was near Troy and a lot of battles happened by its side. Hector's son had the name Scamandrius, after this river.

Answer: Pandarus

During the Trojan War, Menelaus dueled with Paris. They had agreed that the winner would take Helen. Menelaus won and was ready to kill Paris, but Aphrodite saved him. Then, Hera and Athena decided to do something to make sure that the war would be continued and Troy would be destroyed. Athena, disguised as Laodokus, told Pandarus to kill Menelaus and he threw an arrow. Athena saved the Greek king and he was wounded just a little. Machaon, Asclepius' son, cured him.

But Agamemnon decided to continue the war until Troy's destruction.

Answer: Sinon

Sinon, when the Greek ships left Troy, stayed back in order to tell the Trojans about the Trojan Horse. He told Priam that he should take the Horse inside Troy. When the king did this and all the Trojans were asleep, Sinon lighted a torch and made a signal to the Greek ships that were behind Tenedos, an island. The Greeks returned and destroyed Troy.

Answer: False

Hector and Menelaus never dueled. Menelaus dueled with other Trojan warriors like Paris and Peisandrus, but never with Hector.

Answer: Deiphobus

Deiphobus was Priam's son, Hector and Paris's brother. He was a strong and wild warrior. After Paris's death, he married Helen, against her will. Deiphobus was killed outside Troy's palace during the destruction of the city.

Answer: Odysseus and Diomedes

After Achilles' death, Calchas said that Troy could be destroyed only if Philoctetes and Neoptolemus joined the Greek army. Odysseus and Diomedes went to Skyros and asked Neoptolemus to join them. He agreed willingly, but the kings were sure that Philoctetes wouldn't like to help the Greeks who abandoned him at Limnos. So, when they reached the island, Odysseus and Diomedes sent Neoptolemus to find Philoctetes and bring him at the ship.

When this was done, Hercules came from Olympus and said to Philoctetes to follow the two kings. Philoctetes, who had Hercules' bow and arrows, went to Troy and killed Paris.