Trojan War Heroes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Helen

Helen of Sparta was a famous beauty and the wife of Menelaus. A competition amongst the goddesses over who was the most beautiful saw Helen being used as a bribe to Paris, the judge of the competition. When Paris went to Sparta, he kidnapped Helen and so started the Trojan War.

Answer: Hector

Hector was the son of the Trojan king Priam and brother of Paris. He was accounted only second to Achilles in skill at arms. He was married to Andromache. Homer described him as a good husband and father, loving peace, straight forward and wise.

Hector killed Patroclus, Achilles' best friend. Achilles, angry at this, killed Hector in a duel. Achilles then shamefully treated Hector's body, dragging it around the city's walls. Priam had to beg Achilles before his son could receive a proper burial.

Answer: Odysseus

Odysseus was the 'star' of Homer's second epic, 'The Odyssey'. He invented the wooden horse used to sneak soldiers into the city of Troy.

Odysseus was the king of Ithica and husband of the faithful Penelope. Wise, and a skilled orator, it was he who persuaded Achilles to join the Achaeans since without Achilles the war could not be won. In contrast to Achilles' great passions, Odysseus is portrayed as level headed and always thinking before acting.

It takes another ten years for Odysseus to return home after the end of the war, having many adventures on the way. When he does return home he is in the disguise of a beggar. In this disguise, and with the help of his son Telemachus and two servants, he kills the suitors who have been pestering Penelope.

Answer: Cassandra

Cassandra was a daughter of King Priam and a priestess of the god Apollo. Apollo attempted to seduce her by giving Cassandra the gift of prophecy but she refused him. The gods could not take back their gifts but Apollo cursed Cassandra so that no one believed her.

Cassandra predicted many of the events of the Trojan war. She was raped by the Achaean hero Ajax the Lesser in the temple of Athena. When the Achaeans failed to punish Ajax, the Greeks were punished by Athena and her father Zeus, the king of the gods.

Cassandra was taken captive by Agamemnon and was killed at the same time as Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra.

Answer: Achilles

Achilles' mother was the immortal nymph Thetis. His father was Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Achilles was famous for his great emotions, sulking for a long period after being refused Chryseis as his prize.

Thetis, fearing for her son's life, dipped the baby Achilles in the river Styx, which flows through the land of the dead. However, Thetis did not dip all of Achilles in the river and left a vulnerable spot, his ankle. Hence the expression today "Achilles' Heel" meaning a weak spot and the name Achilles' tendon for the tendon in the heel where Achilles was shot by Paris.

Achilles was fated never to enter Troy, being killed shortly after he killed Hector.

Answer: Priam

Priam was the king of Troy. In his youth he met Hercules and was almost killed by him. Priam saved his life by giving Hercules a golden veil. Priam helped the king of Phrygia against the Amazons.

It was said the Priam had 50 sons and daughters by various wives and concubines. Amongst the most famous were Hector, Paris, Cassandra, Creusa (wife of Aeneas) and Polydorus, his youngest son.

By Aeneas, who was his first cousin once removed as well as his son-in-law, Priam was an ancestor of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. They were descended from the offspring of Aeneas and his second wife, Lavinia.

Priam was killed in the sack of Troy by Neoptolemus, Achilles' son.

Answer: Paris

The Judgement of Paris was the first cause of the Trojan War. In a competition to see who the most beautiful goddess was, it was left to Paris to decide. Aphrodite, Athena and Hera, the three goddesses left in the competition, each tried to bribe Paris. Aphrodite offered Helen, the wife of Menelaus and the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris accepted this and fled Sparta with Helen.

Paris was seen as a coward because he used a bow, which was not a manly weapon. In the two duels Paris fights he is defeated both times. He was also a seducer if women, rather than taking them by force which the other heroes did. Paris killed Achilles by shooting him the ankle, Achilles' one vulnerable spot. Paris was killed by Philoctetes.

Answer: Agamemnon

Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae. He was married to Clytemnestra and brother to Menelaus, husband of Helen. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia for favourable winds. This act was to have dire consequences.

Agamemnon had a row with Achilles over Chryseis, which led to many Achaean losses when Achilles withdrew from the war.

Answer: Patroclus

Patroclus was the son of Menoetius. Early in his life he was fostered by Achilles' father Peleus. Peleus made Patroclus one of Achilles' companions or henchman. When Achilles refused to fight, Patroclus borrowed Achilles' armour and lead the Myrmidons into battle.

Hector killed Patroclus thinking it was Achilles. Achilles was so upset by Patroclus' death that he would not let the body be cremated. Eventually Patroclus' ghost appeared and asked to be let into the afterlife. The death of Patroclus and the desire for revenge made Achilles rejoin the fight.

Answer: Hephaestus

The only god on the list but many gods and goddesses were involved in the war. As stated, Hephaestus was the god of craftsmen, blacksmiths in particular, sculptors, metallurgy, volcanoes and fire. His wife Aphrodite, the goddess of love, had many affairs with men and other gods, especially Ares, the war god. Hephaestus was said to be ugly and lame but also crafty and shrewd.