Story 20: "The Myth Makers" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Achilles and Hector

If you don't know the history behind the Trojan War, legend has it that it began because of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. She was wife to Menelaus, the king of Sparta, but was 'given' to Paris (son of King Priam of Troy) by the goddess Aphrodite when Paris chose her as the fairest of three goddesses (competing against Hera and Athena).

Helen then became 'the face that launched 1,000 ships' as a great Greek armada was launched to get Helen back from the Trojans.

At the beginning of the episode, entitled "Temple of Secrets", the siege of Troy has been ongoing for ten years, and Achilles (with the Greek army) is fighting Hector (Paris' brother) in single combat.

Hector was portrayed by Alan Haywood and Achilles was played by Cavan Kendall.

The Doctor, of course, was portrayed by William Hartnell, while his two companions were Steven Taylor (played by Peter Purves) and Vicki Pallister (played by Maureen O'Brien).

Answer: Zeus

Hector is mocking Achilles and especially his belief that Zeus, king of the gods, will come down and defeat Troy on their behalf. Hector guarantees "to trim his beard for him if he dare attempt it."

At that moment they hear thunder, which affirms for Achilles that Zeus is angry with him. Hector continues to mock him for his superstitions and declares, "Hear me, Zeus! Accept from me the promised life of your cringing servant, Achilles. Or else, I challenge you: descend to earth and save him!"

And at that point, the TARDIS door opens and out steps the Doctor, hoping to find out where (and when) they are, distracting the two warriors. Achilles takes the opportunity to run Hector through and gives credit for the victory to the Doctor's arrival, believing him to be Zeus in disguise.

Answer: Agamemnon

Agamemnon is trying to goad his brother Menelaus into challenging Hector to single combat when Achilles enters and tells them his story. When Odysseus arrives a few moments later and insists that the Doctor is just a Trojan spy, Agamemnon decides to imprison the Doctor, just to be on the safe side.

Ivor Salter played the part of Odysseus, while Francis De Wolff and Jack Melford portrayed Agamemnon and Menelaus, respectively.

Answer: Cyclops

Odysseus has his man Cyclops watch the Doctor's so-called 'temple' (the TARDIS). When Steven leaves to find the Doctor, Cyclops follows, then finds and reports to Odysseus outside Agamemnon's tent. Odysseus quickly finds and captures Steven and, believing that he can catch the Doctor in a lie, brings Steven back into the presence of the kings (and Achilles and the Doctor).

While Agamemnon is unsure of what to do with the Doctor (he might be Zeus, after all), he is quick to decide that Steven is a spy, and must be put to death. Trying to keep up the charade, the Doctor agrees, but says that *he* should be the one to kill him, and that it must be done at his temple in the morning.

But Odysseus has more news... the 'temple' has vanished!

'Cyclops' was played by Tutte Lemkow.

Answer: False

The second episode, entitled "Small Prophet, Quick Return" (yes, a very bad pun) continues the story.

Priam is upset with Paris that he is bringing back trinkets rather than seeking vengeance on Achilles for killing his brother Hector. Cassandra is upset that Paris brought the box inside the walls when she has just had a dream of the Greeks destroying Troy by gaining entry to the city by hiding inside something brought willingly inside the walls.

Despite Paris' protests, the decision is made to burn the TARDIS as a sacrifice to the gods.

Priam was played by Max Adrian while Barrie Ingham portrayed Paris and Frances White had the role of Cassandra.

Answer: Flying machines

Steven suggests to the Doctor that he should present the idea of the 'Trojan Horse', but the Doctor dismisses the idea, believing it to be nothing more than a fabrication by Homer in his story "The Iliad".

Answer: Cressida

They don't appear in "The Myth Makers", but Hecuba is Priam's wife, while Creusa and Laodice are two more of their daughters. Cressida (in many stories of the Trojan War) is a Greek seer who falls in love with Troilus, Priam's youngest son.

Paris and his younger brother Troilus are both immediately attracted to Vicki, but Priam sends Paris out to prove his courage and challenge Achilles to a duel. Taking Vicki inside the palace, they discuss various things, including young Troilus, for whom Vicki has also developed a liking.

Troilus was played by James Lynn.

Answer: True

Cassandra is waiting for the opportunity to prove Vicki is a fraud, and immediately demands that Cressida (Vicki) and Diomedes (Steven) be immediately put to death. Paris intervenes, however, and convinces his father Priam to spare them and they are imprisoned, instead. He decides that Vicki must prove herself to be from the future and come up with a way to defeat the Greeks.

Answer: He is killed by Trojan soldiers.

With the third episode aptly titled "Death of a Spy", Cyclops is shot by a Trojan soldier's arrow as he tries to get out of the city and back to the Greek encampment. Vicki and Steven, of course, don't know this has happened, and the Doctor has no idea that a message was on the way.

Answer: The Greek army withdraws and sails off.

As the Trojans are known to worship the horse, and specifically the mythical 'Horse of Asia', which Paris believes the giant wooden horse to be, which is why he brings it into the walls of Troy after the Greek armies have withdrawn.

(in the mythology of the Trojan War, it actually takes three days to build the horse, and a man is 'left behind' to explain that it was built as a sacrifice to Athena by the retreating Greeks, which convinces the Trojans that it is safe to take as a trophy.)

Answer: Troilus

Troilus had already spent time talking and flirting with Vicki, visiting her while she was in the cell. Steven encouraged the relationship in hopes that it might be turned to their advantage, and Vicki was more than happy to do so, as she was already quite taken with the handsome young prince.

While they are celebrating the victory in the palace, Paris arrives and states that he has found the legendary 'Horse of Asia' and has brought it inside the city.

Answer: Katarina

Katarina makes her first appearance in the serial in this episode, titled "Horse of Destruction".

Unrelated to the scene, it was decided by the producers to end Maureen O'Brien's tenure with the show, and she was informed of this during the filming of "The Myth Makers" after the new show runner heard that Maureen had been complaining about her scripts. While she had been offered an extended contract not long before, her current contract was actually ending with this serial, so they just cancelled the other offer and wrote her out of the show.

Katarina, played by Adrienne Hill, was brought in as a replacement companion for the Doctor.

Answer: Achilles

Troilus accuses Achilles of murdering his brother Hector, but Achilles insists that it was fair combat. In turn, however, Achilles taunts Troilus in saying that it *would* be murder if the two of them fought, as Troilus is young and inexperienced (in comparison).

They fight, and Troilus is victorious (without shooting any arrow through Achilles' heel), but not without a cost. As Achilles is about to die, he throws his sword at Troilus, wounding him grievously.

As he lay injured and bleeding, Troilus wonders whether Cressida betrayed them, and specifically if she betrayed *him*.

Answer: Odysseus

Odysseus insists on the Doctor accompanying the infiltrating team, even threatening to kill him as the Doctor tries to withdraw from being any sort of participant in what he knows is about to come.

In the chaos, however, the Doctor manages to slip away, and he meets up with Vicki and Katarina (who had been tasked to 'escort' Cressida by the suspicious Cassandra) at the TARDIS. Vicki sends Katarina to find Steven in his hiding place, but before she finds him, he is injured in the fighting.

Meanwhile, Odysseus completes the conquest of Troy, killing Priam and Paris and taking Cassandra as a prisoner to deliver to Agamemnon.

Just as Katarina gets to the TARDIS with Steven, Odysseus arrives to complicate matters.

Answer: Steven and Katarina

After sending Katarina to look for Steven, Vicki departs to go and find Troilus on the plains outside the city. The Doctor makes no attempt to convince her to stay.

Out on the plains, Vicki finds Troilus and convinces him that she did *not* betray anyone, and that she chose to stay behind to be with him.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor makes little attempt to explain what is happening to Katarina, who believes that she is in Limbo. The Doctor is more concerned with Steven's injury, which is too severe for him to deal with, and he hopes that wherever they land next, he will be able to save him.