Oddyseus

I've just finished the first book of a two-parter by Valerio Massimo Manfredi about Odysseus and, as usual for me, I'm fascinated by the events of that time and even more amazed that lessons learned 3200+ years ago have still not been learned.

I don't know just how many people read-up on ancient history on this forum but it fascinates me as so much is relevant to the past century yet so much appears to have been forgotten.

If you read about the siege of Troy and the 9 - 10 year war to defeat the Trojans one simple thing springs to mind and that's the similarity in many ways to the Great War where horrific sacrifices of manpower became a normal, every-day sequence of events that were, at first, accepted but later disputed in the final year at Troy until the distinction between a "just" war and a bloodbath was entirely lost.

Looking at events in Iraq and Northern Syria I can't help but feel that in many ways the adage "lessons-learned" is just as obscure and meaningless as it was 3000+ years ago.

When will we ever learn.................

Re: Oddyseus

Look Steve stop being naive all the time war is nice earner for some lessons will not be learnt.
War can make a lot of money for some, save the Government's bacon when all else fails for others and give despots the chance to rise to power.
Simple init?

Re: Oddyseus

War can make a shed load of money-anyone want to buy a wooden horse??

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The Wooden Horse bit got me for a long, long time OG and I spent an entire day looking it all up on the internet then bought a book about it all yet the book I've just read explained it all perfectly but it was just my limited grasp of the significance of the "Gods" in those ancient times.

After almost ten years of pointless, savage, brutal warfare, Odysseus came up with the idea of duping the Trojans into thinking they had given up and gone home.

The entire fleet upped anchor but went less than 10 miles and anchored behind an island just offshore.

Poseidon was the God of the Sea and Protector of all aquatic features.

He was also accredited with creating the first horse so a Wooden Horse was built to represent an offering to Poseidon - a God that the Trojans also worshipped - and left on the beach where the ships had been.

When the Trojans realised that the siege had ended they drove the Wooden Horse into Troy through the Skaian Gate, denying the attacking force their tribute / offering to Poseidon.

What they did not know was that 30 champions were hidden inside the Horse and, once inside the gates of Troy, they were left as the city celebrated the end of almost ten years of bitter war.

When the city calmed into an alcoholic stupor, the champions came out and opened the Skaian Gate to the thousands of warriors waiting for the signal to return.

THAT is how the greatest siege of all time ended and how Odysseus became a hero.

Achilles was dead.

Hector was dead.

Ajax of Salamis was dead but the Oath that triggered the entire war was followed to the letter and the sons of the Argonauts won. stevmk2

Re: Oddyseus

We read Odysseus at secondary school, about the only interesting book I remember, wasn't there something about sheep in it?

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Twizzard, You may be confusing it with Jason of Iolcus of the Argonaut fame and the Golden Fleece of Colchis but I may be wrong as I have yet to read the 2nd part of the story!

Many of the sons of Argonauts; all Achaian (Greek) heroes including Kings and Princes of various royal families, went on to fight in the Trojan War.

Odysseus was King of Ithaca, now one of the Ionian Islands. stevmk2

Re: Oddyseus

This lad knows his stuff.

Re: Oddyseus

'Us all Greek to me bor.
Is that the one where someone goes down on a plinth? Don't think it was Plinth Andrew or Edward though he lisped.

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For Gawd’s searke, gi yar tongue a rest an stop goin on about it – yew do run on, yew do, an’ thass a fact!” stevmk2