Book details
The Fall of Troy
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Metadata
- Gutenberg ID
- 658
- Title
- The Fall of Troy
- Language
- en
- Book source
- Project Gutenberg
- Description max 80 words
-
Quintus Smyrnaeus continues Homer's Trojan War saga, detailing the fall of Troy through the exploits of heroes like Penthesileia, Memnon, and Achilles. This 4th-century Greek epic blends Homeric grandeur with vivid battle scenes and tragic deviations, offering a dramatic conclusion to the war's cycle.
- Summary up to 500 words
-
Written in the 4th century A.D., Quintus Smyrnaeus's epic poem *The Fall of Troy* serves as a magnificent continuation of Homer's *Iliad*, narrating the final year of the Trojan War. The narrative begins in the aftermath of Hector's death, depicting the Trojans paralyzed by fear before Achilles. This dread is temporarily alleviated by the arrival of Penthesileia, the Amazon queen, who seeks vengeance for her slain sister. Despite her prowess and the hope she instills in the Trojans, she falls to Achilles. Following her death, the Ethiopian prince Memnon arrives to aid Troy but is likewise slain by the Greek hero. The poem details the funeral games for Achilles, the subsequent madness of Ajax, and the return of the exiled Philoctetes. The conflict intensifies with the deaths of Paris and Hector's brother, Deiphobus. The work culminates in the construction of the Wooden Horse, the night sack of Troy, and the catastrophic shipwreck of the Greek fleet on their return journey. While deeply influenced by Homer and the Cyclic poets, Quintus introduces significant deviations. He often omits powerful scenes from the *Odyssey*, such as the death of Achilles by Apollo alone or Helen's call to the warriors inside the horse, replacing them with weaker alternatives. Furthermore, he alters the fate of Deiphobus, having him killed while drunk rather than offering a magnificent resistance. Despite these flaws and omissions, the poem stands as an independent and substantial expansion of the original mythos, capturing the tragic finality of the war and the divine wrath that ultimately destroys both the city and the Greek fleet.
- LLM editorial rating
- 4.2/5
- Download URL
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/658.epub.noimages
- Local file path
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People
Authors
- active 4th century Smyrnaeus Quintus
Classification
Categories
- Classics
- Poetry