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6. Odysseus and the Trojan Horse

It seems the Trojan War will never end…until Odysseus concocts an unlikely plan.

Odysseus and the Trojan Horse - Audio with text

Synopsis

Part 1
Hermes begins the first of three stories about Odysseus. The stories cover the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus's meeting with the Cyclops and his final reunion with his wife and son.

One day Zeus is given a golden apple to be awarded as a prize to the most beautiful Greek goddess of all. Zeus is wary of judging such a contentious competition and instead passes the responsibility to a human - Paris, prince of Troy. Paris must judge between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite - the goddess of love. Paris's mind is made up when Aphrodite promises to make Helen - famed for her beauty - fall in love with. It just so happens that Paris is already on his way to see Helen - as he's been invited to her wedding to King Menelaus.

Helen falls in love with Paris at the wedding and the two run away to Troy. Menelaus summons the Greek leaders to send an army to sack Troy and bring Helen back.

Part 2
Among the Greeks there is one hero who doesn't wish to go to war. Odysseus has a new baby and wants to stay at home. Hermes encourages him to feign madness as a means of avoiding service…but Menelaus sees through his ruse and Odysseus must join the other Greek leaders.

For ten long years the Greeks are camped outside the gates of Troy - but try as they might they cannot breach the walls.

Part 3
Then Odysseus, known for his cunning, has an idea. They'll build a wooden horse and leave it outside the gates of Troy as an offering to the goddess Athena, while the Greek army pretends to leave. When the Trojans discover the horse they wheel it inside the city and celebrate their supposed victory…little suspecting what is about to happen…

Resources

Includes reading, writing and grammar activities that can be applied to any of the myths in the series.

Resource Pack

Odysseus and the Trojan Horse - Audio only (mp3)

Odysseus and the Trojan Horse - transcript to print/download (pdf)

See also...

Ancient Greece on our KS2 Music pages - music activities and catchy songs to learn
Ancient Greece on our KS2 History pages - covers topics such gods and goddesses and the Olympics Games, as well as offering short animations of additional Greek myths and legends

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