Is Odysseus a Demigod? the Tale of Three Brothers in the Trojan War

Brotherly Bonds and the Lure of War: A Journey from Olive Groves to the Battlegrounds

My name is Sophocles. I was one of the warriors in the Trojan War who earned an incredibly high position in the Greek Army along with my two brothers. Since I was the oldest, I had more responsibilities than my younger brothers did. My name meant smart and wise, so I was usually the wisest between the three of us. The middle brother, Photios, was usually the most athletic and rash.

His name means light, although he acts in a very dark manner. Finally, there is my brother Diodoros. Diodorus is the one with a big mouth and is always happy and enjoying life. He has a name that means Gift of Zeus. That is why he always gets scot-free of trouble. Anyways, the Trojan War business all began on one sunny, humid day in Greece. As I went down to the city with my two brothers to look for a lot to advertise our olives, grapes, wine, and olive oil, we saw an empty lot. It cost 12 drachmas, 13 obals, and 7 tetradrachms. Three drachmas and one oval were all that I had. I saw a note attached to the open lots.

“Photios! Diodorus! Look! The Greek army is hiring men for the war! They are giving ten gold drachmas, seven ovals, and three tetradrachms for joining! We will finally have enough money to buy the lot in the city to retail olives and grapes. Mama will be so happy when she sees this note,” I said gleefully. I was excited, but my brother, Photios, was not.
“At least we can purchase those iron plows and new oxen and see if we have enough money to spare and buy a larger lot,” said Photios half-heartedly.

From Humble Beginnings to the Call of Battle: Divine Lineage and the Quest for Troy

“Cheer up, Photios. It is only for the family. After the death of Grandpa, our valuables were used for nothing we needed. Now we have no money, and the drought has dried up our land, leaving our crops withered. Now we can change it by joining the army.” protested Diodoros.

“Fine, let’s go join the army and kill Trojans,” said Photios grudgingly.

The next day we got our armor and weapons forged by the Cyclops and Hecatonchires while Hephaestus designed them.

“Told you this would be one of the best days in your life, Photios,” said Diodoros grinning. I was laughing hysterically, and Photios glared at me. Being the sons of Apollo (God of
Healing, Music, Poetry, Prophecy, and Sun), Photios acts as if he is a son of Hades(God of Erebos, the Dead, and Riches). Our camp’s leader was Menelaus, the original husband of Helen, who married Paris, causing the Trojan War.

“All right! Why are we battling Troy,” thundered Menelaus!

“To retrieve Helen and to conquer Troy,’ we replied confidently!

“Then get to work,’ ordered Menelaus!

Odysseus’ Absence and the Turning Tides of the Trojan War

In the following weeks, we learned how to swordfight, but Photios, Diodoros, and I excelled in archery mainly because of our father, Apollo (Although we were horrible at poetry). We were also some of the best healers in our camp. The next month we went to battle. While I was shooting people, I saw a snake that bit one of the Greek soldiers. That man had died from the poison. That gave me the greatest idea to defeat Troy.

“Sophocles! You truly are what your name means! We should share this with the other archers,’ exclaimed Diodoros merrily. Once the news had spread, the weapon makers began adding snake venom to the arrows and spears. I had earned three extra Obals for the idea. Later on, we gained a lead in the war until Patroclus… died. Achilles had let him wear his armor in the battle. In contrast, we were fighting against Troy and defeating them with ease until Hector came. Patroclus battled him for at least the rest of the day, trying to save his soldiers who were fighting by his side. Our father had stunned Patroclus allowing Hector to kill him. This enraged Achilles and us.

“Ii Will kill you, Hector, for you have killed my friend Patroclus! You might have taken my armor, but I have bathed in the river Styx! I swear on the river Styx that I Will kill you,’ bellowed Achilles!

Odysseus’ Strategy and the Infamous Trojan Horse: Decades of War and Deception

The next day we gave Patroclus a warrior’s rightful funeral. Achilles refused to see the funeral along with Odysseus and Photios. They went to attack the Trojans. Hector had come out to fight Achilles, which was a foolish decision. While they fought, Hector began to run. He ran around the walls of Troy that Poseidon (God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Storms) had built. Soon, Photios ran in the opposite direction to corner Hector. Being concentrated on Achilles, he did not notice Photios coming the other way. Startled, He turned left and ran, only to find Athena standing there. Like Patroclus, he, too, was stunned, and Achilles struck him down. For his bravery, Photios earned four extra tetradrachms. The war kept us, soldiers, busy, and we were annoyed with the war. Nine years had passed since we had joined.

One day Photios and I discussed how we could defeat Troy.

“Photios. Do you remember how you had distracted Hector to kill him? So why don’t we distract or trick them into a trap” Diodorus asked.

“How about we fake surrender to the Trojans,” suggested Odysseus, who must have been eavesdropping on our conversation. This idea of Diodoros led Odysseus to use the Trojan horse as a way to defeat the people of Troy.

From Humble Beginnings to Heroes of the Iliad: The Journey of Three Brothers

Cedar trees the size of the great pyramids of Giza were used for the body of the horse. Gold and silver were used to decorate the marvelous mare. Once the building of the massive horse that looked like a real steed was finished, we moved it near Troy’s walls. The Trojans were fooled by thinking that the horse marked our defeat, but truly, the plan was just beginning to hatch. At night, Menelaus crept to the castle and retrieved Helen while The other men aboard the nag zipped down the rope and ran like a lion to the nearest homes. We destroyed the homes and stole the valuables. The soldiers kidnapped the children. The attack went great until Paris came. Agamemnon fought him to buy us some time. Paris fell quickly to Agamemnon. In the battle, Paris was a tiny beetle compared to Agamemnon. Now we knew for sure Troy would be hidden in the abyss of history forever. Diodorus was given nine drachmas for his proposal, which led to the defeat of Troy. The three of us were appointed as Greek war generals, although we were pheasants looking for money to sell our half-withered crops.

In the end, we figured out that in a war, ideas and plans are what make one in a war victorious. Along with that, we had got the money we needed to buy a larger lot. Demeter, who was elated with the success of defeating Troy, brought rains to Greece. After this Trojan War affair was over, the three of us settled in life. Once that was out of the way, we helped Homer inscribe the great Iliad. The story of us.

References

1. Homer. (circa 8th century BC). The Iliad. Translated by R. Fagles. (1990). Penguin Classics.
2. Virgil. (circa 29–19 BC). The Aeneid. Translated by R. Fitzgerald. (1983). Vintage Classics.
3. Graves, R. (1955). The Greek Myths. Penguin.
4. Lefkowitz, M. R., & Fant, M. B. (1992). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press.
5. Strauss, B. (2006). The Trojan War: A New History. Simon & Schuster.
6. Korfmann, M. O. (Ed.). (2002). Troy and the Trojan War: A Symposium held at Bryn Mawr College, October 1984. Bryn Mawr Commentaries.

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