Super Squirrel Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 I'm going to introduce a powerful artifact into my game... into the hands of a villain: the Sword of Troy. But, I'm running into an issue. The recent release of the movie Troy has made it impossible to find anything on the web assocated with the the sword of Troy that is not a movie reference. Can anyone point me in the direction of a site that details the history of the sword from first appearance to last known location? It would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightybec Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Was it mentioned in the Iiliad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Was it mentioned in the Iiliad? This is actually the first I can remember hearing of it, although I admit that I haven't read the Iliad in many years. I haven't seen the film Troy either - was that where you got the reference from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 If it was the sword of a particular hero, then search using that hero's name. Offhand, though, I don't recall any hero with his sword specified. Orlando's (Roland's) sword Durindana or Durindan (or Durindal) was said to have once belonged to Hector. It's supposed to still be on display at Rocamadeur in France. (and, coincidentally, a recent plot point in my Champions game!) Durindal is also supposed to be the source of "la Brèche de Roland", a big cut in the stone of the Pyrénées, made when Roland tried to break the sword before his defeat at Roncesvalles, so that the Saracens would not take it. Unfortunately, Durindal was nigh indestructable, and so he failed. If you're not wedded to the idea of it being from Troy, I'd also suggest Caesar's sword, Crocea Mors ("Yellow Death"). Also ended up being wielded or owned by one of Charlemagne's companions, IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakboy6117 Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy does seem to be an invetion of the movie. now if you still wanted to use it from the site I found in the movie Paris gives the "sword of Troy" to Aeneas who also escapes and sets out to found Rome. so now the sword is in Rome lets say its used by the champions of rome until the barbarians come and sack rome and then itys lost looted and taken by a visigoth cheiften into the wilds of germany. now maybe its hunted down by german thule society occultists during WWII or its found in a modern dig by a mild mannered archeologist who is promptly transformed into a villanous power house by the sword. as for powers maybe it embodies the power of the patron deity of troy who ever that was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightybec Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy does seem to be an invetion of the movie. now if you still wanted to use it from the site I found in the movie Paris gives the "sword of Troy" to Aeneas who also escapes and sets out to found Rome. so now the sword is in Rome lets say its used by the champions of rome until the barbarians come and sack rome and then itys lost looted and taken by a visigoth cheiften into the wilds of germany. now maybe its hunted down by german thule society occultists during WWII or its found in a modern dig by a mild mannered archeologist who is promptly transformed into a villanous power house by the sword. as for powers maybe it embodies the power of the patron deity of troy who ever that was Didn't Romulus and Remus found Rome? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Rome has two founding myths. One by Romulus & Remus. One by Aeneas. edit: The patron deity of Troy was probably Athena, since they had her Palladion protecting them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy I'm not remember it being mentioned in either the Iliad, The Odyssey or at least the Aeneid, mostly because of Aeneus taking off to found rome. As to details on it, I'm drawing a blank, I'm just not remembering it. I remember the seven layered shield and the spear of Achilles...let me look more. Update one: Double checked, it's not in the Iliad which ends with the funerals of Hector and Patroclus. Aeneas' sole distinction in the Iliad is getting saved by a god just before a greek hero is going to kill him time and time again. Update Two: Yeah, it's not in anything ever written by Homer or Virgil. The writer's for the movie made it up. But, on another page it's part of a very speculative line of thought that says the "Sword of Troy" is actually...wait for it...Excaliber. So that's the literary truth, but that doesn't mean it can't be Excaliber or Durandal or Joyeuse really. Just fit the timeline and have fun with it. Some links for the checking: The Odyssey http://www.bookrags.com/notes/od/ The Iliad http://www.bookrags.com/notes/il/ The Aeneid http://www.bookrags.com/notes/and/ And the debunker guy. http://dn641.is-a-geek.com:30000/troy/troy.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Rome has two founding myths. One by Romulus & Remus. One by Aeneas. edit: The patron deity of Troy was probably Athena, since they had her Palladion protecting them. Troy was protected primarily by Posiedon and Apollo. Not that they make a lot of sense I'll grant, but Apollo and Posiedon had to make the walls in penance for being bad and they were both honked at the greeks. Apollo for Briseis who serves no other role than to be a cause of Achilles sulking, and Posiedon because Agamemnon was stingy when he made the initial sacrifice for a good sea voyage and Posiedon holds grudges. EDIT: Not Briseis since they don't pick her up till Troy...it was an oracle to Apollo the Greeks took as captive on the way to Troy that honked off Apollo. My bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 I remember Apollo and Poseidon supporting the Trojan side. And Aphrodite, of course (who basically kept spiriting Paris away in a pink cloud, or something, didn't she?). But since Troy had the Palladion as an icon of Athena, my supposition was that she was their specific city patron when every Hellenic nation wasn't besieging them. I can't remember if Athena supported the Trojans or Hellenes, though, but it wouldn't surprise me if she was helping the Hellenes because of Odysseus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Yeah, that was pretty much the only thing keeping her in their camp (IMHO). Well, him and Thetis, as Athena protects Achilles with her shield after his armor ends up on the field with Patroclus. Quick question: Shouldn't he only need a horkin' big ankle guard? I mean...river styx dip, right? Why did Hephaestus have to make the 7 layered shield and the new armor that shone like the sun? Shouldn't he have just needed an ankle guard, a cup and a smile? (Cuz you always protect the boys, even if you are invulnerable) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 My guess? Homer knew that if Achilles had a big ankle guard, he couldn't get killed, and without his tragic superhero what kind of plot would he have? Plus, if Achilles was wearing that cup, why would the women-folk (well, hetariae) read it? Ah, he got that stuff so the Greeks would know he was the bestest boy evar. And do I misremember the Spartans going to war wearing only their helmet, shield, and red cloak? Sort of the Hellenic Scotsmen, weren't they, with their dangly bits all dangly under their skirts? (personally, I'd have told Hephaestus to keep his shiny armor and just let Athena shield me herself, thankyouverymuch). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Troy as it should have been....(Thanks to Penny Arcade) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Just FYI, Achilles doesn't die in the Iliad. The Iliad starts with the fued between Achilles and Agamemnon and ends with the funerals of Hector and Patroclus. The death of Achilles is referred to in the Iliad, but falls outside the story. As for patron dieties, the primary protectors of Troy in the Iliad were Aphrodite and Apollo. Athena supported the Greeks, not the Trojans (despite the Palladion, which was also never mentioned in the Iliad), because Paris chose Aphrodite over her. Zeus also helped the Trojans for a while, but only to force Achilles to return to the fighting. Several other gods appear, but most of them take only minor roles. If you're looking for a diety, as the "main patron" of Troy, I'd say Apollo, but if you're going for the Aeneas connection it should definitely be Aphrodite (his mother). IMO, there are both better swords to use and better Trojan artifacts. What, exactly, where you looking to use one for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted January 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy Well, one of my characters is FROM Troy before it fell. I figure, it would make a good weapon to have a villain use against her and eventually, maybe the player will want to add a sword to her collection. She is, after all, a Weaponsmaster Archetype. The Sword of Troy was given to Paris by his father. Paris gives it Aeneas. Aeneas goes on to found Rome. It is said, so long as it is in the hands of a Trojan, our people have a future. As The Greek, is techincally Trojan, it would only make sense to use that particular blade. I figure that from the last known location, the sword was buried in the hands of a "Trojan". With the sword in the hands of a non-Trojan, it would become a very deadly weapon if used against someone of Trojan blood. Thus, the Greek would have a major enemy on her hands. And as the Godess Hekate is trying to see her dead, what a beautiful little storyline this would make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireg0lem Posted January 21, 2005 Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Re: Sword of Troy One option is the arms of Aeneas, described in Book VIII: "the helmet over with hands and arms, with its fearsome crest and spouting flames, and the fateful sword, the stiff breastplate of bronze, dark-red and huge, like a bluish cloud when it’s lit by the rays of the sun, and glows from afar: then the smooth greaves, of electrum and refined gold, the spear, and the shield’s indescribable detail." There's also an ekphrasis of the shield, which contains the history of Rome (or, for Aeneas, the future of the Trojan people) on it. Another story that comes to mind is the meeting of Glaucus (a Trojan hero) and Diomedes, a Greek. They met for single combat, but after announcing their identities and lineage realized that they shouldn't fight because of friendship between their families, and thus they instead exchanged armors as a token of friendship. However, Glaucus's armor, being made of gold, was worth more than Diomedes' bronze armor. Either suit of armor could make an interesting artifact, depending on the exact backgrounds involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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