The Peculiar Trojan War - The On
In the city-state of Troy, King Podarces was living a tranquil life. However, the mont he woke up one morning, he urgently summoned all his ministers.
Gathered before him were Troy’s prominent figures: the princes Deiphobus and Hector, the hero Aeneas, and even Cassandra, who had been dedicated to Apollo as a temple priestess.
With everyone assembled, King Podarces spoke with a grave expression.
"Last night, the god Morpheus appeared to in a dream… and delivered Pluto’s oracle."
"An oracle…?!" "Hmm!"
As his words commanded everyone's attention, only Cassandra appeared unusually cheerful.
"The oracle stated that if we establish a temple for Pluto in Troy, he will aid us in overcoming the impending crisis. How should we interpret this?"
"A temple for Pluto, you say?" "But aren’t we already devoted to the god Apollo? What if the sun god becos angered by this…?" "No, if we explain that this is a direct oracle from Pluto, I believe he will not take offense." "Still, a temple for the god of the underworld feels sowhat ominous."
The ministers were quick to voice their opinions. While it was generally wise to obey divine oracles, could the god of the underworld truly have Troy's best interests at heart? Was it wise to trust the king of the dead?
Before the debate could escalate further, King Podarces turned his gaze to his daughter, Cassandra. Blessed with the gift of prophecy through Apollo’s love, she had beco his steadfast advisor and pillar of support.
"Cassandra." "Yes, Father?" "You, who are favored by the sun god and possess the gift of prophecy—do you believe we should follow Pluto’s oracle?"
At this, Cassandra bead brightly and answered.
"Of course. It is one of the few threads of hope we have to navigate through the crisis before us." "Hmm…" "If we do not heed Pluto’s oracle, Troy will face destruction."
Renowned for her prophetic abilities bestowed by Apollo’s favor, Cassandra was a unique figure. While love between gods and mortals often ended in tragedy, she maintained a good relationship with Apollo despite her gift of foresight. Many seers rejected the love of gods due to their ability to see the future, yet Cassandra was an exception.
As King Podarces pondered the matter, a man stepped forward. With a tall, commanding presence, an impressive physique, and striking features, he was not only Troy’s supre commander but also its greatest hero.
"Father, may I offer my thoughts?" "Oh, Hector! Yes, let us hear your opinion."
He was also one of Troy’s princes.
The Supre Commander of Troy Speaks
As the supre commander of Troy, Hector, began to speak slowly, everyone focused intently on his words.
"This talk of a crisis facing Troy is all well and good, but wouldn’t it be wise to first consider the nature of the god who delivered this oracle?"
"Didn’t I already ntion it? It was Pluto, the god of the underworld…"
"Then, what kind of god is this Pluto?"
At that mont, everyone realized Hector’s point. While Pluto is the ruler of the underworld, he is also associated with wealth and—
"rcy and fairness! Hmm, I see where you’re going with this."
"Exactly. Pluto is known as one of the most benevolent gods, with hardly any records or rumors of misconduct. While the underworld may evoke fear, stories involving him, like the tale of dusa or the account of King Perseus, are all favorable."
"Indeed, compared to so of the more capricious gods…"
Encouraged by the conversation, the other ministers chid in. Among the nurous deities of Olympus, Pluto stood out as one of the few without a bad reputation.
"I’ve heard that as well. Mortals inevitably journey to the underworld, so they say he is rciful to the living." "Only the goddess of justice rivals him in trustworthiness when it cos to fairness and rcy…" "At the very least, it seems unlikely that he harbors ill intentions toward Troy…"
Thus, it was decided to construct a temple dedicated to Pluto in Troy. As the god of wealth, the underworld, fairness, and rcy, his temple’s construction elicited mixed reactions from the citizens.
"A temple for Pluto, huh? They’re making good use of mint leaves, at least..." "But aren’t we already devoted to Apollo? What if the sun god gets angry again?" "Well, he is the god of wealth, so that’s nice… but I’m not sure. I trust His Majesty will handle it wisely." "Princess Cassandra serves as a priestess in Apollo’s temple, and now there’s a temple for Pluto too? Hmm…"
The Arrival of Paris and Helen
While the temple of Pluto was under construction, Prince Paris returned to Troy. Beside him stood a woman of unparalleled beauty, capturing the attention of all who saw her.
King Podarces, seeing the woman Paris had brought back, asked pointedly:
"Paris. Explain yourself. Is that woman who I think she is?"
"Y-yes, Father! You see… this is the result of a blessing from the goddess Aphrodite… the golden apple…"
Paris stamred as he recounted his story. In short, he had seduced Helen, the wife of nelaus, King of Sparta, and brought her to Troy.
Upon hearing this, King Podarces was, understandably, furious.
"What?! Helen?! She is the wife of nelaus, the King of Sparta, is she not?" "Th-that’s true, but…" "This is it! The mont foretold in the prophecy! I should never have allowed you to leave Troy in the first place!"
Paris was subject to a prophecy at birth: he was destined to bring disaster upon Troy. When King Podarces and Queen Hecuba heard the oracle, they agonized over what to do but ultimately decided to ignore it. They could not bring themselves to kill their own child over a prophecy that didn’t explicitly guarantee Troy’s destruction.
"Because of you, our entire nation is now engulfed in the flas of war!" "Y-yes, Father…" "Out of my sight! Take that woman with you and consider yourself confined!"
As Paris left the throne room in disgrace, King Podarces buried his face in his hands. Could this be the crisis Pluto’s oracle had foretold?
Helen and Paris’ Escape
The thod Paris used to take Helen, considered the most beautiful woman alive, was simple. He revealed his royal identity to nelaus, received generous hospitality, and then, during nelaus’ absence at his grandfather’s funeral, seduced Helen and fled with her.
"Paris!!! You dare to violate the laws of hospitality and abscond with my wife?! I’ll turn Troy into a sea of fire!"
Naturally, King nelaus was enraged. He sought out his brother, Agamnon, the ruler of Mycenae, to demand action. Even with Sparta’s considerable strength, it was impossible to bring down Troy alone.
"Very well. Let us punish Paris for breaking the sacred laws of hospitality and bring Troy to ruin." "I’ll send word to all those who once courted Helen." "With a coalition of forces from all over Greece, we’ll quickly sever Paris’ head and destroy Troy."
The two brothers resolved to annihilate Troy, and all of this—
Hades Observes
"…Of course."
Hades, in the underworld, was well aware of everything that had transpired.
Helen, renowned as the most beautiful woman in Greece, had suitors who were kings and royals of various lands. It was clear as day that Paris’ fate, after abducting her, was sealed. The Greek coalition army was already forming.
Of course, it wasn’t as if all these suitors were raising armies purely for the sake of one woman. Greece was a land of heroes, and many of Helen’s suitors were royalty or rulers themselves.
These were n who had grown up hearing the epic tales of heroes from their parents’ generation—legends of completing great feats, earning glory, and immortalizing their nas. The war provided a perfect stage for such ambitions.
Among the coalition forces were those eager to make a na for themselves through battle, as well as those greedy for the gold and treasures that would co from plundering Troy. For everyone except nelaus, reclaiming Helen was little more than a convenient excuse.
It was a war destined to happen, with or without the intervention of the gods.
The Consequences of Paris’ Actions
"But because of you, our Troy is now engulfed in the flas of war!" "Y-yes, Father…" "I can’t even stand to look at you! Take that woman and confine yourself imdiately!"
Now, Paris… A man who seduced a married woman, with the so-called "blessing" of Aphrodite, certainly didn’t sit well with anyone. War or no war, wasn’t it only right to return Helen to her husband as soon as possible?
But divine blessings and punishnts, once issued, could not be revoked or interfered with by another god. This was the unspoken agreent and binding law among the Olympian gods.
Hades’ Plan
"Very well then. Morpheus, appear in King Podarces’ dream once more and deliver my words." "What shall I tell him this ti?" "Tell him that the goddess of justice is aligned with the underworld. Since Troy is devoted to Apollo, surely they will understand my will."
If mortals were to "voluntarily" reject a divine blessing, then it would all resolve itself, wouldn’t it?
While I cannot directly interfere and order Helen to be returned to her rightful husband, now that my temple stands in Troy, there are countless ways to circumvent this fate and its prophecy. Of course, if this ddling were discovered, I might incur Aphrodite’s resentnt and perhaps receive a scolding from Zeus.
"And if they fail to understand the ssage…?" "Then simply remind them that the underworld stands for justice. Convey that nuance clearly."
But before anything else, I must deal with this affair.
Now that my temple has been erected in Troy, this level of intervention won’t offend Apollo.
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