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Chapter 25 History History Humanities (2)
The war lasted ten years, during which both sides suffered the misfortunes of war. Agamemnon fought with Achilles over a captive princess, and in anger, Achilles refused to fight. His friend, Patroclus, borrowed his armor and went out to change the situation of war, but was killed by Hector, the oldest son of Priam. Bent on revenge, Achilles no longer fought with Agamemnon, and putting on his new armor made by Hephaestus, went out to avenge his friend. He killed Hector and dragged his dead body three times around the walls of Troy. But soon after, Achilles was wounded in the heel by Paris and died in battle. Paris had not long to live either, for he was killed by a friend of Achilles'. As Achilles left his armor to the bravest of the Greeks, a bitter struggle happened between its two worthy contestants; and when the weapons were given to Odysseus by judge, Ajax took his own life for grief and shame.
At the end of nine years a prophet predicted that Troy would not fall as long as the Palladium stayed within its walls. Odysseus and Diomedes went into the city in disguise and stole it out of the temple of the city. Then the Greeks designed a great wooden horse, in which some Greek soldiers hid themselves, and made believe to withdraw. Taken in by rumor that the horse had been sent by Athena, the overjoyed Trojans hauled it into their capital. At night the hidden Greeks crawled out and threw the whole city ​​into confusion. Tory was robbed. King Priam was killed. Queen Hecuba, her daughter Cassandra and her daughter in law Andromache were all carried into slavery. Helen and Menelaus were on good terms again and disappeared in the west. , only to be murdered by his own wife. His son Orestes killed his mother and was pursued by the Furies. Odysseus went through untold hardships, struggling with wind and wave, before he reached his home island Ithaca to reuni te with his faithful wife Penelope. Aeneas, one of the Trojan princes, after narrowly escaping death at Troy, wandered from land to land for a long time and became, in the end, the founder of the Roman race.
Vocabulary
shepherd ["? ep? d] vt. Shepherd, lead, guard;

n. shepherd, pastor, guide

Expose [ik"sp? uz] vt. Expose, expose, expose, show
Royal ["r? i? l] adj. Royal, grand, noble;
n. royal family members

elope [i"l? up] vi. elope, abscond

prophet ["pr? fit] n. Prophet, prophet, advocate

altar ["?: lt?] n. Altar, altar, communion table

Captive ["k? ptiv] adj. Captive, captivated;
n. captive, obsessed

Armor ["ɑ: m?] n. Armor, face shield, armor
revenge [ri"vend?] n. revenge, revenge;
vt. revenge, revenge for...

vi. revenge, revenge

palladium [p? "leidi? m] n. [化] palladium, patron saint

withdraw [wie"dr?:] vt. Undo, retract, pull away;

vi. to retreat, to leave
Practice
1. Who actually started the Trojan War?

2. Read more about The Trojan horse．

Translation
At the wedding feast, Eris, the goddess of discord, throws a golden apple inscribed "To the fairest".Hera, Aphrodite and Athena all wanted the golden apple.They were sent to Paris for a verdict.Paris, a shepherd on Mount Ada, awarded the golden apples to Aphrodite because she promised to help him to be loved by the most beautiful woman in the world.

Paris was the son of Priam, king of Troy.When he was born, his mother, Queen Heljuba, dreamed that she was holding a burning log, so it was believed that Paris was likely to bring destruction to the city.By chance, he was abandoned on Mount Aida, where he experienced wind, rain and sun.Later, he was rescued by the herdsmen there and brought up.This time, at the behest of Aphrodite, he went down the mountain to participate in the rally held in Troy.There he was so distinguished that King Priam and Queen Heljuba gladly received him, and he was once again a member of the royal family.

Soon he was named captain of the fleet and sent to Greece.He came to Sparta because Aphrodite once told him that Helen, the most beautiful woman at that time, lived there.Helen's husband, King Menelaus, treated Paris warmly, but he retaliated.Taking advantage of the king's absence, Paris persuaded Helen to elope with him to the city of Troy.In order to avenge their hatred, the Greek people took up arms, and the Trojan War broke out.

While the Greek fleet was anchored in the harbor of Aulis, the wind was not favorable.A prophet told Agamemnon, commander of the expedition, to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to Artemis.Iphigenia was placed on the altar of the goddess.But Artemis took her away at the last moment and put a deer in her place.Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, was furious at her husband's cruelty.

The war lasted ten years.During this time, both sides suffered heavy losses.Agamemnon and Achilles fight over a captured princess.In a fit of rage, Achilles refused to continue fighting.Achilles' friend, Patroclus, borrowed his armor to turn the tide of battle.Unfortunately, he died at the hands of Priam's eldest son, Hector.Achilles is bent on avenging his friends, and he no longer fights with Agamemnon.Putting on the new armor that Hephaestus had made for him, he set off.He killed Hector and dragged the body around Troy three times.But soon, Achilles was shot in the heel by Paris and died on the battlefield.Paris didn't live long, and he was killed by Achilles' friends.Due to Achilles' last words to give his armor to the bravest warrior in Greece, a fierce competition was launched between the two warriors for this title.When the armor was finally judged to be awarded to Odysseus, another warrior, Ajax, was depressed and shamed, and ended his life.

At the end of the ninth year of the war, a prophet predicted that as long as the statue of Athena was in the city, the city of Troy would never be captured.So Odysseus and Diomedes pretended to enter the city and stole the statue secretly.Subsequently, the Greeks elaborately made a huge wooden horse, and some Greek soldiers hid in the horse's belly.At the same time, the Greek army pretended to withdraw and spread rumors that the horse was sent by Athena.Believing it was true, the Trojans happily dragged the horse into the city.As night fell, the hidden Greek soldiers crept out of the horse's belly, throwing the whole city into chaos, and the city of Troy was looted.King Priam was killed, and Queen Hekjuba, her daughter Cassandra and her daughter-in-law Andromarch were all taken as slaves.Helen and Menelaus reconciled and went to the west to live in seclusion.Agamemnon returned to Mycenae, but was murdered by his own wife.His son killed his own mother and was hunted down by the Goddess of Wrath.Odysseus fights against all odds and winds, until he finally reaches Isaisha, where he is reunited with his faithful wife, Penelope.A prince of Troy, Aieans, survived.For a long time, he wandered from one country to another.Finally, he created the Roman nation.

Exercise
1.Who started the Trojan War?
2.Read more stories about Trojan horses.

03 The Ruin of Roman Empire The fall of the Roman Empire

To match the environmental record with the historical one, researchers looked at more than 7 tree fossils from the past 200 years.
The study, published in the journal Science, said: “The rise and fall of past civilizations have been associated with environmental change, mainly due to effects on water supply and agricultural productivity, human health and civil conflict.
“Wet and warm summers occurred during periods of Roman and Medieval prosperity.
“Increased climate variability from AD 250 to 600 coincided with the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the turmoil of the Migration Period.
“Distinct drying in the third century paralleled a period of serious crisis in the western Roman Empire marked by barbarian invasion, political turmoil and economic dislocation in several provinces in Gaul.”

Oak rings are sensitive to changes in precipitation, and can show changes according to what was happening in the environment.
The research could also glean signs about what was happening from changes in how many trees were being cut.
The study said: 'Reduced tree harvesting around AD 250 to 400 coins with the biggest central Europe historical crisis, the Migration Period, a time marked by lasting political turmoil, cultural change and socio-economic instability.
Increasing timber harvest for construction is represented by abundant falling parallel to socio-economic consolidation from the sixth to the ninth centuries.
The scientists said unfavorable climate may have contributed to the spread of the second plague pandemic, the Black Death, which reduced central Europe's population after AD 1347 by 40 to 60 percent.
Researchers also noted that a sharp decline in North American temperatures around the same time saw an abrupt desertion of former Greenland settlements.
Technological advances have made the modern human population less vulnerable to environmental changes to a certain extent, the study said.
(End of this chapter)