Editing Trojan War (section)

===Sack of Troy===

[[File:Amphora death Priam Louvre F222.jpg|thumb|right|[[Neoptolemus]], son of Achilles, kills King Priam (detail of Attic black-figure [[amphora]], 520–510 BC)]]

The Achaeans entered the city and killed the sleeping population. A great massacre followed which continued into the day.
{{poemquote|Blood ran in torrents, drenched was all the earth,
As Trojans and their alien helpers died.
Here were men lying quelled by bitter death
All up and down the city in their blood.<ref>Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiii. 100–104, Translation by A.S. Way, 1913.</ref>}}

The Trojans, fuelled with desperation, fought back fiercely, despite being disorganised and leaderless. With the fighting at its height, some donned fallen enemies' attire and launched surprise counterattacks in the chaotic street fighting. Other defenders hurled down roof tiles and anything else heavy down on the rampaging attackers. The outlook was grim though, and eventually the remaining defenders were destroyed along with the whole city.

Neoptolemus killed Priam, who had taken refuge at the altar of Zeus of the Courtyard.<ref name=PC4IP/><ref name=AE521>Apollodorus. ''Epitome'' 5.21.</ref> Menelaus killed Deiphobus, Helen's husband after Paris' death, and also intended to kill Helen, but, overcome by her beauty, threw down his sword<ref>Aristophanes, ''Lysistrata'' 155; Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiii.423–457.</ref> and took her to the ships.<ref name=PC4IP/><ref>Apollodorus, ''Epitome'' 5.22.</ref>

[[File:Ajax drags Cassandra from Palladium.jpg|thumb|right|Menelaus captures Helen in Troy, Ajax the Lesser drags Cassandra from Palladium before the eyes of Priam (fresco from the [[Casa del Menandro]], Pompeii)]]

[[Ajax the Lesser]] raped Cassandra on Athena's altar while she was clinging to her statue. Because of Ajax's impiety, the Acheaens, urged by Odysseus, wanted to stone him to death, but he fled to Athena's altar, and was spared.<ref name=PC4IP/><ref>Apollodorus, ''Epitome'' 5.22; Pausanias 10.31.2; Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiii.462–473; Virgil, ''Aeneid'' 403–406. The rape of Cassandra was a popular theme of ancient Greek paintings; see Pausanias, 1.15.2, 5.11.6, 5.19.5, 10.26.3.</ref>

[[Antenor of Troy|Antenor]], who had given hospitality to Menelaus and Odysseus when they asked for the return of Helen, and who had advocated so, was spared, along with his family.<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 3.203–207, 7.347–353; Apollodorus, ''Epitome'', 5.21; Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiii.322–331, Livy, 1.1; Pausanias, 10.26.8, 27.3 ff.; Strabo, 13.1.53.</ref> Aeneas took his father on his back and fled, and, according to Apollodorus, was allowed to go because of his piety.<ref name=AE521/>

The Greeks then burned the city and divided the spoils. Cassandra was awarded to Agamemnon. Neoptolemus got [[Andromache]], wife of Hector, and Odysseus was given [[Hecuba]], Priam's wife.<ref>Apollodorus. ''Epitome'' 5.23.</ref>

The Achaeans<ref>Proclus, ''Chrestomathy'' 4, ''Ilio Persis'', says Odysseus killed Astyanax, while Pausanias, 10.25.9, says Neoptolemus.</ref> threw Hector's infant son [[Astyanax]] down from the walls of Troy,<ref>Apollodorus, ''Epitome'' 5.23.</ref> either out of cruelty and hate<ref>Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiii.279–285.</ref> or to end the royal line, and the possibility of a son's revenge.<ref>Euripides, ''Trojan Women'' 709–739, 1133–1135; Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' 109.</ref> They (by usual tradition Neoptolemus) also sacrificed the Trojan princess Polyxena on the grave of Achilles.<ref>Euripides, ''Hecuba'' 107–125, 218–224, 391–393, 521–582; Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiv.193–328.</ref>

[[Aethra (mother of Theseus)|Aethra]], Theseus' mother and one of Helen's handmaids,<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 3.144.</ref> was rescued by her grandsons, [[Demophon of Athens|Demophon]] and [[Acamas]].<ref name=PC4IP/><ref>Apollodorus, ''Epitome'' 5.22; Pausanias, 10.25.8; Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'' xiii.547–595.</ref>