ABSTRACT

EvenifHelen'sbeautywasnotitsonlycause,andthoughHomer's accountofitmaynotbecompletelyreliable,theTrojanwardid neverthelesstakeplace.Itisanhistoricalfact,whichwaslatermagnified andenrichedbylegend.

Thenames'Greece'and'Greeks'arecomparativelylateandwere onlyusedfromRomantimesonwards.IntheclassicalagetheGreeks referredtothemselvesasHellenes,thepeopleofBellas.Butatthe timeofHomer'sIliadandOdysseytheHelleneswereasyetnomore thanatribeinsouthernThessaly,subjectsofAchilles,alsoknown astheMyrmidons.WhenHomerwantstorefertoallthevarious peopleswhotookpartintheexpeditionagainstTroyunderthe leadershipoftheAtreidae,heusesthreenames:Achaeans,Argivesor Danaans.Hereweshallusethefirstasbeingthemostcomprehensive.