Trojan War was a conflict in which ancient Greece defeated the city of Troy. The legend of the war inspired many leading works of classical literature. Some of the events that occurred during and after the Trojan War became the subject of three great epic poems--the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to the Greek poet Homer, and the Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil. The heroes and victims of the war were portrayed in such Greek tragedies as Agamemnon by Aeschylus, Ajax by Sophocles, and The Trojan Women by Euripides.
Scholars do not agree about the truth behind the legend of the Trojan War. Some of them believe it distorts and exaggerates small conflicts involving the Greeks from about 1500 to 1200 B.C. Others think the legend is based on one great war, which most say probably took place during the mid- 1200's B.C. The Homeric epics combine historical material of different times with fictional material. As a result, the works are not reliable historical documents. But archaeologists have found historical evidence in the ruins of Troy and other places that confirms certain events described in the epics.
The beginning of the war. According to ancient Greek myths, the Trojan War resulted from an incident at the wedding feast of Peleus, the king of Phthia, and Thetis, a sea goddess. All the gods and goddesses had been invited except Eris, the goddess of discord. Eris was offended and tried to stir up trouble. She sent a golden apple inscribed "For the most beautiful." Three goddesses--Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite--each claimed the apple, and a quarrel began. Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, judged the dispute. He awarded the apple to Aphrodite because she promised him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.
Helen was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta. But when Paris visited her, she fled with him to Troy. Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon, organized a large Greek expedition against Troy to win Helen back. The Greek army included such heroes as Achilles, Ajax the Greater, Nestor, and Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin).
The siege of Troy. The Greek army laid siege to Troy for 10 years but could not conquer the city. The Iliad describes some of the events that occurred during the last year of the struggle. The war began to go badly for the Greeks after Achilles, their bravest warrior, left the battlefield. Achilles refused to fight because Agamemnon, the Greek commander, had insulted him. The Trojans, led by Hector, drove the Greeks back to their ships. Achilles finally returned to combat after his best friend, Patroclus, had been slain by Hector. Achilles killed Hector to avenge Patroclus' death.
The Iliad ends with Hector's funeral, and Greek legends relate events that followed. The Trojans received help from their allies, the Ethiopians and an army of women warriors called Amazons. But Achilles enabled the Greeks to defeat their enemies by killing Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, and Memnon, the king of the Ethiopians. Paris, aided by the god Apollo, later shot Achilles in the heel with an arrow and killed him.
The fall of Troy is described in the Aeneid. The Greeks built a huge wooden horse, which has become known as the Trojan horse, and placed it outside the walls of Troy. Odysseus and other warriors hid inside the horse while the rest of the Greek army sailed away.
The prophetess Cassandra and the priest Laocoon warned the Trojans against taking the horse into their city. But Sinon, a Greek prisoner, persuaded them that the horse was sacred and would bring the protection of the gods. The Trojans then pulled the horse into Troy. That night they fell asleep after celebrating their apparent victory. Odysseus and his companions then crept out of the horse and opened the city gates for the rest of their warriors, who had returned from a nearby island.
HUNTING
Hunting is the attempt to capture or kill wild animals. At one time, people had to hunt for their food. Today, most people hunt because they enjoy it as a sport. Hunting enthusiasts see it as a contest between the hunter and the hunted. Hunters have weapons, but animals move faster, know the outdoors better, and can smell and hear better.
Kinds of hunting depend on the game being hunted, the location, and the methods used to catch the animal. Upland hunters shoot pheasants, quail, grouse, and other game birds found in farm country. Waterfowl hunters shoot ducks and geese from boats or from blinds, hiding places made from such materials as tall grass or twigs. These hunters also use decoys (artificial ducks) and calls to deceive ducks and lure them closer. Other hunters use calls that imitate injured prey to attract carnivorous (meat-eating) animals, such as bears and mountain lions.
Most hunters use a rifle or shotgun to kill game. In North America, high-velocity (high-speed) rifles are used to hunt such big game as white-tailed deer, black bear, mule deer, elk, and pronghorns. People use small-caliber rifles to shoot smaller game, including cottontail rabbits, foxes, and squirrels. Shotgun shells filled with small pellets called bird shot are used to shoot ducks, upland game, and migratory game birds. Deer hunters sometimes use larger shot called buckshot. Many people also hunt with bows and arrows, pistols, muzzleloading rifles, and crossbows.
Some types of dogs are bred especially for hunting. A bird dog is trained to locate birds or to bring back birds shot by the hunter. Hounds are trained to follow the scent of game animals, including cottontail rabbits and raccoons. Pointing dogs, such as pointers and Brittanys, find game by scent and then point (alert the hunter to the game by standing in a rigid position). Retrievers swim to get waterfowl shot by the hunter.
Opposition to hunting. Some people say hunting unnecessarily kills animals and endangers species. They argue that hunters could enjoy nature and test their skills by tracking and photographing animals instead of killing them. However, hunters say the sport helps keep deer and other animals from multiplying so rapidly that they exceed the food supply or even damage their environment. State and federal laws prohibit the hunting of endangered or threatened species.
Game laws. All states in the United States and Mexico and all provinces in Canada have laws that regulate hunting. These game laws control the kind and number of animals that can be killed, the hunting methods to be used, and when and where game can be hunted. In the United States, the state agencies that enforce these laws are funded mostly by license fees, and partly by federal taxes on hunting equipment. About 16 million people buy hunting licenses each year in the United States. States and the federal government have also set up refuges, areas where strict hunting rules apply or hunting is prohibited.
RECREATİON
Recreation is an activity that people voluntarily pursue for personal enjoyment or satisfaction, usually during their free time. Recreation takes a wide variety of forms and occurs in many different places, depending on the choice of the individual. Some recreation is passive, such as watching television. Many people enjoy extremely active forms of recreation, such as jogging or participating in sports.
Since the 1940's, recreation has become an important element in modern life. Higher incomes and improvements in working conditions and transportation have given many people more money, time, and mobility for recreation. Today, recreation is a major industry. By the early 1980's, Americans were spending more than $200 billion annually on recreation. Many companies provide facilities and equipment for commercial recreational use. Popular facilities include motion-picture theaters, bowling lanes, campgrounds, resorts, golf courses, tennis centers, and theme parks. A number of companies manufacture merchandise for recreation, such as sports equipment and camping supplies.
Recreation provides pleasure for millions of people, but it may also make an important contribution to an individual's mental and physical health. For example, hospitals often organize recreational activities under trained supervisors as therapy for patients.
Kinds of recreation. The most popular kind of recreation is watching television. On the average, a TV set in an American home is in use about seven hours a day.
Hobbies are an important form of recreation for millions of people. Many families engage in gardening. Stamp collecting is a very popular hobby. Games such as bridge and chess are a common type of recreation.
Many people concentrate on outdoor forms of recreation. The 10 most popular types of recreation in the United States are (1) visiting zoos, aquariums, fairs, and carnivals; (2) picnicking; (3) automobile driving for pleasure; (4) walking or jogging; (5) swimming; (6) travel; (7) watching sports events; (8) participating in sports and games; (9) fishing; and (10) taking nature walks.
For many people, attending cultural events is a favorite form of recreation. Such people may attend museum exhibits, theater performances, or concerts.
Opportunities for recreation. Private businesses, service organizations, and government agencies all provide opportunities for recreational activities. Many companies offer organized recreation for their employees, such as softball leagues and bowling tournaments. Community recreation services are provided by boys clubs, scouting organizations, and religious groups.
Local, state or provincial, and national government agencies provide many recreational services. Most local governments have a recreation and parks department responsible for maintaining facilities and offering programs. These services are financed by taxes and fees.
At the state or provincial and national levels, opportunities for recreation are primarily provided through parks.