09-The Achaean invasions

After their successful invasion, the Achaeans camped towards the side of the Dardanelles Strait. To avoid damaging their ships, they pulled them in to shore and set up strongholds, from where they would launch their attacks. Protessilaos managed to kill many Trojans but was finally killed by Hector, as predicted by the oracle Calchas. The Achaeans buried their first dead with great honours in Thrace, across the Hellespont. After the death of Protessilaos, his brother, Podarkis took part in the war, so filling the loss.

The Achaeans besieged Troy for ten years. Most of the information preserved is about the last year of the war, so for the first nine years little is known. After the initial landing and the installations in the coastal zone of Troy, the Achaeans began to plunder the countryside, to conquer adjacent ally cities of Troy and even to plunder against the Thracian coast. Troy did not get a combined massive siege until the ninth year of the war and business and communication with the mainland of Asia Minor continued undisturbed. On their side the Achaeans accepted significant military aid even during the war. However they failed to either penetrate the hinterland, or surround the Trojans, who maintained contact even with their allies on the European coast.

In one of the first raids of the Achaeans, Odysseus fought with Filomileidi of Lesbos and won, causing excitement in the ranks of the Achaeans. From the island of Lesbos Achilles brought seven concubines, of which six took Agamemnon and only one kept Achilles himself, the daughter of Forvanta, Diomede.

Ajax, son of Telamon was known for his muscle strength and bravery. His shield was so heavy that only he could lift and impenetrable as it was made of seven layers of animal skin. He was captain of twelve ships from Salamis, and he also conquered many territories in the Thracian coast, where reigned Polymistor, brother of Priam. Polymistor delivered the son of Priam, Polydoros to Ajax, who by then was under his protection, in order to prevent the worst. Later Ajax attacked Phrygia whose king was Teleytasand killed him in a duel. It is also said that Ajax stole many cattle on Mount Ida and in the region of Troy.

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