Introduction
The Trojan Women by Lucius Annaeus Seneca deals with the story of the sacked, flaming, and destroyed Troy after the Trojan-Achaean war. The central core is based on the suffering of Trojan women who are forced to become enslaved and endure torment as members of a defeated nation (Streufert 1). Seneca recounts how women were deprived of their sons, husbands, and brothers and became hostages of the ancient Greek victorious warriors as trophies.
A deeper look, however, reveals that it is a tragedy of classical heroism. Seneca mocks the heroes and tells the story of the exposure of honor, dignity, and valor for which real warriors are famous. High moral values, compassion, and respect for defeated opponents usually characterize heroes of the victorious side.
Mahmood-ul-Hassan et al. assess the hero in classical literature: “The hero was seen as a demigod who performed altruistic and virtuous acts” (p. 6699). On the contrary, the anti-hero is generally regarded as an individual who can use any means to achieve his goal, so that he does not evoke moral agreement with the reader’s actions. From this classification, the Achaeans in The Trojan Women tragedy can be described as anti-heroes since many of their actions and words do not seem right and ethically acceptable to the hero.
Hypocrisy and Brutality of the Greek “Heroes”
Seneca’s play provides multiple accounts of how the Achaeans have violated the Warrior Code and the very essence of heroism. Pyrrhus says that “the merciful will oft give death instead of life“ and “so now thou deemest the sacrifice of maids a crime?“ (Seneca lines 329-331). These words of the Greek warrior demonstrate him as a cruel and unmerciful man, ready to destroy the lives of others for his well-being.
It is appropriate to quote the words of another Greek warrior, Calchas, who stated that “this at the accustomed price fate the Danaïs their voyage“ (Seneca line 360). Nor does Ulysses demonstrate classical heroism when he says, “Stripes, fire, and every form of torture shall force thee against thy will, through pain, to speak out what thou concealest, and from thy heart shall tear its inmost secrets“ (Seneca line 578). The above examples are just some of the many testaments to the hostility, bloodthirstiness, and ruthlessness for which the ancient Greek wars were famous after the end of the Trojan War. Thus, Seneca’s tragedy describes the Achaeans not as heroes of the classical era of conquest but as anti-heroes who disregard the Warrior Code and go to the most arduous lengths for personal gain.
The juxtaposition of the Greeks with the defeated Trojan women is remarkably contrasting. The Trojan women were not warriors, although their behavior seems more honest and morally endorsed. For example, the women perform ritual mourning together for their dead relatives, support each other, and do not give away secrets to the Achaeans. The women in Seneca’s tragedy demonstrate resilience and unity in the face of a common enemy, which cannot be said of the victors.
Identifying the Most Dishonorable Greek
The most significant degree of disapproval may come from Menelaüs, the ancient Greek leader of the victorious side, who orders the punishment and death of his wife, Helen. Despite Helen’s words about the enchantments cast upon her, Menelaüs is unwilling to be compassionate and brutally humiliates the woman he once loved by throwing her into the prison hold of the ship. Moreover, the behavior of Agamemnon, who not only chooses to take Cassandra hostage but also sacrifices his daughter, is unacceptable (Seneca line 524). Despite the actions of the other Achaeans, Menelaüs and Agamemnon can be seen as the ugliest in Seneca’s play.
Conclusion
Seneca mocks the heroic image of the victorious Achaeans and portrays them as savage, bloodthirsty, and unstereotypically ignorant warriors. Thus, the Achaeans in Seneca’s portrayal are not role models but objects of ridicule and grotesqueness. The play is named after the women who sided with the defeated nation but showed fortitude and compassion for one another, which the reader can take as a moral example.
Works Cited
Mahmood-ul-Hassan, Saadia, et al. “Hero and Antihero: An Ethic and Aesthetic Reflection of The Sports.” Webology, vol. 18, no. 6, 2021, pp. 6699-6709.
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. Tragedies. Harvard University Press, 1917.
Streufert, Paul D., ed. Trojan Women. Broadview Press, 2021.