The Girl from Ithaca

Paris has taken the beautiful Helen from Meneleus, despite all the Greek leaders having committed to helping Meneleus should anything happen to her.  Odysseus has tried to get out of his commitment to Meneleus to fight the Trojans.  However, by trickery he is forced to participate in the war that Agamemnon has been planning to take to the Trojans.

Shortly after this, Odysseus' young sister, Lady Neomene, is tasked with providing company to Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter, prior to her marriage to Achilles.  The Greek army is shocked when Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia to the gods.

An attempt to get Helen back by peaceful means, fails.  It is to be war.  The Greeks land outside Troy and force the Trojans inside their walled city.  Meneleus suggests a duel with Paris, the winner taking Helen and the gold she had taken from Sparta.  Paris is easily beaten and he flees to the city, so Hector and Ajax fight to an honourable draw.

As the years pass during the siege of Troy, Agamemnon seems to begin to lose control of the armies.  In order to gain everyone's confidence, Agamemnon insists his blacksmith marry Io, and threw a big celebration in honour of the wedding.  Now, buoyed by confidence, the Greeks prepare for another battle with the Trojans.

And thus ends the first installment in the story of the Trojan war, taken from the perspective of the sister of Odysseus.  A good, quick read by author Cherry Gregory.