Whom the Gods Would Destroy
The story is narrated from the point of view of a young boy named Helios who grows up during the Trojan War.
En route to deliver a pot of cooked meat to his foster father Polydextus, he is confronted by Milentius.
Paris mentions how he heard the rumours of Priam having too much wine and meeting a pretty slave girl in a dark corridor and thus leading to the birth of Helios.
Paris tells Milentius he did no wrong and says the story sounds absurd due to the age of Priam at the time of conception.
Polydextus then tells Helios how important his heritage is, and he has done a great wrong by denying it when pushed by a bully.
While lying naked on the roof he is surprised by Cassandra, who was the youngest daughter of Priam and several years older than Helios.
Helios successfully fends them off, swinging a dead branch that fell off the sacred bay tree.
Cassandra followed after Helios, giving him the dead branch he swung earlier telling him it is an honor of Apollo to receive a sacred weapon.
Chapter 3: After becoming stable boy, Polydextus and Troilus train Helios in chariot fighting and javeling.
Helios would ride a horse on an occasion which were not meant to be ridden due to their small stature, and would be whipped by Polydextus as punishment.
Nine summers of training later Helios "gained three fingers in height", and his weight "balanced that of a sack of wheat".
One morning Hector allowed Helios to accompany him to meet Paris, who was returning from his mission across the sea.
Hector & Helios are introduced to Helen of Sparta, who accompanied Paris back to Troy along with her dowry meant for Menelaus.
A woman screams for Hector, who stops the fight and explains to Paris that Priam has not acknowledged or denied Helios' bloodline.
Chapter 4: Soon after the group returned form the beach, Priam called an immediate meeting of the council.
Paris first lectures the room on his travel, then displays found treasures from his exploits, and then introduces Helen.
Prince Aeneas is granted permission to speak by Priam, who proposed that allowing Helen to stay may ignite war with Agamemnon, the High King of the Achaeans.
Antenor then pushed his way into the open and says allowing Helen to stay would be a violation of customs, disrespectful, and would bring the anger of the Gods.
With great respect Helen asks for permission to speak, and tells the story of Gaia, and how she is a woman and has the power to "put away a male".
Suddenly Cassandra cries out from the women's balcony a prediction of Paris bringing death to Troy.
He takes off his tunic in order to tie the jar around his neck so that he would be free to climb up a palace wall with both hands.
A couple of lines of the oracle caused many thoughts to race in Helios' mind: "First, you ancient in the Earth, Judge for Troy what he is worth."
They continue to the When they arrive Laocoön introduced the party to a handmaiden of the priestess, who inspected the gifts of Priam.
The priestess gave readings and chanted "Those who wish to chase a boy, will not succeed in saving Troy."
Chapter 7: Soon after the return from the shrine Helios and Cassandra were allowed to resume their writing lessons with Sisycles as well as their private talks.
The three Achaeans discuss what to do with Helios, and Achilles dons him a kitchen pot as a helmet and a ladle as a sword.
In the fall of 1924 Powell began studying Virgil's Aeneid in Latin class at the Episcopal Academy, on Philadelphia's Main Line, and became fascinated by the characters and story of the Trojan War.
Forty-four years later he climbed around the site of ancient Troy as part of his research for the book.
