Tales of Troy: Ulysses, the Sacker of Cities

Andrew Lang’s Tales of Troy: Ulysses, the Sacker of Cities retells the rise of Ulysses, prince of Ithaca, as a central hero of the Trojan War whose courage is matched by intelligence, persuasion, and cunning strategy. The narrative introduces him as the son of King Laertes, recounting his youth, his marriage to the wise and faithful Penelope, and the customs, warfare, and heroic values of the ancient Greek world. When Paris carries Helen away to Troy, the kings and warriors of Greece gather for war, bringing Ulysses into the struggles of Achilles, Hector, and other legendary figures whose pride, loyalty, anger, and suffering shape the conflict. More than a powerful fighter, Ulysses repeatedly relies on disguise, judgment, and clever planning, finally playing the decisive part in the fall of Troy through the stratagem of the wooden horse.