All Ancient Greek Cities That Participated in the Trojan War

The Trojan War is one of the greatest events of Greek legend. It was a war that involved far more than just a single city. In fact, representatives from all over Greece participated in this event, according to the Iliad. Which Greek cities in particular were said to have been involved in the Trojan War?

The Iliad’s Catalogue of Ships

In the Iliad, written by Homer in the seventh century BCE, there is a section known as the Catalogue of Ships. This provides an extensive explanation of which Greek cities were involved in the Trojan War.

The Catalogue of Ships provides the names of the Greek commanders in the Trojan War, as well as which cities they led. It also tells us how many ships were in each contingent. One of the reasons that this is so useful is because it indicates the power of each group of cities. It also hints at the power of the commander in charge of each group.

For example, the Catalogue of Ships shows that the cities which provided the largest numbers of troops were those led by Agamemnon, Nestor, Diomedes, and Idomeneus. Those led by Agamemnon, centered around Mycenae and Corinth, numbered 100 ships. Nestor, with his chief city of Pylos, had 90 ships. Diomedes, king of Argos, had 80 ships, as did Idomeneus of Crete.

Rather than analyze every one of the Greek cities that participated, this article we will take a look at some highlights.

Agamemnon’s and Menelaus’ Greek cities

The leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War was Agamemnon. He is most famous as the king of Mycenae, although the Iliad actually suggests that his main city was Argos.

The Catalogue of Ships depicts Agamemnon as leading soldiers from Mycenae, Corinth, Cleonae, Orneae, Araethyrea, Sicyon, Hyperesia, Gonoessa, Pellene, Aegium and Helike. All these cities are in the Peloponnese. Interestingly, most of them were closer to Corinth than they were to Mycenae.

Agamemnon’s brother was Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The cities whose troops he led were: Pharis, Sparta, Messe, Bryseae, Augeae, Amyclae, Helos, Laas and Oetylus. These cities are all in the region of Sparta in the Peloponnese, generally concentrated on or above the western headland of the Gulf of Laconia.

The armies of Nestor and Odysseus

As well as Agamemnon and Menelaus, other prominent commanders in the Trojan War include Nestor and Odysseus.

The Catalogue of Ships provides the following list of cities for Nestor: Pylos, Arene, Thryon, Aipy, Cyparisseis, Amphigenea, Pteleum, Helos and Dorium. This group of cities were roughly level with those of Menelaus, but further west. The city of Pylos, for example, is right on the western coast, looking out towards the Ionian Sea.

Odysseus, who later undertook a famous journey back home, led troops from the following cities: Ithaca, Neritum, Crocylea, Aegilips, Same and Zacynthus. These are territories on the western side of Greece, further north than Nestor’s cities.

Odysseus’ main island of Ithaca is probably identical to the modern island by that name, though there is some debate. In any case, all the sites mentioned were islands in that same area, in the Ionian Sea off the coast of western Greece.

Ajax the Lesser, Ajax the Great and Achilles

Three other prominent leaders include Ajax the Lesser, Ajax the Great and Achilles.

The cities of Ajax the Lesser were Kynos, Opous, Calliarus, Bessa, Scarphe, Augeae, Tarphe and Thronium. All of these cities were on the Greek mainland near the coast opposite Euboea. This was the territory of the ancient Eastern Locrians. Thronium, for example, was the chief city of the Locrians.

Ajax the Great commanded troops from the island of Salamis, about 16 km east of Athens. This was on the eastern side of Greece, southeast of the territory of the Locrians.

The cities lead by Achilles were Pelasgic Argos, Halos, Alope, Trachis and Phthia. These were all locations in Thessaly. In contrast to Ajax the Great’s territory, these cities were north of the Locrians. Phthia was the home of the Myrmidons, Achilles’ Greek tribe.

Other Greek cities in the Trojan War

As we can see, even just looking at only the most famous commanders in the Trojan War takes us to cities all over the Peloponnese and much of central Greece. However, there were many other contingents than just these.

There were the Argives, led by Diomedes the king of the city of Argos, with troops from numerous nearby cities, such as Tiryns and Asine. There were the Abantes of Euboea, with various cities on the island contributing troops. Also worthy of mention are the Boeotians, who contributed troops from over two dozen different cities of central Greece.

The Catalogue of Ships also shows that cities from faraway Greek islands got involved in the Trojan War. Examples include cities from Crete, such as Knossos and Gortys, as well as cities from Rhodes, such as Lindus and Cameirus.

Truly, Greek legend presents the Trojan War as an immense event which involved troops from all over the Greek world.