Quintus Smyrnaeus picks up the Trojan War story immediately after the events of Homer's Iliad, chronicling the arrival of exotic allies who come to aid the besieged city of Troy. First, the Amazon queen Penthesileia arrives with her warriors, bringing renewed hope to the Trojans before falling in single combat to the mighty Achilles. Shortly after, Memnon, the son of the Dawn goddess, leads a vast Aethiopian army to the gates of Troy, engaging in fierce battles that ultimately end in his death at the hands of Achilles. The narrative then shifts to the tragic death of Achilles himself, who is struck down near the Scaean gates by an arrow guided by the god Apollo.
The poem details the intense grief of the Greek forces and the fierce struggle over the fallen hero's body, which is successfully defended by Aias and Odysseus. Following these dramatic events, elaborate funeral games are held in honor of Achilles, featuring chariot races, wrestling, and feats of arms among the grieving Greek chieftains. The friction and bitterness between Aias and Odysseus over who deserves the divine armor of Achilles culminates in a tragic psychological breakdown for Aias, leading to his suicide.
To break the stalemate, the Greeks employ cunning and prophecy, summoning the young Neoptolemus, the fierce son of Achilles, from the island of Scyros to join the frontline. Meanwhile, Troy receives further reinforcement through Eurypylus, the grandson of Hercules, who inflicts heavy losses on the Greek forces before falling to Neoptolemus in a brutal duel. The Greeks also retrieve the exiled archer Philoctetes and his legendary bow of Hercules from Lemnos, a crucial step prophesied as necessary for the city's destruction.
The final movements of the epic describe the construction of the famous Wooden Horse by the Greeks as a ruse to breach the impenetrable walls. Despite warnings from prophets and the misgivings of citizens, the Trojans pull the massive structure into their city under the cover of night. The narrative culminates in the brutal sack and burning of Troy, the slaughter of its remaining defenders, and the grim departure of the conquerors who face divine wrath and perilous storms on their homeward voyages.
