<P> Philoctetes stayed on Lemnos for ten years, which was a deserted island according to Sophocles' tragedy Philoctetes, but according to earlier tradition was populated by Minyans . </P> <P> Calchas had prophesied that the first Achaean to walk on land after stepping off a ship would be the first to die . Thus even the leading Greeks hesitated to land . Finally, Protesilaus, leader of the Phylaceans, landed first . Odysseus had tricked him, in throwing his own shield down to land on, so that while he was first to leap off his ship, he was not the first to land on Trojan soil . Hector killed Protesilaus in single combat, though the Trojans conceded the beach . In the second wave of attacks, Achilles killed Cycnus, son of Poseidon . The Trojans then fled to the safety of the walls of their city . The walls served as sturdy fortifications for defense against the Greeks; the build of the walls was so impressive that legend held that they had been built by Poseidon and Apollo during a year of forced service to Trojan King Laomedon . Protesilaus had killed many Trojans but was killed by Hector in most versions of the story, though others list Aeneas, Achates, or Ephorbus as his slayer . The Achaeans buried him as a god on the Thracian peninsula, across the Troad . After Protesilaus' death, his brother, Podarces, took command of his troops . </P> <P> The Achaeans besieged Troy for nine years . This part of the war is the least developed among surviving sources, which prefer to talk about events in the last year of the war . After the initial landing the army was gathered in its entirety again only in the tenth year . Thucydides deduces that this was due to lack of money . They raided the Trojan allies and spent time farming the Thracian peninsula . Troy was never completely besieged, thus it maintained communications with the interior of Asia Minor . Reinforcements continued to come until the very end . The Achaeans controlled only the entrance to the Dardanelles, and Troy and her allies controlled the shortest point at Abydos and Sestus and communicated with allies in Europe . </P> <P> Achilles and Ajax were the most active of the Achaeans, leading separate armies to raid lands of Trojan allies . According to Homer, Achilles conquered 11 cities and 12 islands . According to Apollodorus, he raided the land of Aeneas in the Troad region and stole his cattle . He also captured Lyrnassus, Pedasus, and many of the neighbouring cities, and killed Troilus, son of Priam, who was still a youth; it was said that if he reached 20 years of age, Troy would not fall . According to Apollodorus, </P>

Who was laying siege in the city of troy