Ulysses had been at Troy when he sacked the town.
See evidence text
“that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy”
Book 01
Passage 1
Source text
Hyperion prevented Ulysses’ men from ever reaching home after they ate his cattle.
“eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home”
Hyperion’s cattle were eaten by Ulysses’ men.
“eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion”
The Muse, daughter of Jove, is invoked to tell all these things about the ingenious hero and his lost men.
“Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, oh daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.”
Troy was a famous town sacked by Ulysses.
“he had sacked the famous town of Troy”
Ulysses is an ingenious, widely travelled hero who learned many peoples’ customs and suffered greatly at sea while trying to save himself and his men.
“that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home”
Ulysses’ men perished through their own folly after eating Hyperion’s cattle.
“they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion”
The poet asks the Muse to tell of the ingenious hero who travelled widely after sacking Troy, suffered at sea while trying to save his men, and lost them when their own folly led them to eat Hyperion’s cattle, preventing their return home.