Explain the role of archaeology and written evidence in determining the events at Troy.
Throughout the past three thousand years since the occurrences of the Trojan War, numerous archaeologists and historians have contributed into finding evidence on the accuracy of the Epic Battle. When explaining the events of this infamous war between the Greeks and Trojans, the roles of archaeology and written evidence have played a vital part.
The Iliad, written by Homer, plays an adequate role in determining the events of Troy. Although there is a five-century separation between the fighting of the Trojan War in 1250 BC and the composition of the Iliad in 750 BC, Homer’s legend still remains to be one of the key evidences to this day.
Heinrich Schliemann
Barry Strauss organizes his summary of the Trojan War by referencing Homer 's the Iliad and the Odyssey and compares it to the historical contexts of what he thinks happened. Most scholars agree that the Trojan War dates back around 1200 B.C. during the Bronze Age. The most popular tale of how the Trojan War starts is when Paris, Prince of Troy, goes to visit Sparta to mend relations. In Sparta, Paris is welcomed by Menelaus, King of Sparta and his beautiful wife Helen. According to ancient sources, Menelaus went to Crete for business and foolishly left Helen all alone with Paris (Strauss, 15). Afterward, Helen is seduced by Paris and flees Sparta to accompany him back to Troy, along with bountiful treasures.
There are few works of literature that hold as much meaning to the definition of Greek culture as the two epic poems credited to Homer: the Iliad and the Odyssey. Both works, albeit more so the Iliad than the Odyssey, serve as the chief source of information about a pivotal event in Greek history: the Trojan War. Whether this war happened exactly as it has been narrated is subject to debate, as any answer holds very little evidence to be supported. However, the Greeks saw the Trojan War as the first time there was unity within their culture as they all fought for a common goal. As such, many regarded the Trojan war as an important event in defining the central values and virtues of Greek culture; they would revisit these epics time and time
One significant difference between the Iliad and Troy is the timespan. The Iliad is not a story of a Trojan war, but a story of a hero’s wrath. The time span it covers is only a few weeks in the tenth year of the siege of Troy. Homer chooses to focus on events that occurred during a quarrel of King Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and brother of Menelaus, and Achilles, the most powerful warrior of the Achaean army. Homer doesn’t go into detail about other events and battles, as the story of the Trojan War was well-known to the Greek society because it has been told and retold by bards for numerous times and the general plot was still fresh in the minds of the Greeks. For his poem to stand out, Homer had to be original, so he didn't tell his audience about the war as a whole, but rather spotlighted the wrath of an individual hero, Achilles. Troy,
The Iliad was written around 750 to 800 B.C. by Homer, one of the great author during the Ancient Greek. He is also known for writing the Odyssey. The Iliad is set in the middle of the Trojan War led by King Agamemnon and his Greek forces. The story focuses on this long ongoing battle but also how Homer has portrayed manhood of Ancient Greek.
The main historian responsible for the spread and popularity of the Trojan war stories is the epic poet Homer. Little is known about Homer, the poet is estimated to have lived sometime between the 12th and 8th centuries BC, somewhere on the coast of Asia Minor. He is most credited for the The Iliad and Odyssey , but the poet himself is an enigma as far as the actual facts of his life and how much is known about him. Some scholars believe that these stories were written by just one
Analyse the effectiveness of the tactics used by both sides in the Trojan War. ____________________________________________________________
The Trojan War is described as one of histories most legendary battles. This battle is told to have lasted ten years, resulting in the eventual collapse of Troy, under the siege of Greek forces. Modern knowledge of the Trojan War has survived mainly through the account given in Homer’s Illiad, and while having proved to be a rich source of inspiration for other writers, artists, and even filmmakers in recent history, much speculation still exists surrounding his account. I will analyze modern interpretations of the Trojan War and examine both speculation and support for Homer’s account. Concluding with sufficient evidence that has been collected surrounding this epic battle, proving Homer’s account of a massive battle between these two powerful city states to not be just a tale of myth and legend, but actual history.
Is Troy a historical event? Such a question in most cases would be an easy yes or no. In the case of the Trojan War however, the answer to this question can take many different stances depending on who, and when you asked them. When referring to the Trojan War, we are often times talking about Homers account of a great war in the city of Troy written about primarily in the Iliad. Ideologies about wheather Homers Trojan War being a historical event can be separated into two catiglories, pre and post excavation of Troy. Today the general consensious on the existance of Troy is agreed apon, but Troy existing does not neccessaryly extend to the Trojan War as described by Homer existing. Nonetheless, after further research archeologist found what
Barry Strauss, professor of classics at Cornell University attempts to redefine a one of history’s biggest love affairs, the Trojan War. Strauss explains how certain events and characters from Homers “The Odyssey” might have actually existed, but also uses modern discoveries from the Bronze Age to compare Homers account to those of Egypt, the Middle East, and etc. While Homer’s epic should not be read as a historical document which recounts the Trojan War hundred percent accurately, it can still be seen as document which embodies some historical truth. The novel as a whole explains the customs, economic standing, fighting styles and beliefs of the Greeks. Strauss’s writing style allows for the book to be accessible to both students and historians. He argues that just like Franz Ferdinand was the spark which ignited World War 1, Helen on the other hand was just a spark which escalated an existing tension between the Greeks and Trojans. Strauss’s personal input on the war itself gives the novel a different outlook on the Trojan War because, it allows for readers to see beyond the facts and make connections with ideas that Strauss had made with recent discoveries and Homers epic.
The war apparently lasted ten years, when the Greeks finally withdrew, leaving behind a large wooden horse with a raiding party concealed inside. A man named Sinon was left behind and he convinced the Trojans to bring the horse inside the city. When the Trojans bought the horse into the city the party of Greeks opened up the horse and raided the city. Men were massacred, and women carried off. It also states that the Gods found the war to be so interesting that they participated themselves, and helped the Greeks take the city of Troy. No one really knows if this war was a myth or a fact due to the fact that it is presented only briefly in an epic poem. In order to find evidence of the war, historians have gone to the site of where the war would’ve taken place and excavated artifacts to prove wither the Trojan was a myth or a fact. But their research started off from the very beginning, which was the source of the Trojan War
In the study of world history, word of mouth has evolved into more persistent, permanent subject that form into books. These books has shown to effect or impact in shaping countries and throughout setting the foundations of civilizations. One book that shows this effect, is Iliad by Homer, who is a Greek philosophers. This book brings into the systematic Greek gods and goddesses into the human world and how they interact with each other. Homer reviles that there are both some positive and negative value of behaviors that can be encouraged or circumvented in a Civilization. The stories of Iliad is a story where the Greeks are fighting the Trojans during the troy war. The leaders of the Greeks is Achilles and the leaders of the Trojans is
Velvet-colored dirt paints a dusty look among the soldiers, the war is almost over. The Iliad by Homer was written nearly 2700 years ago. It is a poetic novel consisting of books rather than chapters, and was an accumulative of stories throughout many years due to the literary storage resources available. There is speculation as to whether Homer has ever existed due to the enigma that there is no evidence supporting his life. This is often considered one of the greatest literary mysteries of all time. Regardless, after nine years the war between the Greeks and Trojans continues outside of Troy over a woman named Helen. Throughout the book, tensions rise between the Greeks and Trojans, particularly Achilles and Hector, and at the end of
As most know, Greek Mythology is a very complex concept that is free for interpretation and can be seen in multiple ways. Many believe Greek Mythology is fiction, where as some believe that it is nonfiction. As seen in Barry Strauss’s The Trojan War: A New History, the author argues that the Trojan War was significant, and shows evidence from as of late that supports the concept of the Trojan War actually occurring. Throughout his book he explains and gives insight into what happened during the Trojan War and how it developed based off of Homer’s writing. Strauss’s sole purpose is to inspect what has previously been said about the Trojan War and evaluate it enough to the point where he is able to make logical reasoning to determine the actuality of the Trojan War.
The Iliad is an epic composed by the poet Homer in 700 century BC, depicting the events of the Trojan War, where the Greeks and Trojans fought over Helen of Troy, who had been taken by the Trojan prince Paris. For years, the poem was believed to be fictional, until the discovery of the site of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann. This site was composed of 9 layers, containing various artifacts and architecture, providing new archaeological evidence. However, excavation has been made difficult by the work of Schliemann, who bulldozed through layers and stole artifacts and treasure with his wife. While scholars have differing opinions on the extent to which Homer’s account of the Trojan War is historically accurate, the new general consensus is that there was a war. The Trojan War is likely to have been motivated by economic and political factors rather than love, and was not as long or as substantial as Homer portrayed it to be.
In the academic group, the authenticity and validity of Homer's Trojan War is both a by and large discussed and faulty topic. There are various adjustments on how the Trojan War started and there are two hypotheses that were dependable. One theory is that The Trojan War was known as the Bronze Age battle among Troy and Mycenaean Greece. Per set up sources, the war began after Queen Helen of Sparta was grabbed by the Trojan sovereign Paris. This provoked Menelaus, Helen's rejected companion, to impact his kin Agamemnon, ruler of Mycenae, to start a mission to recoup her. Distinctive history masters assume that the Trojan War began due to money related contention among Troy and Mycenae. Troy controlled the Hellespont, a strait of water that incited the Black Sea, and on account of that they controlled trade with most of Asia. Mycenae required the fiscal focal points of the Hellespont, and when they attempted to seize it, a war took after. There has even been hypothesis that there was not one Trojan War, yet rather a couple. The Greek adventures, Hittite records, Luwian verse, and archeological remains give affirm not of a singular Trojan war but rather than various wars that were fought in the domain that we recognize as Troy. Coincidentally, the Trojan War was constantly thought to be a legend yet as the nineteenth century discovered some conclusion, archeologists drove by Heinrich Schliemann, found the rest of the parts of a human advance around the primary territory of