The Trojan War

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Assess the Trojan War, comparing the myth of the Iliad and other primary sources with the archeological evidence provided supporting the story of the sack of Troy. Focus Questions: 1. Where is it believed Troy is located? 2. When is it believed that Troy fell? 3. What was the importance of Troy in the ancient world? 4. What do we learn of the fall of Troy through the Iliad? 5. Which archeologist found the alleged site of Troy? 6. When was the alleged site of Troy discovered? 7. What is the importance of the discovery of Troy? The story of the Trojan War has played a crucial role in shaping the way the history of ancient Greece has been formed, and is an infamous example of ancient warfare. The writings of Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey provide the main source of information regarding the Trojan War. However this proved an exaggerated account of the fall of Troy, with the other archeological evidence provided being limited and hard to find. Due to these reasons, it is hard to find any proof of the war of Troy as anything more than speculation and myth, excepting the discovery of a site that is believed to be the place of Troy in a village in modern day Turkey by Heinrich Schliemann in 1862. The archeological evidence has since been widely accepted as the ancient city of Troy, however, there is still large amounts of speculation regarding the content of the war, as there is little evidence suggesting the war occurred. The story of the fall of Troy as portrayed by Homer is one of not only conflicts between humans, but also conflicts between the gods, who were “interested themselves as much in this famous war as the parties themselves” (Thomas Bulfinch, 1855). The legend itself begins with conflicts between the gods, Hera, ... ... middle of paper ... ...e beginning and end of civilizations” makes it a highly reliable source to research into ancient societies. Works Cited M. Cartwright, 02/08/2012, Ancient History Encyclopedia http://www.ancient.eu.com/troy/ G. E. Daniel, 18/07/2013, Encyclopedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/527668/Heinrich-Schliemann/6487/Discovery-of-Troy Homer, Translated by Robert Fagles, 1990 The Iliad Homer, Translated by W.H.D. Rouse, 1937 The Odyssey, the Story of Odysseus M. Korfmann, May/June 2004, Archeology Magazine http://archive.archaeology.org/0405/etc/troy.html T. H Maugh II, 22/02/1993, LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/1993-02-22/news/mn-438_1_trojan-war S. Quinn, 01/03/2000 Why Vergil?: A Collection of Interpretations T. Valdes, 26/08/2012 http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/26/a-mans-primer-on-greek-mythology-part-iii-the-trojan-war/

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