The Trojan War : Is The Oldest Record Many Historians?

The Trojan War and its characters are detailed in the writings of Homer, Vergil, Dante and many others. It is a fantastical tale of a decade-long siege of a powerful city by a massive pan-hellenic force. However, even though it has proved to be such a rich source of inspiration for writers, poets and artists throughout history, it is debated whether it

In conclusion the Trojan Horse was one of the Greeks’ many great achievements that shook the world. The Greeks were one of the strongest military powers in the Mediterranean and had some of the best minds. The Trojan Horse was the solution to the problem that the Greeks were faced with. Scholars and historians aren’t sure if the Trojan Horse was really a real construction because there are no remains of the horse. Nonetheless it is still a great story of adventure and risks, and of course a

In the Iliad is a very interesting epic with features two main central characters that are similar in some ways but totally different in other ways. In this epic you will be introduced to Hector and Achilles. Two men from each side in the great Trojan-Greek war. They were both heroes to their people despite their clearly different contrast in their personalities. In this paper I will highlight the life of both of these two leaders of the Greek and Trojans in this epic the Iliad. Also a little will be shed of how Homer portrays the characters deeper then an average thought. I will attempt to show the complexity of his thought process in forming the climax of these two characters coming to battle.

The Greek forces won the Trojan War. The story of the war is a cornerstone of Greek legend, and pervaded Greek literature and culture. Though the evidence for the Trojan War as historical fact is scarce, it was a formative event in Greek cultural memory, producing some of the classical world’s most famous heroes and narratives. The War was won, Helen was retrieved from Paris, whose violation of ξενία was redressed, the heroes attained the κλέος that many of them fought for – and yet the positive outcomes of the Trojan War are difficult to grasp. For the victims of the Trojan War, the tragedy is obvious; the War ended in genocide and total cultural destruction. But such a war, burnt into legend, should have left the victors far better off; and yet, the Greek heroes only suffer because of it. They die tragic, dishonourable deaths; their households are left in ruin; their families are torn apart. From both modern and classical perspectives, the Trojan War is a tragedy, a “harrowing destruction of life” (Euripides, Andromache, 291). The victory is pyrrhic, the loss of life is horrific, the reparations non-existent.

From a geopolitical perspective, the events of the Trojan War of the Bronze age are symbolically akin to those of the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Both conflicts forged endearingly poignant tragedies into the public psyche, the Vietnam War was the first war televised in color, thus it exposed the grim realities of war. Conversely, the slaying of the Royal maiden Iphigenia in preparation for the Trojan War was “terrible to all” (Hamilton 259). Just as Martin Luther King Jr. attested that “if America’s soul [became] truly poisoned the Autopsy [would] read Vietnam (King 2) and Kwame Ture deemed the Vietnam war “illegal and immoral”, the Oracle knew the corroded intentions of the Trojan War.Subsequently, the devastation of the war was anticipated, “Greek Ships sailed over a Quiet sea, but the evil price they had paid was bound to someday bring murder upon them.In both instances, War symbolized

Over the past years a lot of archaeological and literary evidence has helped us gain a better understanding of the history of Troy. Much hard work has gone into the excavations there by many archaeologists, and many interesting artefacts have been found. The story of the Ancient City of Troy is a great one, however many people believed it didn’t exist and that Homers Iliad, the story of the Trojan War was just some story. This has since been proved untrue as the city of Troy was discovered, and the pieces of this amazing puzzle have fallen together. Homer described Troy as an exceptionally large city with large high powerful walls, wide streets, twisting paths and large houses. Some of the archaeologists that have contributed to the

Homer stated that the Trojan War was a conflict that was created from the abduction of the queen of Sparta, defying the peace treaty between the Greeks and the Trojans. The Greeks and the Trojans previously fought constantly and finally agreed to cease the violence between the nation’s strongest armies. Although the Greeks were defeated after attempting to invade Troy’s walls with footmen, they defeated Troy during the night with a trick. In the book The Trojan War: A New History by Barry Strauss, the author creates an argument that undermines Homer’s credibility on his interpretation of the Trojan War. Strauss identifies that much of what we know about the Trojan War is false.

Homer’s Iliad has been a European myth for many millennia , the long poetic narrative written in the 8th century B.C. recounts a fearsome war fought over a beautiful woman. The reliability of Homers Iliad as a true historical document has been challenged for hundreds of years and only through archaeological studies can the truth be deciphered. The Iliad was written five centuries after the war, where the stories had been passed down through the oral tradition, therefore the type of society reflected within the poems resemble much more the time of Homer . The fact and fiction of the Iliad has been uncovered through archaeology. Archaeologist found a site in which they thought to have been ‘Troy’ destroyed by the powerful country of Mycenae

As most know, Greek Mythology is a very complex concept that is free for interpretation and is shown in multiple ways. Many believe Greek Mythology is fiction, whereas 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 then 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 was previously said about the Trojan War and evaluate it enough to the point where he is able to make logical reasoning to determine the

The true history of Troy has been shrouded in mystery and has, to a certain extent, been lost. In the middle of the 18th century, the site of Ilios was the most sought after archaeological mystery. In the years between Achilles and Hector and modern time, the location of Troy had been lost. Only echoes of the ancient city remained in texts found elsewhere in the Anatolian peninsula and mainland Greece, and even though Homer’s epic poems ignited the passion to find Troy, they did little to reveal the exact location of his famous city. The one who found Troy would once and for all answer the Homeric Question: were the Iliad and Odyssey based on historical fact?

The Trojan War and its characters are detailed in the writings of Homer, Vergil, Dante and many others. It is a fantastical tale of a decade-long siege of a powerful city by a massive pan-hellenic force. However, even though it has proved to be such a rich source of inspiration for writers, poets and artists throughout

The theme of fate conspicuously permeates Homer’s famous poem, Ilad, from the first to the last sentence. The author asserts that death is a natural and unavoidable part of human existence from the onset by affirming that Akhilleus’ anger is doomed and ruinous. In this regard, fate – but not free will – defines consciousness in the Trojan War. Although everybody

Homer’s Iliad is a powerful, beautiful, and awe-inspiring work of ancient Greece. An epic poem and a classic of world literature, the Iliad recounts portions of the war between Greece and the city-state of Troy. Most entrancing are his vivid & wonderful descriptions of the Great City of Troy and illustrious recounts of the events that took place on this ancient site. It is not a surprise that the 19th century German archaeologist or arguably treasure hunter, Heinrich Schliemann was spellbound to find Homer’s classical city of Troy and it is often said that we know so much about Troy today because of one man’s obsession, indeed of his childhood dream which he made come true.

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.

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.