The Trojan War Essay

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

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.

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 The reliability of Homers Iliad as a true historical document has been challenged for hundreds of years and only through archaeological studies can the truth be deciphered.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

"We could describe (Heinrich) Schliemann's excavations on the hill of Hissarlik and consider their results without speaking of Troy or even alluding to it," Georges Perrot wrote in 1891 in his Journal des Savants. "Even then, they would have added a whole new chapter to the history of civilization, the history of art" (qtd. in Duchêne 87). Heinrich Schliemann's life is the stuff fairy tales are made of. A poor, uneducated, and motherless boy rises through his hard work and parsimonious lifestyle to the heights of wealth (Burg 1,2). He travels the world and learns its languages ("Heinrich Schliemann"), takes a beautiful Greek bride, and together they unearth the treasures of Troy and the citadel of

The topic of the Trojan War has been analyzed, criticized, and researched for millennia. Many archeologists have spent decades trying to unveil the truth of the Trojan War. In 1894, the University of Texas was presented with the opportunity to purchase the alleged site of Troy. Alexander Watkins Terrell, the minister to the Ottoman Empire, believed it was imperative that the University of Texas capitalize on this opportunity as he felt the site was teeming with academic possibilities. The University of Texas, however, did not purchase the site. The decision to not obtain the land was a mistake on the part of the University of Texas as the site held the potential to gain an advantage over other universities of the time and reveal truths pertaining

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?

If Homer's writings are central to our understanding of the Trojan War, so are Heinrich Schliemann's digs. His name is synonymous with Troy. Fascinated with Homer, he made it his mission to discover Troy, and eventually did. However, his problems with convincing his fellow academics and archaeologists that he had indeed Troy is similar to the problem we have with defining what the Trojan War actually is. Homer's Trojan War could not have possibly happened as it is laid out in the Iliad and the Odyssey. There are jarring incongruities between what happens in his epics, and what happened in that period of Greek history.

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.

The Trojan War. Confined totally to the pages of Homer's The Illiad, the indulgent fantasy of a Greek poet who lived over two and a half thousand years ago- or a historic fact at the centre of the most famous quarrel ever? The Illiad is the ancient tale of a mighty city called Troy that lay at the edge of Asia Minor whose prince abducted Helen, the most beautiful woman of all time, from the king of Greek Sparta, causing the Greeks to send an army in a thousand ships to attack and lay siege to Troy for 10 years. Historians have long doubted the credibility of Homer as a reliable historical source. However evidence has been uncovered by archaeologists to suggest that The Iliad has some basis in truth

I believe that there was a Trojan war, based on the evidence that Homer described in his book the Iliad, the time period matched up with the archaeological evidence, and the weapons and things left behind. Homer states many times in his book that there are sanctuaries that they have found, and they are in the exact place where Homer said they would be in his book. In Homer’s book he states the time period in which the Trojan was was said to have taken place, and there is evidence of there being some sort of conflict at the same time. At the site of Troy there are many things left behind, including: sling bullets, skeletons, broken walls, and trenches. Why would an army leave these things behind if they had not won something. There is also reason

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.

Hollywood movies have the tendency to become major successes, such as Troy. However, many historical facts that were put in the movie might not be reliable, creating controversy about the historical accuracy of the events. This essay will examine and evaluate the evidence with precision, and compare the movie with archeological evidence. It will be argued that the myth of Troy was altered to create the now epic movie Troy. This essay will begin by introducing the source of the movie’s storyline. Then it is going to evaluate the archeological evidence to uncover certain factors such as did Troy actually exist? How big was Troy? Who attacked Troy? What tactics were used? Hollywood movies are a major success, due to the fact that “A” list stars

The events of the Trojan War of the thirteenth (or the twelve) century B.C. influenced many artists on their literary and visual works over two millennia. For example, Homer, the author of the earliest written sources of Europe –- the Iliad and the Odyssey - was inspired by the story of the Trojan War. So, were Aeschylus, Exekias, Ovid, de Saint-More, Botticelli, Rubens, Kauffman, David, de Morgan…The question arises: Who was not? A lot of contemporary artists also continue to use the Trojan War as a subject matter of their artwork. Countless sources such as literary information, established iconography and patterns, and high quality images of earlier artworks serves them as an aid for creating. Besides that, modern artists have a luxury to familiarize themselves with the recent scientific discoveries of this particular time period and place in the ancient world. For example, the results of Troy excavation campaigns may increase artists’ comprehension of the previous artworks and improve their creative thinking process. Moreover, the usage of new knowledge may add a touch of authenticity to the artist’s future works. For instance, in the light of the Korfman’s finding, the settings of Troy and characters of its habitants may be represented as Anatolian, not Greek. (Which requires a further research, at least for