In the ancient world, the Trojan War was a widely regarded and alluded event. The great city of Troy, the king Priam, the heroes Achilles and Odysseus, the lover Paris, and Helen of Troy were characters that ancient Greeks and Romans revered, and ones that captivate society today. The events of the Trojan War are laid out in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, as well as in other numerous historical and poetic works such as the Aeneid of Virgil. Hence, the existence of the city of Troy and of the Trojan War was always a fascination to archaeologists and historians alike. The epic poem The Iliad is believed to have been composed during the mid-8th century B.C. by the Greek poet Homer. This work of Greek poetry accounts for the events of a late Bronze
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In vengeful response, the Mycenaeans united with other Greek kingdoms to lay siege to Troy. After a ten year war, the city was breached and sacked, but only with the use of a ruse in the form of a wooden horse. Ancient historians in the likes of Herodotus, Xenophon, Arrian, and Plutarch tried to locate Homeric Troy. Most archaeologists attribute the discovery of the site of Troy at Hissarlik, Turkey, to Heinrich Schliemann in the 19th century. Whereas the mythical events surrounding Troy lack historical basis, the position of Troy in north-western Turkey by the Dardanelles provides a more historic picture. The Dardanelles connect the Black and Aegean Seas, and would have been paramount for a trading kingdom to secure. Many wars have been fought over the region throughout history, most recently, the Gallipoli campaign of the Great War. Thus, a late Bronze Age war over control of the region is …show more content…
Blegen and Korfmann uncovered evidence for Troy VI’s destruction by seismic activity and not by war, proving Dorpfeld’s assumptions wrong. Moreover, the time period of Troy VIIa better corresponds to the timing of Homeric Troy by ancient historians. Herodotus dates the Trojan War to 1250 B.C, while Eratosthenes dates it to 1183 B.C. These dates correspond to the Troy VII strata, carbon-dated to 1250 to 1020 B.C. There are several pieces of evidence that suggests that Troy VII was the site of the Trojan War, including Mycenaean pottery found at the site, evidence of fire and destruction, and appropriate defensive structures found at the
In vengeful response, the Mycenaeans united with other Greek kingdoms to lay siege to Troy. After a ten year war, the city was breached and sacked, but only with the use of a ruse in the form of a wooden horse. Ancient historians in the likes of Herodotus, Xenophon, Arrian, and Plutarch tried to locate Homeric Troy. Most archaeologists attribute the discovery of the site of Troy at Hissarlik, Turkey, to Heinrich Schliemann in the 19th century. Whereas the mythical events surrounding Troy lack historical basis, the position of Troy in north-western Turkey by the Dardanelles provides a more historic picture. The Dardanelles connect the Black and Aegean Seas, and would have been paramount for a trading kingdom to secure. Many wars have been fought over the region throughout history, most recently, the Gallipoli campaign of the Great War. Thus, a late Bronze Age war over control of the region is …show more content…
Blegen and Korfmann uncovered evidence for Troy VI’s destruction by seismic activity and not by war, proving Dorpfeld’s assumptions wrong. Moreover, the time period of Troy VIIa better corresponds to the timing of Homeric Troy by ancient historians. Herodotus dates the Trojan War to 1250 B.C, while Eratosthenes dates it to 1183 B.C. These dates correspond to the Troy VII strata, carbon-dated to 1250 to 1020 B.C. There are several pieces of evidence that suggests that Troy VII was the site of the Trojan War, including Mycenaean pottery found at the site, evidence of fire and destruction, and appropriate defensive structures found at the