THE CITY OF TROY
Location
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Modern Site: Hisarlik, northwestern Turkey
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Geographic Position: Near the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait, a critical trade route between the Aegean and the Black Sea.
MYTHOLOGICAL TROY
Source Texts
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The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer (~8th century BCE)
- Later Roman writings like Virgil’s Aeneid
The Trojan War (Myth Version)
- Conflict between Trojans and a coalition of Greek city-states.
- Sparked by the abduction of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, by Paris of Troy.
- Key figures: Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Priam, Patroclus
- Famous episodes:
- The quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon
- Achilles slays Hector
- The Trojan Horse and the sack of Troy
HISTORICAL & ARCHAEOLOGICAL TROY
Discovery
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Site: Hisarlik (excavated from 1870s onward)
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Pioneering archaeologist: Heinrich Schliemann
- Later work by Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Carl Blegen, and Manfred Korfmann
Troy VIIa Details
- Thick defensive walls, towers
- Houses packed closely (may suggest siege conditions)
- Destroyed by fire around 1180 BCE
- Correlates with regional collapse at end of Bronze Age
DEBATES & CONTROVERSIES
Did the Trojan War really happen?
- No direct evidence for the events in Homer’s epics
- But:
- Troy VIIa was destroyed during the correct timeframe
- Other Near Eastern texts refer to conflicts in the area
Was Troy a major power?
- Some scholars believe it was a regional hub, maybe wealthy due to its trade position
- Others argue it was not a superpower as Homer describes
What about the Trojan Horse?
- No evidence for it archaeologically
- Possibly a metaphor or later literary invention
CONTEXT IN THE ANCIENT WORLD Late Bronze Age (~1600–1200 BCE)
- Mycenaean Greece, Hittite Empire, Egypt, and others dominated
- Hittite texts refer to a place called Wilusa — likely Ilion (Troy)
- Also mention a prince named Alaksandu, possibly Alexander/Paris
Regional Wars
- Mycenaeans and Hittites were in conflict with western Anatolian cities
- Troy could have been caught in these larger power struggles
TROY IN LATER AGES
- Became known as Ilion in Classical Greek times
- Revered by Alexander the Great, who visited the site
- Romans claimed descent from Trojans via Aeneas (Aeneid by Virgil)
- Roman Emperor Augustus restored the city as a symbolic gesture
MODERN STUDY
Key Figures:
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Heinrich Schliemann (19th century) — Found Troy, but used destructive methods
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Manfred Korfmann (1990s–2000s) — Used modern methods, mapped the lower city, emphasized Troy’s size and importance
Technology Used:
- Ground-penetrating radar
- Magnetometry
- 3D reconstructions of city walls, gates, and defensive systems
FUN FACTS
- The term “Trojan” lives on in computing (Trojan horse malware).
- The story has inspired countless books, films, games, and retellings.
- In Turkey, the Troy site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- A giant replica Trojan Horse stands near the site (used in the 2004 Troy movie).
