The True Story of Troy
The True Story of Troy
1. Describe the legend of the Trojan War.
-wedding of parents of Achilles
-didn’t invite Discord but she crashes the party…offers a golden apple to the fairest
-3 claim it—Zeus appoints Paris to make the decision---gave it to Aphrodite and she promises him Helen (most beautiful) he steals her from husband
-King of Sparta asks Agammenon for help
-winds didn’t blow so Agammenon sacrificed his dgt.
-1000 ships set sail
-10 years of fighting
-ruse of Trojan horse—Greeks sail off and the Trojans broke down the wall to let it in---full of greek soldiers
-destroyed by Greeks…
-homecoming not so much fun for Greeks:
2. What is the source of the legend?
-oldest writings in Western Civilization—Iliad and Odyssey
3. What is known about Homer?
-blind man illiterate?
-5 centuries after the events
-credited as author of Iliad and O.
-lived around 750 BCE
-came from a region close to Troy???
4. How was the story of Troy passed on?
-passed orally (16 thousand lines of poetry
-singers
-added to and altered
-inherited by Homer
5. Who was Heinrich Schliemann? Describe his career prior to becoming an archaeologist.
-rich adventurer
-war profiteer, dealt on black market
-self-made millionaire
-speculated on business in Russia and the U.S. made him rich
-believed in Homer
6. What did he do to the site of Troy?
-dug a huge trench into the site—destroyed a lot of it
-piles of rubble were the stuff he should have looked at.
7. What did he find there in 1873? What was later learned about this treasure?
-gold buried there
-cups, jewels,
-claims it is King Priam’s treasure
-treasure is 2500 years earlier than Priam.
-may have stolen his discovery from another archaeologist Frank Calvert
-without ever setting foot on Troy he writes a book based on Calvert’s information…..
8. What kind of person was Schliemann?
-tells world he is the sole discoverer of Troy
-thief
-showmanship
-dedicated his fortune though to proving Homer true
-unscrupulous opportunistic
-he destroyed so much of the site that it is not possible to find out at the time
9. What was eventually found at Troy 6 and 7?
-rhose are the levels that are contemporary to Troy
-they find evidence of catastrophe
-level 6 is the height
-level 7 shows evidence of siege
10. What has been discovered by Korfman near the city of Troy?
-south along the Agean.
-50 burials containing Mycenaen grave goods
-Bay of Troy was different at the time of the Trojan War and would have been closer to the city
-finds a trench/ditch cut into the bedrock, defensive purpose—dated to Troy 6
-enemy spear tips in walls of Troy
-pottery fragments etc. to show size of the settlement significant number are from the Bronze Age,
-extended ¼ mile out from the city
11. What is the strategic advantage of Troy and how did it likely play a role in the Trojan War?
-sea born trade route critical to controlling east-west trade
-controlling bronze production
12. Describe the site at Mycenae and what has been found there.
-walls are 40 foot tall
-lion’s gate a strong statement about the power of the M. King
-Schliemann uncovers a huge amount of riches there
-remains of a palace
-relics, murals
13. What has been discovered at Pylos?
-evidence of feasting – all bulls – 10 can feed 6000 people
-all the same parts—
-huge pile of little drinking cups—1000s of guests
-tablet: in linear B—talks about sacrifices to Poseidon
14. How was the battlefield an exercise in individual conquest?
-personal glory---“heroic age”
-fame
-proving himself by who you individually fight and how you do against him
-character matters
-personal reputation
-prove himself honourable
15. What does the Trojan Horse symbolize?
-trickery and deceit
-stealing victory
-legends other than Homer’s Iliad
-dishonourable behaviour
-could be a siege engine or battering equipment
16. What are the likely causes for the collapse of Bronze Age Greece?
-in-fighting between kingdoms
-civil war
-outside invaders
-string of earthquakes
-economic collapse