Troy

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Plan Troy-Hisarlik-en

Turkey-2941 (2216425111)

Troy II

Troya 3

Troy (Ilion), Turkey (7446526244)

Turkey-2937 (2217216354)

Troy was an ancient city located in the northwest of Asia Minor, now modern-day Turkey. It is best known for being the setting of the Trojan War described in the Iliad, one of the epic poems attributed to Homer. Archaeological excavations have identified several cities built in succession on the site of Troy. The city's strategic location at the entrance of the Dardanelles (the strait connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara) made it a central point of interest and conflict in the ancient world, particularly between the Greek and Anatolian powers.

History

The history of Troy spans several millennia, with its origins tracing back to the early Bronze Age (around 3000 BCE). The site, known as Hisarlik to archaeologists, has revealed evidence of at least 9 major periods of occupation, each designated as Troy I to Troy IX, with several sub-phases indicating the city's destruction and rebuilding over time.

Bronze Age and the Trojan War

The most famous period, Troy VI and VIIa (circa 1700–1200 BCE), is often associated with the legendary Trojan War. According to myth, the war began after the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, leading to a Greek expedition to retrieve her. The war, which is said to have lasted ten years, ended with the Greeks using a wooden horse to sneak into the city and destroy it. While the historicity of the Trojan War remains a subject of debate among scholars, archaeological evidence suggests that Troy VI was a significant and wealthy city that could have been the basis for the legendary accounts.

Greek and Roman Troy

Following the Bronze Age, the site was inhabited in the Iron Age and later became a Greek and then Roman city. Troy was refounded in the Hellenistic period by the Macedonian king Alexander the Great and later became a Roman colony under the name of Ilium. During Roman times, the city was visited by notable figures, including Julius Caesar and the emperor Augustus, who both revered the site for its connection to the Trojan ancestors of Rome.

Archaeological Discoveries

The site of Troy was rediscovered in the 19th century by Heinrich Schliemann, who conducted excavations that unearthed the remains of the successive cities. Schliemann's work, though criticized for its methodology, highlighted the historical significance of Troy and its potential connection to the Homeric epics. Later excavations have provided a clearer understanding of the site's history and layout, including its fortifications, residential areas, and public buildings.

Cultural Impact

Troy has had a lasting impact on Western culture, inspiring countless works of art, literature, and music over the millennia. The story of the Trojan War, with themes of heroism, love, betrayal, and the wrath of the gods, has remained a significant source of artistic inspiration. The city's legacy is also evident in the use of the term "Trojan" in various contexts, such as the Trojan Horse malware in computing, indicating something that misleads or deceives as a means to a hidden end.

See Also

• Homer
• Iliad
• Trojan War
• Heinrich Schliemann
• Archaeology of Troy