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Essay on the trojan war
The trojan war new history
The trojan war new history
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Archaeology and the Trojan War
“… he [Heinrich Schliemann] found layers of ruins … and two bore unmistakable signs of violent destruction. One of these layers, the seventh according to more recent excavators, was no doubt the city of Priam and Hector. The historicity of the Homeric tale had been demonstrated archaeologically.” - M.I. Finley, the World of Odysseus
Introduction
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 actually took place. Heinrich Schliemann famously said “I have gazed on the face of Agamemnon.” on discovering tombs with the bodies of Mycenaean chieftains in Turkey. The German businessman-turned-archaeologist claimed to have discovered the city of Troy at the hill now called Hisarlik – about three miles from the Dardanelles. However, his claims are still disputed today. Before tackling the question of whether the Trojan War actually occurred, we must ask in what form. What exactly do we mean by “the Trojan War”? There is no definitive version of the events in the war, as our knowledge of it comes from a myriad different sources. Then we should consider Schliemann’s discoveries, and the other archaeological evidence for the Trojan War. Finally, after we have defined “Trojan War” in context of archaeology and historical fact, we must then draw conclusions about the extent to which archaeology proves its historical authenticity.
What do we mean by the “Trojan War”?
The first source that comes to mind is the writings of Homer – the Iliad and the Odyssey. The two epics are considered canon. However, Heroditus’ Histories briefly detail the major events of the war, and relays them as if they were historical fact. Heroditus’ account of the war differs slightly from Homer’s version, and he is well aware of this. After relating the tale of Alexander (Paris) carrying off Helen, Heroditus writes:
“Such was the tale told me by the priests concerning the arrival of Helen at the court of Proteus. It seems to me that Homer was acquainted with this story , and while disregarding it , because he thought it less adapted for heroic poe...
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..., or even “Did the version of events Heroditus describes have any foundation in truth?”. If the existence of Troy itself is uncertain, then the historicity of the war can only be more so.
Bibliography
Ancient Sources:
- Homer, the Aeneid, translated by Samuel Butler, taken from www.patroclos.de
- Homer, the Aeneid, translated by T.E. Lawrence (Wordsworth, 1995)
- Homer, the Odyssey, translated by T.E. Lawrence (Wordsworth, 1995)
- Heroditus, Histories, translated by George Rawlinson (Wordsworth, 1996)
Modern Sources:
- Boardman, Griffin and Murray, the Oxford History of the Classical World (Oxford University Press, 1986)
- Finley, M. I., the World of Odysseus, (New York: The Viking Press, 1978)
- Finley, M. I., Ancient History – Evidence and Models, (Penguin, 1985)
- Alan B. Lloyd (editor), Battle in Antiquity (Duckworth, 1996)
- Heinrich Schliemann’s Telegrams taken from www.archaeology.org
- Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier interview extract from Hershel Shanks, taken from www.bib-arch.org
- Additional research taken from Ian Johnston’s web page www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi, and also http://devlab.dartmouth.edu/history
One of the most important Schliemann’s works was his discovery for Troy. Schliemann started excavation in Hissarlik, which is the modern name of Troy, before archeology became a developed professional field. In May 1873, he found gold and other objects in the site of excavation and named it “Priam’s Treasure”. Later, Sophia Schliemann, which is his wife, wore the jewels Schliemann found in Troy excavation site to the public. The Turkish government then cancelled the permission Schliemann had to excavate and sued him to share the gold he found. However, Schliemann claimed that he smuggled the treasure he found out of Turkey in order to protect it. So, the conclusion of the excavation in Troy was the gold and treasure Schliemann found.
When reading the two excerpts from Thucydides it is clear that his book, The History of the Peloponnesian War, was written to memorialize Athenian history. Although it is considered to be the first textbook it was still written by an Athenian so analysis of the excerpts are still required. But while analyzing the two excerpts will provide information about the reliability of the document, it will also provide insight to answer the question “What is the author trying to say about his native city of Athens?”
Since the publication of his first novel, Americana (1971), Don DeLillo (b. 1936) has been recognized as among the most important writers of his generation. Don Delillo demonstrates the theme of a corrupt society through his assessment of isolation, the quest of discovering self- image, and the drive toward creating a sense of doomsday.
Although Childe considered monumental building to be one of the criteria of an urban centre, the monumentalization of the sacred architecture did not occur until sixth century BCE. The Temple of Artemis at Corcyra, dating ...
Homer. ?The Odyssey,? World Masterpieces: Expanded Edition. Maynard Mack ed. Ed. Coptic St.: Prentice, 1995.
I have heard about gangs throughout my life. Every time I hear about them I always ask myself the same question. Why are they formed? How are they formed? Thank you to the internet and with a little research the answers to my questions have been answered. When someone joins a gang there is always a reason behind it. According to the L.A.P.D. teens will join a gang for any of the following reasons; protection, Identity or Recognition, Fellowship or Brotherhood, intimidation, and criminal activity. When you grow up in the inner city, you are at and disconnect from the rest of city. Life in these areas can be tough and it is hard to make a solid living to support your life. When you cannot overcome adversity, people get frustrated and give up. This is when groups would form together to find ways to make money. Illegal activity would be their mode of income. This is the structure where a gang would grow from. The more successful they are the larger and stronger they grow.
This research paper will examine professional athletes who participated in the major leagues and Olympic Games who used steroids to defraud the Major Leagues Business and Olympic Associations to gain fame and fortune. The paper will examine the BALCO scandal (CNN.com, 2014), where many professional athletes admitted to taking steroids to improve physical sports performance. The BALCO scandal "outs" players from the American National sports leagues to Olympic competitive sports. A cover up of drug use led to not just a few but many players who chose to use steroids to improve their game. The case went to the courts and left many players to tell the ugly truth about other professional players. In some cases, the players denied responsibility and ...
Late Helladic fortification walls on the Greek mainland are found surrounding citadels, not the entire city or site. The citadels seem to have housed central administration and housing for an elite class of citizens. They were built on hills, presumably as another layer of fortification. I will examine the sites of Gla, Midea, Tiryns, and Mycenae to look for similarities and differences in the design and architecture of their fortifications, as well as, arguments about the purpose of the fortifications at these sites. I will also explore how some sites were hindered or helped defensively and economically by their location and their use of fortifications.
Robin Lane Fox, The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome. Published in 2005 by Penguin Books.
Donald E. Strong. The Classical World. Vol. 3. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1965), 70-73.
Homer, Iliad is the narration of the Trojan war. The Trojan war was one of the most important and significant wars of Greek mythology, Homer described how the war was triggered by the abduction of the most beautiful women known as Helen. This paper will argue how the traditional view of this poem is accurate because it indeed was Helens beauty and her selfishness that sparked the Trojan war. Although Helen was not happy about the outcomes of her mistakes. This paper will present how Helen faced many forms of self judgment, how she created many relationships with significant characters, such as Paris, Priam and Aphrodite. Homers portrayal of this significant women was remarkable as we were able to feel her pain and anguish, the readers were
Honour, Hugh, and John Fleming. "Hellenistic and Roman Art." A World History of Art. London: Laurence King, 1999. 179-213. Print.
GREECE & ROME. Archaeology [serial online]. November 1987;40(6):18. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 22, 2011.
Boardman, John, Jasper, Griffin, and Oswyn Murray. The Oxford History of the Classical World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986
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