Troy, an ancient city located in the northeastern part of Asia Minor, has a storied history that traces back to its founding by the Hittites. Originally known as Wilusa or Truwisa, it eventually became renowned as Troy. The city’s legendary status was cemented by Homer, the ancient historian and poet, who depicted the Trojan War in his epic works, the Iliad and the Odyssey, making Troy a focal point of Greek mythology.
According to Homer, Agamemnon, the mighty king of Greece from Mycenae, was wed to Clytemnestra, Tyndareus of Sparta’s daughter. Agamemnon’s brother, Menelaos, married Clytemnestra’s sister, Helen, famed as the world’s most beautiful woman, which led Menelaos to ascend to the throne of Lakonia.
In Troy, the city was initially under King Laomedon’s rule. His deceit towards the gods led to a punitive attack by Herakles, resulting in Laomedon’s death. Laomedon’s youngest son, Podarces, renamed Priam, succeeded him, ruling Troy and fathering notable figures such as Hector and Paris, who became central to Troy’s saga.
The saga of the Trojan War began with Eris, the goddess of discord, disrupting Peleus and Thetis’s wedding by introducing a golden apple marked for the fairest. Zeus appointed Paris, Troy’s prince, as the judge of this divine beauty contest. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each promised him great rewards for favoring them. Paris chose Aphrodite, bewitched by her promise of Helen’s love, leading to Helen’s controversial departure to Troy with Paris, which ignited the Trojan War.
Homer’s narrative vividly recounts the war’s pivotal moments, including the death of Patroclus by Hector and Hector’s subsequent defeat by Achilles. The story culminates in the Greeks’ cunning use of the Trojan Horse to infiltrate and conquer Troy, a tale of deceit that led to Troy’s downfall and the gruesome fate of its male population.
The existence of Troy, long considered a myth, gained credibility in 1865 when English archaeologist Frank Calvert excavated the site at Hisarlik, Canakkale, suggesting the Trojan War’s historical basis. Heinrich Schliemann, inspired by Calvert, further excavated the site, uncovering nine layers of Troy that date back to as early as 3000-2600 BC. Despite Schliemann’s amateur approach causing damage, his efforts unveiled Troy’s complex history.
Ongoing excavations at Troy continue to enrich our understanding of this ancient city. Each layer of excavation reveals more about its evolution, from its establishment in the 3rd millennium BC to its significance in history and mythology. Troy remains an archaeological marvel, offering insight into the Trojan War’s legacy and the city’s enduring allure, immortalized by Homer’s epics.
