Saint Ilion. Open the left menu of the trojan. Germans and Britons

More is known about this city of the most ancient civilization of the Greeks according to the legends of Homer. He mentions this policy in his Illiad. However, archaeological excavations also confirm the existence of the once mighty city-state on the territory of Greece. However, some sources refute these claims. It is officially known that Troy (Ilion) was a small settlement in Asia Minor. It lies on the coast of the Aegean Sea, on the Troada Peninsula. It was a stone's throw from the Dardanelles. Now it is the Turkish province of Canakkale.

How did Troy start?

Historians have studied well the descriptions and life of this city by Homer, and concluded that Troy existed in the era of the Cretan-Mycenaeans. The people who inhabited the policy were called "tevkra". Comparing the data given by Homer with other sources, scientists came to the conclusion that the Trojans bravely fought against any conquerors and made campaigns themselves. Troy is mentioned in the Egyptian chronicles. Allegedly, some tereshes came to the land of the pyramids to enslave the most prosperous territories. But some historians are not sure if these were Trojans.
Historians also argue about the name. It is believed that the state was called Troy, and Ilion was its capital. But there are scholars who believe that everything was the other way around. It is known that Homer wrote "Iliad", decades later, many sources testifying about Troy could have been lost, and people who knew something about Troy went to another world. Therefore, the data provided by Homer have been disputed for a long time. Because the same plot is described in different ways in "Iliad" and other sources.
Historians also find a connection between the Trojans and mythical plots and heroes. Featured here:

1. Aphrodite.
2. Hera.
3. Athena.
4. Zeus.
5. Odysseus.
6. Paris.

Everyone knows the myths about Troy and her fall. But the reasons for this decline are not known for certain, whether there was a Trojan horse, whether there was a war. According to legend, Paris and Elena came to Troy, taking significant wealth. Her husband organized the pursuit, gathering a sizable army. It is believed that this conflict was the start of the Trojan War.

Significant battles

The skirmishes lasted for a decade, and not once during this period was Troy taken. The Greeks brought the best ships under its walls, using advanced weapons. Many great generals died during a series of fierce battles. But the walls of the city were unapproachable.
It is known that Odysseus participated in the skirmishes. The idea to build a huge wooden horse belonged to him. The warriors, together with their leader Odysseus, hid inside the horse. At this time, the naval commanders withdrew the ships from Troy, which could indicate a retreat. This is exactly what the Trojans thought when they saw the ships go far out to sea.
The Trojans rolled their horse through the once impregnable gates and set off to celebrate the victory. At the same time, the Greeks waited until night fell, got out of their refuge and opened the gates to the rest of the representatives of Odysseus's army. The soldiers who entered the city killed most of the Trojans and began to celebrate the victory. The deceived husband Menelaus was about to put Elena to death, but again fell under her spell and pardoned.

Romans and Greeks - about Troy

Homer was not the only one who spoke about the legendary city and its inhabitants in his works. The Romans spoke at least in detail about Troy. Virgil and Ovid especially succeeded.
Scientists of Ancient Greece were fully convinced that the Trojan War was not a myth, it took place. Herodotus and Thucydides talked about the fact that there is historical evidence of the war with Troy. They said that Troy was quite majestic. She stood on a small hill. Below is the Dardanelles Strait. Troy was known not only as a militant city, but also as an important strategic site in terms of trade and crafts. After all, the most important trade routes passed by it along the strait connecting the Aegean and Black Seas. Ships arrived here from different countries, some of which were very rich.

The area where Troy was located was called "Troada". Historians have studied these territories for many years. They now belong to Turkey. Heinrich Schliemann, a popular businessman from Germany, was the first to show the world the place where Troy was located a long time ago. It is known that Henry very thoroughly studied the "Iliad", which allowed him to assert about the place, which was located not far from the Dardanelles. The hill was called Gissarlik in ancient times. It was on it that Troy towered.
Excavations began at the end of the 19th century. They lasted for 20 years. During this period, the researcher discovered the remains of not one, but several once settlements at once. They all existed until the late Roman period. Believing that Troy existed much earlier than these times and even before the 3rd millennium BC, Schliemann dug deeper. At the same time, he destroyed a lot of important historical monuments, without even knowing it.
Many items of gold fell into the hands of Schliemann. He called them "Priamskie treasures". At the same time, he told everyone that it was here in Antiquity that Troy was located. Not the entire scientific world took this at face value. Researchers argued that the place on Mount Hisarlik was first found not by Schliemann, but by the Briton Frank Calvert. This archaeologist allegedly conducted excavations earlier than Schliemann and even helped the German at the initial stage. Calvert was also convinced that Troy was located near the Dardanelles.
However, Schliemann, having gained worldwide fame thanks to 20 years of excavation, claimed that Calvert never helped him. Now the descendants of Calvert, living in America and England, are fighting for part of the treasures found by Schliemann. And some researchers claim that Schliemann himself brought gold jewelry and utensils to Mount Hisarlik to pass them off as the treasures of Troy.
Modern scientists were quick to calm Schliemann in his conjectures, saying that the city he had found existed about 1000 years before Troy and the events associated with the war. Schliemann's excavations can be dated from time to time to 2000 BC.

It is worth believing that Schliemann brought the world very useful discoveries. Despite the fact that he did not discover Troy, and completely ruined the priceless sources of cultural heritage, he drew the world's attention to the Hisarlik hill. After Schliemann lost interest in excavations, other researchers came to Mount Hisarlik. Among them: Karl Blegen, Wilhelm Dörpfeld, scientists from different universities of the world. Excavations continued into the 20th century.
The result of these studies was the statement that at least 9 settlements existed in this place in different years and centuries. The first of them were here in the Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC). Life in Troy dates back to the 3rd century. BC. The one that was described by Homer, archaeologists designated "Troy-8". It existed in 1100. BC. Finds that testify to the rampage of the fire element in the settlement are attributed to this period. So, there was a war, scientists concluded.
In Troy, not only military affairs developed, but also handicrafts. Items of potters' hands were found. But, perhaps, they were not produced here, but were imported and bought from merchants. The bronze arrowheads seem to have been forged right in the fortress.
"Troy-8" is considered the most developed and largest city in comparison with the rest of the settlements that were on the hill. There is a lot of evidence that there were three in Hisarlik and remained in the ground. The hypothesis about the destruction of the city during the war was confirmed.
And how do contemporaries imagine that very Trojan horse? This is not at all a sculpture of an animal carved out of wood, as they draw in books about the legends of Ancient Greece for children. This horse was more like a battering ram, like a horse. This is evidenced by British archaeological scientists.
The Trojan horse is the prototype of the earthquake in mythology, another legend says. But scientists during excavations did not find traces of the riot of the forces of nature, therefore they tend to believe in the version of military operations in Troy. Turkish sources also speak about this. Today Troy is the territory of Turkey. Scientists of this country have found written sources about the pre-Greek tribes living in the regions of the Dardanelles. It is said about the people and state of Akhiyav, which also happened with Homer.
Troy is undoubtedly a once real state or a city in which the tribes that once inhabited Greece lived. A huge number of scientists have spent years of their work trying to find out exactly where Troy was located, whether there was a Trojan War, and what the Trojan Horse looked like. Historians compared archaeological evidence with the stories of Homer, who embodied them in the "Iliad". So the modern world is almost 100% sure that Troy was located on the territory of the Hisarlik hill, near the Dardanelles.

Troy , otherwise called Ilion, Dardania and Scamander - an ancient fortified settlement in Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea, near the entrance to the Dardanelles. This is the city, sung in the poem "Iliad", the author of which is believed to be Homer. The events described by Homer, in the present view of historians, belong to the Cretan-Mycenaean era. The people that inhabited Troy are called Teukras in ancient Greek sources.
History of the city of Troy
Turkey is a country with a lot of attractions. Among the world famous are the Ancient City Troy... This mythical city was located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, on the Hisarlik hill near the entrance to the Dardanelles. The second name of the city of Troy is Ilion... There is such a legend about the origin of the ancient city of Troy. The Phrygian king gave Ilu a cow and ordered to found a city on the place where the cow would lie down to rest. It happened on the Ata hill. Zeus himself approved of the deed of Ila and threw the statue of Triton's daughter to the ground.
The city has a century of history, but its exact location was discovered a little over a hundred years ago. Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemannexcavated the mountain village of Gissrlyk, and discovered the ruins of the ancient city of Troy, this was in 1870. His surprise was even greater when he found not just the ruins of one city, but nine, located in layers one under one. All of them date back to different centuries and were conditionally numbered from one to nine.
The lowest layer was named Troy I and dates back to 3000 - 2600. BC e. It was a small settlement with a diameter of no more than 100 meters. It was a fortress with massive walls and gates, as well as defensive towers. Two of which were discovered during excavations. This settlement existed for a long time and, most likely, was destroyed by fire.
Troy II(2600-2300 BC) was erected on the ruins of a former fortress and occupied an area of \u200b\u200b125 meters. In the center there was a palace, surrounded by a courtyard with warehouses and residential buildings. It was in this layer that Schliemann found a treasure, with jewelry, weapons and various trinkets.
Troy III - IV -V - these are already larger settlements that existed from 2300-1900. BC e. Groups of houses, separated by small streets, are already observed in these settlements.
Troy VI... Settlements 1900-1300 BC e, testified to wealth, prosperity and power. It was about 200 meters in diameter, the wall was 5 meters thick, there were four gates and three towers around the perimeter. Large buildings, palaces, terraces. There is evidence of the presence of horses. The strongest earthquake destroyed everything.
Troy VII... (1300-900 BC) After the earthquake, life began to emerge on the site of the destroyed settlement, the remaining blocks and columns were used. The houses were being built on a smaller scale than before, and closely aligned with each other. It is this Troy that refers to the events mentioned by Homer in the Iliad and the Trojan War. After the war, the city of Troy was plundered and destroyed by the Greeks, and then captured by the Phrygians.
Troy VIII.(900-350 BC) The city already belonged to the Greeks and was considered quite comfortable. On the territory there was a temple of Athena, as well as a sanctuary for sacrifices. However, it had no political significance, and after part of the population left the city, it fell into decay.
Troy IX(350 BC - 400 AD). It was during this era that the city of Troy was called Illion. Roman emperors from the Julian-Claudian dynasty did their best for a large-scale reconstruction of the city. The top of the hill was leveled, a sacred site was made near the temple of Athena, a theater was erected on the slope, and public buildings were erected on level ground. Constantine the Great even wanted to make the city the capital, but this idea lost its significance with the rise of Constantinople. The city of Troy was captured by the Turks and destroyed. Now the ancient city of Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archeology of Troy
Among contemporary historians of Heinrich Schliemann, the hypothesis was widespread that Troy was located on the site of the village of Bunarbashi. The identity of the Hissarlik hill with Homer's Troy was suggested in 1822 by Charles McLaren. A supporter of his ideas was Frank Calvert, who began excavations in Hisarlik 7 years before Schliemann. Calvert's part of the Hisarlik hill was located away from Homer's Troy. Heinrich Schliemann, who was familiar with Calvert, began a purposeful exploration of the second half of the Hisarlik Hill at the end of the 19th century. Most of Schliemann's finds are now kept in the Pushkin Museum (Moscow), as well as in the State Hermitage. To date, archaeologists have found traces of nine fortresses-settlements that existed in different eras on the territory of excavations in Hisarlik. The first of the settlements found in Hisarlik (the so-called Troy IX) was a fortress with a diameter of less than 100 m and, apparently, existed for a long period. The seventh layer belongs to the Homeric era, which represents Troy as a vast settlement, surrounded by strong walls with nine-meter towers. Major excavations in 1988 showed that the population of the city in the Homeric era was from six to ten thousand inhabitants - at that time, a very impressive number. According to the data of the Korfman expedition, the area of \u200b\u200bthe lower city was approximately 170 thousand square meters, the citadel - 23 thousand square meters.
Language and writing
The question of the language of Hector and Priam has long occupied scholars. Some ancient Greek historians suggested that their speech could be close to Phrygian. Then the opinion was expressed that the inhabitants of Homeric Troy were the ancestors of the Etruscans. In the mid-1980s. N. N. Kazansky published several fragments of earthen vessels from Troy with incomprehensible signs, reminiscent of the Cretan letter - he called these signs the Trojan letter. However, according to other experts, these could not be inscriptions, but only an imitation of writing. In 1995, a seal with Luwian hieroglyphs was discovered in the Troy VII strata. Combined with the latest evidence that the names of Priam and other Trojan heroes are likely to be of Luwian origin, there is an increasing consensus in the scientific world that the ancients
the Trojans spoke the Luwian dialect. In a 2004 monograph by the University of Oxford, Joachim Latach concludes that Luwian was the official language of Homeric Troy. The question of the everyday language of the Trojans is still open. Troy was under strong Hellenic influence, many noble Trojans bore local and Greek names in parallel. The fact that the Greek names of the Trojans are not Homer's inventions is confirmed by Hittite inscriptions mentioning the names of the rulers of Taruisa. Currently, most orientalists agree that the Trojan State was multinational. This is supported by the rather motley composition of the "sea peoples" who migrated, as it is assumed, as a result of the Trojan War.
Trojan War
The Trojan War broke out over a woman. According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out due to the fact that one of the 50 sons of King Priam, Paris, kidnapped the beautiful Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. The Greeks sent troops precisely to take Helen. According to some historians, this is only the peak of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Prior to this, there were many trade wars between the Greeks and Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast in the Dardanelles Strait. Troy lasted 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, the army of Agamemnon camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. This was used by the king of Troy Priam, who established close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which during the war helped him. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.
Trojan horse existed in reality. This is one of the few episodes of that war that never found its archaeological and historical confirmation. Moreover, there is not a word about the horse in the Iliad, but Homer describes it in detail in his Odyssey. And all the events associated with the Trojan horse and their details were described by the Roman poet Virgil in the "Aeneid", 1st century. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, for example, a ram. Others claim that this is what Homer named the Greek sea-going ships. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of gullible Trojans. The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a trick of the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse stood within the walls of Troy, it would be able to defend the city from Greek raids forever. Most of the city's residents were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city.

However, there were also opponents. Priest Laocoon offered to burn the horse or throw it off the cliff. He even threw a spear at the horse, and everyone heard that the horse was empty inside. Soon, a Greek named Sinon was captured, who told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for years of bloodshed. This was followed by tragic events: during a sacrifice to the sea god Poseidon, two huge serpents emerged from the water, which strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll their horse into the city. It was so huge that it could not fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be taken apart. Trojan horse caused the fall of Troy... According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released from his womb the soldiers hiding inside, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which fell asleep after the violent festivities, did not even show strong resistance. Several Trojan warriors led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, who broke the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.
Excavation of Troy... During excavations at Hisarlik, several layers of cities of different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. They are all called Troy. Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Schliemann investigated Troy II, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was the highest point of the city's development, its inhabitants traded profitably with the Greeks, but this city seems to have been badly destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scholars believe that the found Troy VII is the true city of Homer's Iliad. According to historians, the city fell in 1184 BC, being burned by the Greeks. Troy VIII was restored by the Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. It should be noted that excavations have shown that the Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.
The search for the legendary Troy

Among archaeologists there are people who are ambitious and devoted to their designs. And, perhaps, a wealthy German merchant who abandoned his prosperous business in adulthood to search for unidentified stones - Heinrich Schliemann - belongs to the category of the most famous masters of the ancient profession. The whole life of this man, who was born in a poor village in 1822 and became one of the very rich scientists of his time, is full of secrets and contradictions. He visited many countries of the world, studied in Paris, at the age of 45 he unexpectedly began to study the Greek language and archeology, and a year later he began to search for the most mysterious city, most famous according to the stories of ancient authors, the legendary Troy. The Trojan War became one of the central events of Greek mythology. Ancient sources see its reason in the fact that the supreme god of the pantheon Zeus wished to give the opportunity to numerous heroes to become famous and leave their mark on history. A serious reason for the start of the war was the beauty of Zeus' daughter, Elena. And the impetus for battles, cunning, betrayal and conquest was a purely female dispute between three goddesses: Hera, Athena and Aphrodite about who is the most beautiful of them. The apple of discord was presented by the young shepherd Paris to the goddess of love Aphrodite for promising him the possession of the most beautiful woman. The beautiful Elena was the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, and Paris, who took advantage of Aphrodite's help, sailed to Sparta on a ship and took the beauty to Troy, which brought the anger and strength of the Greek army on the city-state. The war became famous not so much because of just retribution for the outraged honor of the royal family, but thanks to the participation in it on the side of the Achaeans of Odysseus, Ajax, Philokletos, Agamemnon, Achilles. Only 10 years after the abduction, as a result of many trials and adventures, the fleet of companions arrived at Troy to demand justice from the old Trojan king Priam. Hector, at the head of the Trojan army, approached the ships of the Spartans, killed one of the brilliant warriors - Patroclus, but the brother of the latter, Achilles, rushes into battle and kills Hector himself. The battles were merciless, filled with cruelty and heartlessness, and the gods watching from Olympus helped one or the other side. Achilles destroys many of the Trojans' assistants - the leader of the Amazons Penfesilia, the Ethiopian king Memnon and many defenders of the fortress city, surrounded by mighty walls that remained impregnable.

Tsarevich Paris with the help of the god Apollo kills Achilles with a magic arrow, and the war is suspended. But those who have come for the beautiful Elena and the treasures stolen from Sparta cannot retreat and come up with an insidious trap for the Trojans - a wooden horse, in whose belly several soldiers are hiding. The horse, accepted as a conciliatory gift, released the scouts at night, who opened the gates for the Spartan army. Troy was defeated and burned, and historians and archaeologists for many years were looking for either the real or the mythical city of Troy on the land of ancient Turkey. Heinrich Schliemann ignored all local stories and suggestions. The place of his excavations, he chose a hill in an hour's walk from the sea, called Hisarlik. And the choice of the newly-minted archaeologist was made on the basis of the study of ancient reports about the sources and channel of the Scamandros River, indicated quite definitely. In his imagination, mythical events took place, ancient warriors performed, famous beauties and, of course, treasures appeared.
In this rich city there were many art products for which the Greek world was famous; here, to King Priam, the shepherd-prince Paris, together with Helen, brought a part of the Spartan treasures that were never found by the victors during the storming and burning of the city of Troy. Schliemann speaks to European art patrons with a proposal to invest in future excavations of ancient Troy. No one believed in the newly-minted researcher, and Schliemann invests his own capital in the excavations organized in 1870.
Schliemann's workers dug into the ground. Schliemann skipped layer after layer, completely disregarding the classical methods of excavation. The shovels reached the rocky ground, and the remains of a certain city-settlement, tentatively named "Troy I", were discovered there. The researcher was completely disappointed, revealing squalid buildings, a miserable layout and, most importantly, an almost complete absence of artwork characteristic of Homer's era. It was then that the novice archaeologist remembered that, together with the workers, he dug several more layers, which means that other time periods of Troy's existence may be closer to the surface, that is, over the disclosed remains of the settlement. And yet Schliemann doubted that "Troy II" was the city of the times of King Priam, Hector and Paris, the prison of the beautiful Helena. And then, among the architectural ruins, traces of a gigantic fire began to appear, which destroyed the ancient buildings. The fire, apparently, blazed here for more than one day and destroyed everything that remained undisturbed by the hands and weapons of the attacking Spartans.

Homer left Schliemann with accurate descriptions of the disaster, the traces of which were preserved by the land of Hisarlik. Three years of exhausting searches, resistance to rumors, the envy of archaeologists in the capital, refusals of funding - everything was redeemed by the find. The stones did not deceive the scientist, who proved to the whole world his perseverance and luck. It was possible, by sketching everything that was found and describing the finds for a future book, to complete the season, but something delayed Schliemann with his young Greek wife. This happened on June 15, 1873, when a cache was found among the massive walls and ancient breaks of Troy II, which occupied a significant space near the western gate of the fortified city. Schliemann sent all the workers from the excavation site to their homes under a minor pretext, and he himself proceeded to open a certain empty space. The only witness of the finds in the cache was the Greek woman Sofia, who later helped the archaeologist to take out what was found. The discovered antique treasure contained two gold diadems with 2271 gold rings, 4066 heart-shaped plates and 16 images of gods made of pure gold. Alongside these unprecedented items were 24 gold necklaces, earrings, buttons, needles, bracelets, a 601 gram gold bowl, a lot of dishes made of gold and silver, electron and copper.
Schliemann had only a few hours of free time before he left the excavation site. The delay in the planned plans would have led to suspicion, and the only thought of the archaeologist at that moment was the idea of \u200b\u200bconcealing the discovery from the Turkish authorities. He was sure that in his hands were the treasures of King Priam, hidden in ancient times from prying eyes and war years. The treasure consisted of 8,700 items of gold, and the spouses just needed to take it to Germany, bypassing all obstacles. It was decided that the treasures, disguised as cabbage and vegetables, would be transported in large baskets across the Hellespont to Athens, and from there the path would be paved to Germany. Turkish officials were surprised but did not protest when they saw off the capricious young and rich European Madame Schliemann, who was bringing vegetables with her to Athens from Hisarlik ... And these very baskets and Madame Sofia herself have since gone down in the history of world discoveries.
In 1873 Schliemann's book "Trojan Antiquities", which described the powerful walls of the Troy fortress, towers erected on heavy stone foundations. Stories about palace buildings were interspersed with descriptions of a fire that played a terrible role in the fate of defeated Troy. The brightest pages were dedicated to the gold of King Priam, which by its materiality confirmed the authenticity of the find of the "young" successful historian. The book brought Schliemann great fame, divided the entire scientific world into his supporters and opponents. Some accused him of dilettantism and barbaric excavations, of outright theft of valuable exhibits. Others recognized the former businessman's luck, his intuition and, most importantly, his desire to implement the plan by any means.

Troy is the scene of the legendary Trojan War, which is reflected in the ancient Greek oral and literary traditions.

Historians are still debating the existence of Troy. Most are inclined to believe that Troy really existed, as this is confirmed by archaeological finds found on the site: some of them fit the description of Troy by Homer in the Iliad.

Troy is also called Hisarlik (Turkish name), Ilios or Ilia, as well as Ilium (as Homer called the city).

Mythological Troy

Troy is the main setting in Homer's Iliad; recall that the work is dedicated to the last year of the Trojan War, which took place in the 13th century BC. The war lasted 10 years: King Agamemnon of Mycenae, together with his allies, Greek troops, literally besieged the city. The purpose of the capture was to return Elena the Beautiful, wife of Menelaus, king of Argos and brother of Agamemnon.

The girl was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris, as at a beauty contest she was awarded the grace of herself, which recognized Elena as the most beautiful woman living on earth.

References to the Trojan War are also found in other literary sources: for example, in poems by several authors, as well as in Homer's Odyssey. Troy and later became one of the most popular subjects in mythology and classical literature.

Homer describes Troy as a city surrounded by a strong, invincible wall. In the Iliad, there are also references to the fact that the city was fortified with high and steep walls with battlements at the ends.

The walls must have been unusually strong, as Troy was able to withstand the 10-year siege of the Greeks. The city could have been saved if the cunning Greeks had not come up with a knight's move - and in the literal sense: the Danaans built a huge horse, which they allegedly gave as a gift to the Trojans, but in fact the soldiers hid in it, and later were able to break into the city, breaking enemy forces.

It was known from Greek myths that the walls of Troy were so impressive that people believed that they were built by Poseidon and Apollo.

Archaeological finds of Troy

Existing from the early Bronze Age (3000 BC) to the 12th century AD. the city, which is usually called Troy, is located 5 km from the coast, but once it was located next to the sea.

The territory of Troy was bounded by a bay created by the mouth of the Skamanda River, and the city occupied a strategically important position between the Aegean and Eastern civilizations, and also controlled access to the Black Sea, Anatolia and the Balkans - both on land and at sea.

The remains of the city of Troy were first discovered by Frank Calvert in 1863 AD, then the study of archaeological artifacts was continued by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870.

The scientist studied Troy for 20 years, until his death in 1890. So, Schliemann managed to discover an artificial hill 20 m high, which has remained untouched since antiquity. Schliemann's findings contained jewelry and vessels made of gold and silver, which were described as similar to those described by Homer in the Iliad.

However, all artifacts were dated to earlier dates and may have been from the period of the Greeks before the Trojan War.

Excavations continued throughout the 20th century AD. and are ongoing to this day.

According to the latest data, there could be nine different cities on the territory of the alleged city of Troy. Scientists have created a special classification, designating these cities with Roman numerals: from Troy I to Troy IX.

The history of Troy, according to historians, began with a small village. Then, large buildings and walls-fortifications made of stone and brick appeared in it, later steep walls 8 meters high and 5 meters thick (apparently, Homer mentioned them in the Iliad), the city occupied an area of \u200b\u200b270,000 square meters.

The further fate of Troy is associated with fires and some kind of major destruction - this is confirmed by the finds of archaeologists.

The centuries-old existence of Troy has influenced the development of arts and various crafts in neighboring cities: archaeologists often find replicas of jewelry, ceramics and military supplies created by craftsmen from other cities in the image and likeness of those that the Trojans once created.

Troy (tur. Truva), the second name is Ilion, an ancient city in the north-west of Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea. It was known for its ancient Greek epics, discovered in 1870. during excavations by G. Schliemann of the Hissarlik hill. The city gained particular fame thanks to the myths about the Trojan War and the events described in Homer's poem "Iliad", according to which the 10-year war of the Achaean kings coalition led by Agamemnon - the king of Mycenae against Troy ended with the fall of the city - the fortress. The people that inhabited Troy are called Teukras in ancient Greek sources.

Troy is a mythical city. For many centuries, the reality of the existence of Troy was questioned - it existed like a city from a legend. But there were always people looking for a reflection of real history in the events of the Iliad. However, serious attempts to find the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, while excavating the mountain village of Gissrlyk on the Turkish coast, came across the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing excavations to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures belonging to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of the famous Homeric Troy. It is worth noting that Schliemann excavated a city that was built earlier (1000 years before the Trojan War), further research showed that he simply went through Troy, since it was erected on the ruins of an ancient city he found.

Troy and Atlantis are one and the same. In 1992, Eberhard Zangger suggested that Troy and Atlantis are one and the same city. He based his theory on the similarity of the descriptions of cities in ancient legends. However, this assumption had no spread and scientific basis. This hypothesis was not widely supported.

The Trojan War broke out over a woman. According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out due to the fact that one of the 50 sons of King Priam - Paris, kidnapped the beautiful Helen - the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. The Greeks sent troops precisely to take Helen. However, according to some historians, this is most likely only the peak of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Prior to this, presumably, there were many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast in the Dardanelles Strait.

Troy lasted 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, the army of Agamemnon camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. This was used by the king of Troy Priam, who established close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which during the war helped him. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.

The Trojan Horse really existed. This is one of the few episodes of that war that never found its archaeological and historical confirmation. Moreover, there is not a word about the horse in the Iliad, but Homer describes it in detail in his Odyssey. And all the events associated with the Trojan horse and their details were described by the Roman poet Virgil in the "Aeneid", 1st century. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, for example, a ram. Others claim that this is what Homer named the Greek sea-going ships. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of gullible Trojans.

The Trojan horse came to the city thanks to a cunning trick of the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse stood within the walls of Troy, it would be able to defend the city from Greek raids forever. Most of the inhabitants of the city were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. Priest Laocoon offered to burn the horse or throw it off the cliff. He even threw a spear at the horse, and everyone heard that the horse was empty inside. Soon, a Greek named Sinon was captured, who told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for years of bloodshed. This was followed by tragic events: during the sacrifice to the sea god Poseidon, two huge snakes emerged from the water, which strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll their horse into the city. It was so huge that it could not fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be taken apart.

The Trojan horse caused the fall of Troy. According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released from his womb the soldiers who were hiding inside, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which fell asleep after the violent festivities, did not even show strong resistance. Several Trojan warriors led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, who broke the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.

Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy and amassed a huge fortune during his life, was born into a poor family. He was born in 1822 into the family of a rural pastor. His homeland is a small German village near the Polish border. His mother died when he was 9 years old. My father was a harsh, unpredictable and egocentric man who loved women very much (for which he lost his position). At the age of 14, Henry was separated from his first love, the girl Minna. When Henry was 25 years old and he was already becoming a famous businessman, he finally asked in a letter for Minna's hand from her father. The response said that Minna had married a farmer. This message finally broke his heart. The passion for Ancient Greece appeared in the boy's soul thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to children in the evenings, and then gave his son a book on world history with illustrations. In 1840, after a long and exhausting job in a grocery store that almost cost him his life, Henry boarded a ship sailing to Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship fell into a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea, a barrel saved from death, which he held on until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages \u200b\u200band amassed a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavation of the great Troy.

Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy because of the disorder in his personal life. This is not excluded. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had many business in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be absolutely empty for him. Passionate by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold to him. As a result, he was almost on the verge of insanity. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring Schliemann happiness. Out of desperation, he made another fortune selling indigo paint. In addition, he took up the Greek language closely. An inexorable craving for travel appeared in him. In 1868 he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he set off towards Constantinople, to the places where Troy was located according to the Iliad and began excavations on the Hisarlik hill. This was his first step on the road to great Troy.

Helena Trojan's jewelry Schliemann tried on his second wife. Henry was introduced to his second wife by an old friend, a 17-year-old Greek woman, Sofia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when in 1873 Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold items), he transferred them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious tiaras. Putting one of them on Sophia's head, Henry said: "The jewel worn by Helena Troyanskaya now adorns my wife." In one of the photographs, she is indeed depicted in magnificent jewelry of antiquity.

The Trojan treasures were lost. There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemann donated 12,000 items to the Berlin Museum. During World War II, this priceless treasure was transferred to a bunker from which it disappeared in 1945. Part of the treasury unexpectedly appeared in 1993 in Moscow. There is still no answer to the question: "Was it really the gold of Troy?"

During excavations at Hisarlik, several layers of cities of different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. They are all called Troy. Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Schliemann investigated Troy II, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was the highest point of the city's development, its inhabitants traded profitably with the Greeks, but this city seems to have been badly destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scholars believe that the found Troy VII is the true city of Homer's Iliad. According to historians, the city fell in 1184 BC, being burned by the Greeks. Troy VIII was restored by the Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. It should be noted that excavations have shown that the Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.

Countless civilizations and large states have disappeared forever. One of the clear examples of this is the city of Troy, also known as Ilion. It has long excited the minds of historians and archaeologists. There is an interesting story of its appearance, existence and fall.

Date of formation and location of the city

The history of the famous city begins from 3000 BC. It was located on the Troada Peninsula in Asia Minor. Now this area belongs to Turkey. The people living in this area were called Tevkras.

In the square where Troy was located, the rivers Scamander and Simois flowed on both sides. There was an unobstructed path to the Aegean Sea.

Consequently, Troy during its existence was famous for its advantageous geographical position not only in the economic field, but also in terms of defense against enemy attacks. For many centuries, ancient Troy was an important trade center between East and West, constantly being raided, arson and plundered.

What is the city of Troy famous for?

The state is primarily known to the world for the Trojan War. According to Homer's Iliad, the ruler of Troy, King Priam, fought with the Greeks. The reason was the kidnapping of Elena. She was the wife of Menelaus, who was the ruler of Sparta. As it turned out, she fled with Paris, who was the prince of Troy. The latter did not agree to return Elena, which was the reason for unleashing a war that lasted for a long 10 years.

Another poem of Homer, The Odyssey, tells about the destruction of the city. The war broke out between the Trojans and the Achaean tribes (ancient Greeks), the latter won the battle thanks to military cunning. The Greeks built an impressive wooden horse and brought it to the gates of Troy, after which they left.

Residents of the city allowed the import of the statue into the walls, after which the soldiers hiding inside it captured Troy.

The final fall of Troy

From 350 BC and until 900 AD the city was ruled by the Greeks. In the future, its rulers constantly replaced each other. First, the Persians captured the city, later it became owned by Alexander the Great. Only the Roman Empire, which seized Troy, revived the city again.

In 400 BC. Troy fell into the hands of the Turks, who finally destroyed it. The remaining human settlements in the place where the great city previously existed disappeared in the 6th century AD.

What is now in the place of Troy?

Modern Troy is not at all like the place described by Homer. Over time, the coastal strip gradually moved, so the city was found on a completely dry hill.

People from all over the world constantly come to the city-museum. The ruins have an excellent appearance. Of particular interest in the place where Troy once was is a copy of that very wooden statue of a horse. Anyone can go inside, trying on the role of a Greek warrior.

On the territory of the excavation there is a museum where you can study photographs, samples and things that allow you to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the excavation stage of Troy. Tourists can go to the temple of Pallas Athena, walk inside the sanctuary of the gods and the Odeon concert hall.

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