Continuing my series of articles on legends and myths, let’s now take a look at one that Hollywood brought back into focus a couple of years ago. Let’s examine the legend of Troy and its supposed downfall at the hands of a Trojan Horse.
Most children, at some point in their lifetime, become enthralled with Greek and Roman mythology. The stories of gods, goddesses, and conquering heroes appeal to a broad section of humanity. While we eventually outgrown our belief in many of the characters, a few tend to remain somewhere hidden inside our minds. Such is the story of the beautiful Helen of Troy.
As legend as it, Prince Paris of Troy fell in love with a beautiful human named Helen. Unable to get her out of his mind, he kidnapped her away from Greece and took her to his home in Troy. Her husband, King Menelaus, sent his army and 1000 ships, headed by his brother Agamemnon, to conquer Troy and bring his wife home. This supposedly began a war between the two countries that raged for nearly 10 years.
It was during the stalemate that seemed to have no end in sight that Spartan warriors led by Achilles, concocted the idea of salvaging some of their ships to build a horse to be given as a gift to Troy. Since Trojans were well known for their love of equines, the Greeks had no doubt they would accept the gift which would hold – – disguised within its belly – – a number of Greek soldiers.
As expected, the Trojans in their arrogance and greed, brought the horse inside their gates. At night, as Troy slept, the army came out of hiding and destroyed all of Troy; capturing Helen and returning her safely to Sparta.
Perhaps it is the beauty of the myth, told with such detailed splendor in The Illiad, that brings to life the story of Troy. But did the city really exist and did a Trojan horse destroy it?
While many historians believe that it seems unlikely that such a long, bloody war would have been fought over a single woman, there are precedence in history that suggest that wars have indeed been fought over a single individual.
The Egyptians and Hittites of the 14th century fought a war over the death of a Hittite prince. Is it then so implausible that the Greeks and Trojans might have done the same, particularly in light of the fact that Helen was purportedly the most beautiful woman in the world?
Perhaps to answer that question, we need to begin at the beginning and determine whether or not Helen of Troy ever existed; or for that matter whether or not Troy itself existed. Was there, in fact, a Paris or an Achilles? Without proof that the city and the characters existed, the legend becomes nothing more than another beautiful story.
The first problem we run into trying to prove the existence of Troy is the fact that the Homer wrote his epic poem somewhere between the late eighth or early ninth century B.C. That was hundreds of years after the Trojan War would have taken place. If, in fact, Homer wrote the poem based on a true story, why is there no other historical research available to validate the fascinating legend?
Most scholars believe that Homer’s work was primarily a piece of fiction built upon a few valid historical findings. But which were true and which were fiction?
There is no evidence to validate the existence of many of The Iliad’s main characters. Achilles is, of course, well known in Greek mythology. He was dipped in the River Styx to make him immortal. Everything that the water touched during the process was impenetrable by weapon. However, the heel by which he was held during the process did not received the water’s touch and eventually became the young man’s downfall.
Furthermore, there is no evidence to prove the existence of Helen. She seems to be nothing more than another character drawn in Greek mythology.
There are writings, however, that refer to an individual named Alexandros, which some historians claim to be an alternative version of the name Paris.
So if Paris really existed, might the city of Troy existed as well? Most archaeologists agree that there is sufficient proof available to suggest that the city of Troy itself did exist. Excavations of the site where they believe Troy was located – – Hisarlik, Turkey – – found not one, but several cities that were built on top of each other over time.
It is the sixth and seventh cities unearthed there that appear to be the best matches to the time frame allotted to the legend of Troy. While the sixth city was resplendent enough to match the description so beautifully woven by Homer, it doesn’t appear to have been destroyed by war. In fact, it looks as thought it was likely destroyed via a natural disaster such as an earthquake.
The seventh city, on the other hand, although not at all resplendent, did appear to have been destroyed by war. Weapons were found during its excavation that lead archaeologists to believe it was a city besieged. Evidence of burned bones, piles of stones for slingshots, and arrowheads that might have served as tips for spears were consistent with a city at war.
Furthermore, the geology of sediments beside the city, appear to match a great portion of the battlefield details described by Homer. Therefore, an alternative theory exists that suggests it is possible that Homer blurred the two cities together to paint a more interesting portrait for his legendary tale.
Archaeology also suggests that there were likely several wars between the Greeks and Trojans. However, these findings suggest that the enemy in question might not have been Sparta, but rather the huge Hittite empire instead.
Certainly there is no doubt that a city located at the Hisarlik site would have been a prize worth fighting for during the Bronze Age. Sitting near the entrance of the Black Sea, such a city would have most assuredly been the perfect crossroads for international trade. Any king, seeking power and position, might have viewed this a city worthy of acquisition, even through war.
The Hittites, who supposedly traversed the Mediterranean Sea, might have sought the city as a base of operations. Documented inscriptions located in Egypt seem to validate this theory, noting that the Hittites came through the area around 1200 B.C. That accurately matches the time frame cited for the Trojan War.
Ancient Hittite texts also suggest that conflict raged between them and a rebel coalition that included Troy for some 200 years. However, this documentation paints a totally different picture of the relationship between the Myceaneans of Greece and the Trojans. It, in fact, suggests that the two peoples allied with one another to hold the Hittites as bay.
Since Archaeologists found Mycenaean pottery in one of the two cities that might have been Troy, the theory that Greece and Troy were allies seems to make sense. However, no where in actual documentation do the names of Paris and Helen of Troy appear either apart or together. Nor does there appear to be any evidence of the existence of a real warrior named Achilles.
So what of the Trojan Horse? Again, neither history nor archaeology can prove – – or for that matter disprove – – the existence of the Trojan Horse. However, most historians and archaeologists agree that the wooden horse most likely never existed at all. It is a beautiful tale, wonderfully crafted and beautifully written, but nothing more than a myth.
