Troy facts. The city of Troy - Where it is located and what it is famous for
One fine sunny day, during my trip to Western Turkey, I crossed the famous Dardanelles on a cheerfully chugging car-passenger ferry and landed in the town of Canakkale, the center of the province of the same name, to the enthusiastic cries of seagulls. Although in itself it is quite Old city with its own history, containing an Ottoman fortress of the 15th century and some other sights of later times - they were not the main purpose of my arrival on the mainland.
The place that had long interested and attracted me was located only 30 km south of Canakkale. I deliberately did not read anything “optional” and did not look at modern photographs of this place, so as not to depend on other people’s opinions and form my own judgment from the one-on-one meeting. After all, this was the legendary Troy, which we all know from ancient Greek myths, glorified by Homer in his immortal poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”; a gray-haired fortress city, covered with the glorious exploits of ancient heroes and which became the scene of one of the most famous wars in world history...
Long 27 centuries and fast 27 kilometers to Troy
As mentioned above, from Çanakkale to the turn to Troy is approximately 27 km along the excellent highway E-87. If you know how and like to hitchhike along the ground, it will not be difficult for you to quickly cover such a small section of the road. In addition, at the exit from Çanakkale in the right direction there is a convenient stop position, a roundabout for cars and a traffic light - so most likely you will leave soon enough.
Road sign at the exit from Canakkale
So I reached the position, and a few minutes later, with the brakes squeaking, a brand new Mercedes Axor stopped next to me, walking somewhere in the direction south coast. I didn’t even have time to properly talk about myself and my journey, and 25 kilometers flew by in an instant - and now I was landing at the turn towards Troy itself.
Only 5 km left to the legendary city 
There were still five kilometers left to the finish line - and I already wanted to slowly get there “on my own”, but before I had time to walk even a kilometer, a passenger car with two cheerful Turks caught up with me, in which we reached the goal in 5 minutes. It was already evening, the sun's disk was slowly sloping towards the horizon; in an hour and a half the park was closing, and therefore there were almost no visitors - so I had the opportunity to stay face-to-face with History...
They were the first
Back in 1822, the Scotsman Charles MacLaren, editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica, pointed to Hisarlik Hill as the possible location of the mythical Troy. 25 years later, the English amateur archaeologist Frank Calvert (who served at that time as the British consul in Ottoman Empire), decided to test McLaren's guess in the area indicated. This became all the more possible because in 1847 Frank’s brother, Frederick, acquired a farm with an area of 8 km2, the territory of which included part of the Hissarlik hill.
Along with his diplomatic work, Frank Calvert spent a number of years conducting excavations on his site of the Hisarlik Hill, where, according to his calculations, Homeric Troy was supposed to be located. Unfortunately, no matter how much he dug, he was unable to find anything significant to confirm his theory. Nevertheless, Calvert continued to believe that traces of Homeric Troy were very close, and after the end of the Crimean War he shared his thoughts with his newly arrived colleague, who, ironically, was destined to discover the very famous Troy that we know to this day. Who had such luck?
Heinrich Schliemann. The man who turned a childhood dream into a grand discovery
There were very few desperate people in the world who, already at an advanced age, were able to turn their lives around and devote the rest of it to serving their dreams. There are even fewer who manage to achieve success in this field. Heinrich Schliemann was such a rare exception.
Even in early childhood, his father often retold various legends to his son, which is why Schliemann Jr. awakened a serious interest in history. The death of Pompeii during a volcanic eruption, the Trojan War and other striking events of the past excited the child’s imagination. And his entire subsequent turbulent life could be an excellent plot for an adventure novel.
Having started his working career at the age of 14 as a modest clerk in a grocery store in Prussia, five years later he becomes a representative of a large trading company, discovers excellent abilities for languages (in less than three years he managed to master Dutch, English, French, Italian, Portuguese - and then Russian), after which the company decides to send a young and promising employee to St. Petersburg. In January 1846, 24-year-old Schliemann left for Russia.
It was here that Lady Luck was waiting for him, whom he managed to grab by the tail in time. The very next year, Schliemann founded his own trading company and quickly achieved commercial success. He grabbed every opportunity, traded in saltpeter, rare indigo dye, rubber, sugar and much more... Schliemann made a huge fortune selling gold dust during the famous Gold Rush in California, managed to earn millions both in the Crimean War in Russia and in Civil - in America. The ability to take advantage of these types of situations was in his blood.
Heinrich Schliemann: successful millionaire adventurer and amateur archaeologist
Having achieved everything and fully satisfied his commercial ambitions, Schliemann, already at an advanced age, decided to return to his childhood dream and take up travel, history and archeology without interference. To begin with, he perfectly studied the very difficult ancient Greek language, adhering to a long-developed and proven method: he read a lot out loud and memorized it by heart. Naturally, he studied from the original texts of the Iliad and Odyssey. Having completed two years trip around the world, in July 1868, Schliemann moved to Greece and took his first steps in the archaeological field.
Newly minted archaeologist
He began excavations in Ithaca, located west of the Balkan Peninsula. Part of the events of Homer's Odyssey takes place on this island - the main character's house was located there - and Schliemann began to look for evidence of the historicity of the poem. The first archaeological experiment of yesterday's businessman lasted two days. Of course, he didn’t find anything serious, but he managed to state that several artifacts found in the ground were directly related to the Odyssey. This hasty conclusions would later become a well-known feature of Schliemann, as well as the starting point for criticism of him.
One of the artifacts found
Then he went to the plain mentioned in the Iliad, located in the western part of Asia Minor near the Dardanelles. Schliemann compared his discoveries with the descriptions of the Iliad and began to lean towards the opinion that it was necessary to excavate the Hissarlik hill. Convincing arguments for this version for him were the very name of the place, which in Turkish meant “fortress,” as well as communication with the above-mentioned Frank Calvert, who had been excavating this hill for a long time before Schliemann.
Homer's world found?
Schliemann understood: the only way to prove he was right was to find Troy on his own. He began planning the excavations of Hisarlik. It took more than a year to obtain permission from the Turkish government. Finally, in October 1871, Heinrich Schliemann began to implement his plan.
Excavations of Troy during the First Expedition
The search was carried out from 1871 to 1873 and, contrary to the expectations of many skeptics, was crowned with stunning success. Schliemann excavated under the ruins of a Greek city of the classical era the remains of an older fortification and several cultural layers leading back to the Bronze Age. This is how the Mycenaean civilization was discovered, which preceded the archaic and classical eras.
However, Schiemann's method of conducting excavations deserved the strongest condemnation. His desire to find Troy at all costs and his reluctance to see everything else ultimately led to tragedy: Schliemann actually destroyed Troy as an archaeological site. He dug through the “uninteresting” ones - in his opinion! - layers and thoughtlessly destroyed everything “non-Meric”.
The new results of Schiemann's search for Troy caused a storm of criticism from professional archaeologists. The prominent scientist Ernst Curtius, the leader of another German group working on the territory of Olympia, spoke extremely disapprovingly of the sloppy method of Schiemann's excavations and his desire to prove his theory at all costs and declare everything that he extracted from the ground to be the remains of the Homeric world. The former entrepreneur pragmatically ignored much of what was not related to the supposed Trojan War, and even carelessly destroyed some of it. The cultural layers were severely damaged by it, and today professionals have to restore the painting by studying what remains after Schliemann’s excavations.
What can you see today on the site of the legendary city?
I invite you to take a photo tour of Troy
Sanctuary
In Greek and Roman times, Troy was an important religious center, as we know from ancient sources and from excavations.
The sanctuary before you may have been founded as early as the seventh century BC. These archaic ruins appear to have included altars, large sections of walls, and several buildings, possibly temples.
The outer walls of the sanctuary were almost four meters high, which suggests that this place was associated with some secret rites, for the performance of which the sacrifices made on the altars were fenced off from the uninitiated. The sanctuary was seriously damaged in the destruction of Ilium by the Roman governor Flavius Fimbrias, in 85 BC.
Pithos Garden
Such vessels served primarily as a means of preserving olive oil, wine and bread, but were also excellent containers for transporting smaller, more expensive ceramics on seagoing trading ships. These amphora vats were often made human-sized and had very thick walls - they were usually dug into the ground and used in the household as a kind of refrigerator.
Water pipes
Even the ancient Roman author and architect Vitruvius, in his book "De Architectura", argued that at that time there were three main types of plumbing systems: stone channels, lead and terracotta pipes. He considered terracotta pipes to be the best choice because they were simpler and more economical than constructing stone channels and less harmful to health than lead pipes. These thick terracotta pipes found at Troy are consistent with Vitruvius' description, as well as other similar finds from numerous excavation sites throughout the Roman Empire.
Main entrance (The Ramp)
Here you can see the remains of the fortified walls of Troy II, and here, most likely, the main, Eastern gate of the citadel was located, for entry into which a special inclined ramp was paved from flat stones. It was here, to the left of the gate, that Schliemann found the legendary “Treasure of King Priam.”
The Schliemann Trench
During the first three years of excavations under the leadership of Schliemann, a huge trench was dug in the center of the mound, forty meters wide and 17 meters deep. It was conceived as a test trench; with its help, Schliemann hoped to find the answer to the question at what depth the “Citadel of Priam” was located.
View from Hissarlik Hill to the “Schliemann Trench”, the plain lying behind it and the Aegean Sea, which carries its waves 6 km from here
Unfortunately, during this crude operation, many historically, architecturally and archaeologically important later layers and buildings were partially or completely destroyed by him. The disastrous result is before your eyes. :(
Eastern wall
You are now looking at the remains of an outer wall and fortifications from the Troy VIII - IX period (third century BC - c. 500 AD)
Beyond the wall lay the Lower City, which we know as Greek and Roman Ilion. Further to the north is the Dardanelles Strait, to the west is the plain and the river of the same name under the ancient name Scamander.
Odeon Theater
And now you are in front of the ancient Roman theater (Odeion), which, among other things, was intended for the presentation of musical performances. Behind it are the ruins of partially excavated baths, which were also built during the Roman Empire.
The Odeon, the baths, and the nearby Bouleuterion (the city council building) were located on the edge of the agora, the market square where Troy's social life was centered. The Odeon has a semicircular stage, with a special recess in which stood a lifetime statue of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD), made in life-size.
Trojan horse
At the entrance to the open-air museum in the 90s, a model of the famous Trojan Horse was installed, with the help of which the cunning Odysseus came up with the idea of getting inside Troy, and it was built by one of the most famous Achaean warriors, Epeus. According to various sources, from 30 to 50 of the bravest Greek warriors, led by Menelaus, Odysseus, Diomedes and Neoptolemus, hid inside it.
A still from the film "Troy" - the joyful Trojans celebrate their imaginary victory over the Greeks. They don't yet know what awaits them the next night...
Numerous tourist children (and adults too), who come every day on excursions from Istanbul, Izmir and all over the world, happily climb into this same modern little humpbacked horse:). Apparently, it is very flattering for them to feel like ancient heroes, even for a few minutes, and thus get in touch with hoary antiquity. A similar horse (which took part in the filming of the film) was also installed in one of the squares in Canakkale.
The Trojan horse moves in an L shape and wins
Trojan layer cake
The end result of all the expeditions was the discovery in this territory of 46 cultural layers, divided into nine cities that existed here at different times: from Troy I to Troy IX.
Historical scheme of Troy: century by century, millennium by millennium... 
Troy-I (circa 2920-2450 BC)
The first settlement, presumably dating back to the Cretan-Mycenaean, pre-Greek culture of the Mediterranean, is poorly preserved. The city was 90 meters in diameter and was surrounded by a low wall that followed the terrain. The wall had one gate with bastions.
Ancient artifacts
Troy II (circa 2600-2450 BC)
This settlement has been preserved much better than the previous one; it was precisely this that was mistakenly taken by Schliemann for Homer's Troy. The second city was 10 meters larger in diameter than its predecessor; the area of Troy-II was 8800 square meters. m, and the wall surrounding the city in some places reached four meters in thickness. There were two gates in the wall with carefully paved passages - the Western (mistaken by Schliemann for the Szekely Gate, mentioned by Homer) and the Eastern. The cause of the death of Troy II was a very strong fire. The “burnt” layer reaches two meters thick!
Troy-VI (circa 1700-1250 BC)
Troy again achieved its lost greatness. This settlement already consisted of two cities: the Citadel and the Lower City, located behind the fortress walls. The fortress walls were made of carefully processed blocks and in some places reached five meters in thickness. Troy VI ceased to exist as a result of a powerful earthquake.
A very elegant jug made by ancient craftsmen
Troy-VII (circa 1250-1020 BC)
In fact, completely rebuilt after the earthquake, the city reached its greatest prosperity and power. The number of residents of the Citadel and the Lower City reached seven thousand people, which at that time was a very respectable figure. It is Troy VII that is most suitable for the role of the city from the Iliad. The reason for the death of the city this time, most likely, was a military invasion caused by economic rivalry between Troy and Mycenae, and not at all the desire of the Greeks to return Helen the Beautiful to her legal spouse.
Reconstruction: this is what Troy might have looked like in the era described by the great Homer
Troy VIII, aka Ilion (circa 800-85 BC)
Part of the population survived the fall of the city and continued to live in this territory even after the arrival of Greek colonists. For a long time, Troy was an inconspicuous Greek colony, but at the end of the 4th century BC. The situation changed and large-scale construction began in the city. A Temple of Athena, a meeting building and a theater with a capacity of six thousand spectators were built.
Silver tetradrachm from Troy, Hellenistic period (ca. 188-160 BC). The obverse depicts the goddess Pallas Athena, and the reverse depicts a female figure and an owl, a symbol of wisdom. 
After Ilion became part of the Roman Empire, the city was granted new lands and tax exemptions, making Troy a prosperous city again. However, in 85 BC, due to contradictions with Rome, the city was again sacked and destroyed, this time by the troops of the Roman governor Flavius Fimbria.
Troy-IX, aka Ilion/Ilium (c. 85 BC - 500 AD)
Soon after the destruction of the city, the famous Roman politician, dictator Sulla, ordered it to be rebuilt and populated. However, later, without the support of Rome, Troy gradually began to empty and sink into oblivion. In the 6th century AD. on the Hissarlik hill the last buildings were empty, and the city sank into oblivion...
Famous visitors to Troy
The glory of Troy attracted ancient monarchs to these places; in 480 BC the city was visited by the Persian king Xerxes, and in 334 BC. - Alexander the Great. He brought his weapon as a gift to the spirit of Priam, begged him not to be angry with Neoptolemus (the king of Troy Priam fell from the hand of this hero), from whom he descended great commander, and vowed to revive Troy. But his premature death prevented him from fulfilling his promise.
Julius Caesar And Octavian Augustus sympathized with the city; under Augustus, the theater, the meeting building, and the Temple of Athena were rebuilt in Ilion.
The interest of the rulers of Rome in Troy was probably explained by their belief in the myth about the origin of the Julian family. According to legend, the only Trojans who managed to escape after the Greek warriors captured the city and carried out a massacre there were Aeneas, the son of the goddess Aphrodite, his paralyzed father Anchises and his little son Ascanius. Aeneas carried them in his arms from the city engulfed in flames.
Federico Barocci, "The Flight of Aeneas from Troy"
(Federico Barocci, Aeneas" Flight from Troy, 1598) 
Ascanius is considered the ancestor of the Roman patricians, and from his son, Yulus, the famous Julius family descended. Another Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, choosing a place for your future capital, also visited Troy, but found the city almost completely abandoned and made a choice in favor of Byzantium, which later became the center of the new empire. With the fall of the “great and mighty” Roman Empire, life disappeared in many corners of this superpower. Cities and roads were deserted, bridges and aqueducts collapsed...
Treasure of King Priam
On May 31, 1873, Schliemann managed to discover a rich collection of copper and gold jewelry, which, in support of his theory, he immediately called the “Treasure of King Priam.” Later, archaeologists came to the conclusion that the age of the find is about a thousand years older than the events described by Homer, which, of course, does not detract from its historical value.
The same Schliemann's "Treasure of King Priam"
The famous “Treasure of Priam” (24 necklaces, 6 bracelets, 870 rings, 4066 brooches, 2 magnificent tiaras, rings, chains and many small jewelry), items from which were mistakenly taken by Schliemann for the treasures of a mythical ruler, the archaeologist found only during his second expeditions. The further history of this treasure is similar to the plot of an adventure novel.
According to the excavation permit the archaeologist received from the Turkish authorities, he had to leave half of any valuable finds to Turkey. But Schliemann acted differently - he secretly, using smuggling methods, took the found treasures to Greece. The amateur archaeologist was not guided by the desire to get rich by selling the “Treasure of Priam” (his fortune was already huge), he believed that this treasure should belong to one of European countries, not the Ottoman Empire. Schliemann offered the treasure as a gift to the Greek king, but he, for obvious reasons, refused. The Louvre was also not interested in the offer to accept valuable exhibits as a gift.
Sophia Engastromenos, second wife of Heinrich Schliemann, wearing the necklace and diadem of the “queen” from the “Treasure of Priam”, found by her husband in Troy
The management of the British Museum certainly wanted to be sure that no laws were broken during the excavations. Then the treasure was offered to the Hermitage, but Schliemann also received a refusal from Russia, since his reputation here was somewhat tarnished (Schliemann at one time was engaged, to put it mildly, in bad faith, in supplying the Russian army, had a family and a wife in Russia, whom he divorced in spite of Russian laws). In the end, the unique find ended up in Berlin, in the Museum of Ancient and Ancient History, where it remained until the outbreak of World War II.
The treasures "disappeared" from the Berlin Museum in 1939, at the beginning of World War II. It is believed that it was hidden in underground bunkers to prevent it from being damaged by bombing. In 1945, during the surrender of Germany, museum director Wilhelm Unferzagt, fearing the plunder of the unique collection by looters, personally handed over three suitcases with Trojan treasures to representatives of the Soviet military command. The treasure was taken to Moscow (mainly gold and silver) and Leningrad (ceramics and bronze). Since 1949, the Trojan finds, on the personal orders of Stalin, were kept in the strictest secrecy.
In Germany and Western Europe They knew nothing about Professor Unferzagt’s act, and the “treasure” was considered lost. And only almost half a century later - after the collapse of the USSR, in 1993, it became officially known that the “Treasure of Priam” was safe and sound - in the storerooms of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Moreover, in 1996 in Moscow, at the exhibition “Treasures of Troy from the Excavations of Heinrich Schliemann,” the once secret exhibits were put on display to the general public. Naturally, an uproar immediately arose in the West: the Soviet (and at the same time its successor, Russian) power in Once again accused of all mortal sins in general and theft of other people's cultural property in particular. An international dispute arose over which country - Russia, Germany, Greece or Turkey - has the right to own them. Until now, consensus has not been reached, and most of the Trojan treasures are again hidden from human eyes in museum collections.
Troy after Schliemann
After Schliemann's death in 1890, the excavations were continued by his assistant Wilhelm Dörpfeld. During the lifetime of his senior colleague, Dörpfeld was the first to suggest that the layer where the “Priam’s treasure” was found was actually older than the time of the Trojan War. When he expressed his guess to Schliemann, he became gloomy, went to his tent and remained silent there for four days. Then he admitted that Dörpfeld was right. In subsequent years, he proved that the Troy of the time of Priam was three layers higher than the one that his predecessor idolized.
Thus, Schliemann’s attempt to convince scientists that the events of Homer’s epic are not a myth, but historical fact, failed. Yes, he made amazing discoveries, but they had nothing to do with what he was looking for.
After Dörpfeld, archaeological research was stopped for almost 35 years. In the First World War, in the Battle of the Dardanelles, the English navy inflicted considerable damage on the Hisarlik hill with shells; Finds were picked up by the handful from the bottom of the craters.
Second World War again interrupted the work of archaeologists for a long time; Excavations were resumed only in the 70s of the 20th century and continue to this day. Since the second half of the 20th century, Troy has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists. The Turkish village of a hundred houses, located very close to the open-air museum-reserve surrounded by a grid, and the adjacent tourist center are not the tenth or eleventh Troy. The connection between times was lost...
Troy and "Troy": Homer vs Hollywood
A new wave of interest in the history of “bygone days” swept across the world in 2004, when the epic film of the same name by Wolfgang Petersen was released, with a whole collection of stars starring: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, Rose Byrne, Peter O'Toole and others.
You can and should watch this film, but, of course, you should not expect that this is a literal adaptation of Homer. As comrade Alex Exler put it in his review, “this is just another blockbuster on a “historical” theme, which was conceived as a blockbuster, shot like a blockbuster and turned out to be an ordinary blockbuster, nothing more and nothing less. It was shot quite well - and, in general, it looks great. quite impressive."
Naturally, the film adaptation was not without inaccuracies and blunders, which would take too long to list, so I will limit myself to only my favorite number 7:
1. Achilles dies without saving his beloved Briseis during the assault inside Troy (as shown in the film), and during the battle, outside the walls of the city and even before its fall - angering the god Apollo, who directs Paris's arrow at Achilles' heel .
2. Hector’s wife Andromache was captured by Achilles’ son, Neoptolemus (by the way, also not shown in the film), and her child was killed. In the film, her name is not mentioned at all, and she and her child escape from Troy.
3. The first to land on the shores of Troy was not Achilles, but Odysseus. (In the original there was a legend that the first one to land on Trojan soil would be killed, so no one was in a hurry to jump from the ships, but Odysseus jumped onto his shield.)
4. According to myth, after the war Menelaus takes his wife Helen back to his homeland, and Paris dies. In the film, Hector kills Menelaus, and Paris remains with Helen (a classic American happy ending, who would doubt it).
Orlando Bloom as Paris and Diane Kruger as Helen the Beautiful
5. In the film, cavalry gallops across a field of lava. But during the Trojan War, the Greeks did not know horse riding, and horses were only harnessed to chariots. Helen is also shown stitching up Paris' wounds after her fight with Menelaus. In fact, suturing was unknown to ancient Greek medicine and did not come into practice until a thousand years later.
6. In the original, Achilles himself allows Patroclus to fight the Trojans in his place and gives him his armor. The film does not contain scenes of the battle between the Myrmidons and the Amazons and Aecheans, where Achilles performed the greatest feats. Also in the film there is no famous Cassandra - the things of Paris's sister, who predicted the death of Troy because of her unlucky brother.
7. And finally, the most important discrepancy between the film and the original is the absence of the ancient Greek gods, who played a prominent role in the Trojan War in the Iliad. Also, the film does not mention at all one of the bravest heroes - Diomedes, whose deeds play a key role in the plot of the Iliad: he was the only Greek who fought with the Olympian gods and even wounded Aphrodite and Ares, and the description of his exploits takes up almost the entire V book of the epic. Together with Odysseus, it was Diomedes who penetrated the besieged Troy and stole the Palladium (the statue of Athena), sealing the fate of Troy. In addition, in the original the war lasted ten years and was described in the Iliad Last year war. In the film, the war lasted a little more than two weeks.
Johann Georg Trautmann, "The Fall of Troy"
(Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769): Blick auf das brennende Troja) 
In conclusion - my IMHO
So if you, gentlemen, readers, happen to visit the places I described, you can, if you wish, stop by Troy to, so to speak, “check in” - here, they say, I visited such legendary place, following the ancient heroes and a string of kings and emperors. :) Because the most interesting artifacts and valuable treasures have long since spread to museums around the world, and Troy itself, after Schliemann’s “expeditions,” is now, as one of the scientists aptly put it, “ruins of ruins.” All hope lies in the future discoveries of archaeologists, who continue to dig in breadth and depth, and, as we know, often present very unexpected, and sometimes even sensational surprises...
Technical information
Historical and Cultural Park "Troy" is open from 8.30 to 19 hours; Entrance to the territory at the time of my visit cost 15 liras (now perhaps more expensive), for particularly sophisticated individuals with various solid skills - by agreement with the controllers, up to free :)
If you come there with a serious backpack (like me, for example, at one time :)), you can leave it (by agreement) in the care of the gatekeepers; I didn’t seem to notice any storage lockers there. Although perhaps she is.
How to get there:
1. If you have hitchhiking skills, then it will not be difficult for you to drive 30 km from the north - from Canakkale, or get to Troy, on the contrary, from the south of the country along the E-87 highway, also known as D-550/560. ;)
2. Well, if you still prefer more civilized types of transporting your own body, then minibuses depart from Canakkale hourly on a round-trip basis. You need to look for them at the local bus station, not far from the bridge over the river.
3. There are also reputable bus companies operating flights from Istanbul to Canakkale (and back). As you know, the distance between Istanbul and Canakkale is 310 km, and the journey will take about 5 and a half hours, including the ferry crossing. There are several bus companies in Ch.:
Project: Troy on the website of the German University of Tübingen
Joint Çanakkale-Tübingen site, with many photographs
Heinrich Schliemann and his Trojan Antiquities
"Troy was never a Greek city!" - an interesting topic on the History.ru forum
and, of course, Wikipedia (where would we be without it :)):
Troy (Turkish Truva), second name - Ilion, ancient city in the northwest of Asia Minor, off the coast Aegean Sea. It was known thanks to the ancient Greek epics and was discovered in the 1870s. during G. Schliemann's excavations 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 “The Iliad,” according to which the 10-year war of the coalition of Achaean kings led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, against Troy ended with the fall of the fortress city. The people who inhabited Troy are called Teucrians in ancient Greek sources.
Troy is a mythical city. For many centuries, the reality of Troy's existence was questioned - it existed like a city from legend. But there have always been people looking for a reflection in the events of the Iliad real story. However, serious attempts to search for the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, while excavating the mountain village of Gissrlik on the Turkish coast, came across the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing excavations to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures that belonged to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of Homer's famous 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 walked right through Troy, since it was built on the ruins of the ancient city he found.
Troy and Atlantis are one and the same. In 1992, Eberhard Zangger suggested that Troy and Atlantis are the same city. He based his theory on the similarity of the descriptions of cities in ancient legends. However, this assumption did not have a widespread and scientific basis. This hypothesis did not receive widespread support.
The Trojan War broke out because of a woman. According to Greek legend The Trojan War broke out because 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 away. 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. Before this, there were supposedly many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast of the Dardanelles.
Troy survived for 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, Agamemnon's army camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. King Priam of Troy took advantage of this, establishing close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which provided him with assistance during the war. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.
The Trojan horse actually existed. This is one of the few episodes of that war that has 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 Homer called Greek sea vessels this way. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of the gullible Trojans.
The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a cunning trick by 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 could forever defend the city from Greek raids. Most of the city's residents were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. The priest Laocoon suggested burning the horse or throwing it off a 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 and told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for many years of bloodshed. Tragic events followed: during a sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon, two huge snakes swam out of the water and strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll the horse into the city. He was so huge that he couldn’t fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be dismantled.
The Trojan Horse caused the fall of Troy. According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released the warriors hiding inside from its belly, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which had fallen asleep after the riotous festivities, did not even offer strong resistance. Several Trojan soldiers led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who smashed 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 self-centered man who loved women very much (for which he lost his position). At the age of 14, Heinrich was separated from his first love, the girl Minna. When Heinrich was 25 years old and already becoming a famous businessman, he finally asked Minna's hand in marriage from her father in a letter. The answer said that Minna married a farmer. This message completely broke his heart. Passion to Ancient Greece appeared in the boy’s soul thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to the children in the evenings, and then gave his son a book on world history with illustrations. In 1840, after a long and grueling job in a grocery store that almost cost him his life, Henry boarded a ship bound for Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship was caught in a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea; he was saved from death by a barrel, which he held on to until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages and made a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavations of the great Troy.
Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy due to unsettled personal life. This is not excluded. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had many affairs in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be completely empty for him. Being a passionate man by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold towards him. As a result, he almost found himself on the verge of madness. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring happiness to Schliemann. Out of desperation, he made another fortune by selling indigo dye. In addition, he took up the Greek language closely. An inexorable thirst for travel appeared in him. In 1868, he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he went towards Constantinople, to the places where Troy was located according to the Iliad and began excavations on the Hissarlik hill. This was his first step on the path to the great Troy.
Schliemann tried on jewelry from Helen of Troy for his second wife. Heinrich was introduced to his second wife by his old friend, 17-year-old Greek Sofia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold objects) in 1873, he moved them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious tiaras. Having placed one of them on Sophia’s head, Henry said: “The jewel that Helen of Troy wore now adorns my wife.” One of the photographs actually shows her wearing magnificent antique jewelry.
The Trojan treasures were lost. There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemanns donated 12,000 objects to the Berlin Museum. During World War II, this priceless treasure was moved 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 from different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. Everyone calls them Troy. Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Troy II was explored by Schliemann, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was the high point of the city's development, its inhabitants trading profitably with the Greeks, but the city appears to have been badly destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scientists 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 Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. I would like to note that excavations have shown that Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.
For many centuries, this city and its history have haunted archaeologists and ordinary adventurers. A century and a half ago, Heinrich Schliemann managed to discover the place where Troy is located, and in 1988, the interest of scientists in this legendary city increased again. To date, many studies have been carried out here and several cultural layers have been discovered.
general information
This settlement of the Luwian civilization, also known as Ilion, is an ancient city that was located in the northwest along the coast of the Aegean Sea. This is where Troy was located on the world map. The city became known thanks to the epics of the ancient Greek writer Homer and many legends and myths, and was found by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.
The main reason why the ancient city managed to gain such popularity is the Trojan War and all the events accompanying it. According to the descriptions of the Iliad, it was a ten-year war that led to the fall of the settlement.
First ditch
There is a hypothesis according to which the area of Troy was much larger than previously thought. In 1992, excavations were carried out, which resulted in the discovery of a moat surrounding the city. This ditch runs quite far from the city walls, surrounding an area of about 200 thousand m2, although the city itself occupied only about 20 thousand m2. The German scientist Manfred Korfmann believes that the Lower City was located on this territory, and until 1700 BC. e. people still lived here.
Second ditch
Two years later, in 1994, during excavations a second artificially created ditch was discovered, which ran five hundred meters from the fortress. Both ditches were a system of fortifications designed to protect the fortress, since they could not be overcome. Archaeologists believe that there were also sharpened stakes or a wooden wall. Similar fastenings are described in the immortal Iliad, although it can hardly be relied upon today as a historical treatise.
Luwians or Creto-Mycenaeans?
Archaeologist Korfman believes that Troy is a direct heir to the Anatolian civilization, and not, as is commonly believed, the Cretan-Mycenaean one. Modern territory Troy contains many finds confirming this. But in 1995, a special discovery was made: a seal with hieroglyphs in the Luwian language, which was previously widespread in Asia Minor, was found here. But so far, unfortunately, no new finds have been made that could clearly indicate that this language was spoken in Troy.
However, Corfman was absolutely sure that the ancient Trojans were direct descendants of Indo-European peoples and were Luwians by origin. These are the people who around the 2nd millennium BC. e. moved to Anatolia. Many objects that were found during excavations in Troy most likely belonged to this civilization, and not the Greek one. There are several other factors that support the possibility of this assumption. In the territory where Troy was, the fortress walls resemble Mycenaean ones, and appearance dwellings are quite typical for Anatolian architecture.
Religion
During many excavations, Hittite-Luvian cult objects were also found here. Near the southern gate there were four steles, which in Hittite culture symbolized deity. In addition, the cemetery, which was located near the city walls, retained signs of cremation. Considering that this method of burial is uncharacteristic for Western peoples, but the Hittites resorted to it, this is another plus in favor of Korfman’s theory. However, today it is very difficult to determine how it really was.
Troy on the world map
Since Troy was between two fires - between the Greeks and the Hittites - it often had to become a participant in reprisals. Wars broke out here regularly, and the settlement was attacked by more and more enemies. This has been scientifically proven, since traces of fires were found in the place where Troy is located, that is, in the territory of modern Turkey. But around 1180 BC. e. a catastrophe occurred here, which marked the beginning of a difficult period in the history of not only Troy, but the whole world.
Trojan War
If something concrete can be said from specific artifacts found during excavations, then the events that took place in the political arena, as well as their true background, remain a big question. The lack of information and many theories, often illogical, are taken by some at face value, which has given rise to many myths and legends. The same applies to the epic of the great ancient Greek singer Homer, which some scientists, due to a lack of evidence, are ready to consider as an eyewitness account, although this war took place long before the birth of the author of the poem, and he knew about its progress only from the lips of others.
Elena and Paris
According to the legend described in the Iliad, the cause of the war was a woman, the wife of King Menelaus - Helen. Troy, whose history knew many troubles, was attacked more than once by the Greeks even before the start of the war, since the Trojans managed to control trade relations in the Dardanelles region. According to myths, the war began because one of the sons of the Trojan king Priam, Paris, kidnapped the wife of the Greek ruler, and the Greeks, in turn, decided to return her.
Most likely, such an event actually took place in history, but it was not the only reason for the war. This incident became the climax, after which the war began.
Trojan horse
Another legend concerning the death of Ilion tells how the Greeks managed to win the battle. If you believe literary sources, this became possible thanks to the so-called Trojan Horse, but this version has many contradictions. In his first poem, The Iliad, which is entirely dedicated to Troy, Homer does not mention this episode of the war, but in the Odyssey he describes it in detail. From this we can conclude that, most likely, it is a work of fiction, especially since no archaeological evidence has been found at the site where Troy is located.
There is also an assumption that by the Trojan horse Homer meant a battering ram, or in this way he demonstrated the symbol sea vessels who were going to massacre the city.
Why was Troy destroyed?
The history of the city, written by Homer, claims that the death of the city was caused by the Trojan horse - this non-trivial gift from the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks claimed that if the horse was within the city walls, it would be able to defend itself from raids.
Most of the city's residents agreed with this, even though the priest Laocoon threw a spear at the horse, after which it became clear that it was hollow. But, apparently, the logic of the Trojans suffered, and they decided to bring an enemy present into the city, for which they paid dearly. However, this is just Homer's assumption; it is unlikely that this actually happened.
Multilayer Troy
On modern map this city-state is located on the territory of Hisarlik Hill in Turkey. During numerous excavations in this area, several settlements were discovered that were located here in ancient times. Archaeologists were able to find nine different layers that belong to different years, and the entire set of these periods is called Troy.
From the first settlement, only two towers remained intact. It was Heinrich Schliemann who studied the second layer, believing that this was the Troy in which the glorified king Priam lived. Judging by the finds, the inhabitants of the sixth settlement in this territory achieved considerable development. Based on the results of excavations, it was possible to establish that during this period there was active trade with the Greeks. The city itself was destroyed by earthquakes.
Modern archaeologists believe that the seventh of the layers found is Homeric Ilion. Historians claim that the city died from a fire initiated by Greek troops. The eighth layer is the settlement of Greek colonists who lived here after Troy was destroyed. They, according to archaeologists, built the temple of Athena here. The last of the layers, the ninth, dates back to the era of the Roman Empire.
Modern Troy is a vast area where excavations are still ongoing. Their goal is to find any evidence of the story described in Homer's great epic. For several centuries now, many legends and myths have encouraged scientists, archaeologists and adventurous adventurers to make their own - albeit small - contribution to the discovery of the mysteries of this majestic city, which was once one of the main trade arteries of the ancient world.
At the site of Troy, many discoveries were made that were extremely important for modern science. But the excavations carried out by a huge number of professional archaeologists gave no less mysteries. Today, all that remains is to wait until new, more compelling evidence of the events described in the Odyssey and the Iliad is found. In the meantime, we will only have to guess about the true events that took place in the great ancient city of Troy.
“The Discovery of Troy In the public consciousness, the discovery of the legendary city is associated with the name of the archaeologist-enthusiast Heinrich Schliemann. He was able, contrary to the opinion of skeptics, to prove the historicity of Homer’s Iliad.”
Although in modern times stories about Trojan War considered legends, scientists and amateurs tried to find the legendary city. In the 16th and 17th centuries Troad visited by two explorers and travelers - Pierre Belon And Pietro della Valle. Each of them concluded that the legendary Troy is the ruins of the city of Alexandria of Troy, which were located 20 kilometers from Hisarlik.
At the end of the 18th century, another traveler and archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Lechevalier visited these places and wrote the work “Notes on a Journey to Troas.” Lechevalier argued that the ancient city was located near the town of Pinarbazi, five kilometers from Hisarlik. For a long time this theory was dominant.
In 1822, a Scottish journalist Charles McLaren published the work “Dissertation on the Topography of the Trojan Plain” in Edinburgh. A hundred years later, Karl Blegen wrote that this work would have deserved more attention than it received. McLaren collected all the information from the Iliad that had topographical significance and compared it with maps of his time. Then the Scot tried to restore the appearance of the landscape as it was in ancient times. Some English scholars and several German Homer scholars agreed with McLaren's conclusions.
Charles McLaren was the first to suggest that the legendary city was located on the Hissarlik hill. The basis of his conclusion was the assumption that the city of Homer was located in the same place as the Greek city of the Classical and Hellenistic eras.
The last of Schliemann's predecessors was Frank Calvert, Englishman, British Consul in Turkey. He was an amateur archaeologist and all his life he was fascinated by the history of Troy. Frank, like Schliemann, believed that Troy was a real city, despite the skepticism of many contemporaries.
Frank's brother bought a small land plot in Troas, part of which captured the territory of Hisarlik Hill. Calvert carried out excavations on “his” part of the hill, but they yielded modest results. Later, it was Frank Calvert who shared his thoughts with Heinrich Schliemann, who decided to conduct his own research on the hill.
In the 1860s Heinrich Schliemann had already explored Ithaca, where he discovered, as it seemed to him, monuments associated with the names of Laertes and Odysseus. In 1868, the archaeologist decided to conduct excavations in Turkey. It took Schliemann and his friends in Constantinople three years to obtain permission from the Turkish government to excavate. Firman (permission) was awarded to Schliemann with the condition that half of the finds be transferred to a Turkish museum.
October 11, 1871 Heinrich Schliemann with his wife Sofia and several workers arrived at Hisarlik Hill and immediately began excavations. The workers were Asia Minor Greeks from the surrounding villages, sometimes joined by Turks.
Schliemann carried out excavations on the hill until June 1873. During this time, the archaeologist was able to excavate seven archaeological layers of the city. He himself believed that Troy Priam- This is the Troy-II layer. Towards the end of the excavations, Schliemann discovered a large treasure trove of gold objects, which he called "Priam's treasure". After leaving Turkey, Schliemann continued researching the monuments in Orkhomenes and Mycenae, and published the work “Troy and Its Ruins.”
In 1878, Heinrich returned to Troad and continued excavations. After them, he returned twice more for excavations to the Hissarlik Hill, and now he was accompanied by professional archaeologists. In 1882 he joined Schliemann in Troy Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Second Secretary of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens.
Schliemann died in 1890, and Dörpfeld continued the excavations. The archaeologist discovered the fortifications of Troy VI in 1893-1894. The German archaeologist considered them the city of Priam.
For forty years after Dörpfeld's work, excavations ceased. From 1932 to 1938, the Hissarlik hill was explored by an archaeologist Karl Blegen, director of the University of Cincinnati. The American proved that there were nine settlements in this place, replacing one after another. He divided these nine levels of Troy into 46 more sublevels.
Next stage of research archaeological site was associated with the expedition Manfred Korfman. His excavations clarified the data of his predecessors and made it possible to create a modern chronology of Troy.
Early Bronze Age (Troy-I – Troy-V)
The first five archaeological layers of the settlement show the continuous history of the city, which lasted until the 17th century. BC.
Troy-I existed for about 400 years from 300 to 2600. BC. It had common features with the culture of central Anatolia, but was quite independent. The city had external connections with the islands and the north of the Balkans.
Troy II arose on the ruins of the previous city. Presumably Troy I died from a strong fire. This settlement was the successor to the previous one in terms of culture. The city had a mighty fortress wall with a diameter of about 110 meters. The fortification was a citadel from where its lords exercised authority over the territory of Troas.
The standard of living of the Trojans became higher: the houses became more spacious and more comfortable. The fortress housed a majestic megaron. The Trojans of this time were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. Archaeologists have found many terracotta whorls. Weaving also developed. Trade contacts with the Cyclades archipelago continued to develop. The Trojans supplied their neighbors with grain and ceramics.
Troy-II again destroyed by fire, but the settlement was soon occupied by the same people around 2250 BC. The ceramics of the third city were practically no different from the ceramics of the previous era. The reasons that destroyed Troy-III unclear. It seems that there was no fire that destroyed the entire settlement, but the houses were destroyed.
Troy-IV existed in the period 2100 - 1950 BC. The territory of this city occupied about 17 thousand kilometers. The new settlement had strong fortifications. The houses of this Troy were built close to one another, forming complexes that were separated by narrow streets. Ceramics from this time continue the traditions of past settlement eras. But the number of products created using the pottery wheel has increased.
Period Troy-V began with the remodeling of the entire settlement. Residents built a new wall for protection. The city existed until the 18th century BC. The reason for its destruction is unclear. Again, no traces of the disastrous fire remained. But the city builders Troy-VI created a completely different city, which did not take into account the location of the predecessor buildings. The city of Troy VI is believed to have perished around 1300 BC. as a result of an earthquake. It was replaced by a settlement Troy-VII. It had four periods of existence until the middle of the 10th century BC.
King Alaxandus and the Hittites
During Troy-VII the inhabitants of this city were in close contact with neighboring states - the Hittite power, the kingdoms of Asia Minor and the Greeks of Akhhiyawa. It is believed that the Hittites knew Troy under the name Wilusa State.
In the 17th century BC. The Hittite king Labarna subjugated Arzawa and Wilusa. The latter became independent after a certain period of time, but maintained neutral relations with Hittite kingdom. In the 14th century BC. the state of Wilusa came to the attention of the rulers of the Hittite state.
Ally of the Hatti kings of the 14th century. BC. Suppiluliuma I and Mursilisa was the king of Wilusa Kukunnis. It is known that he helped Mursilis during his campaign against Arzawa.
Kukunnis, under the changed name "Kyknos", entered the cycle of legends about the Trojan War. Legends made him a representative of a side branch of the royal house, which ruled one of the cities of Troas. He was the first to meet the landing Greeks and died by hand Achilles.
At the end of the 14th century BC. The king of Wilusa was the son of Kukunnis, Alaxandus. His reign is known thanks to the treaty of Alaxandus with the Hatti king Muwattalis.
The treaty states that Kukunnis adopted Alaxandus and made him heir. The population of Wilusa grumbled against the new king. They said that the people of the country would not accept the son of Alaxandus as the new sovereign. There is also talk about the “children of the king” who laid claim to the throne that went to Alaxandus.
Muwattalis promised the ruler of Wilusa and his heirs protection. In exchange, Alaxandus became a dependent king. He was supposed to inform the overlord about possible rebellions in the west of Asia Minor. In the event of a war between Hatti and the states of Asia Minor, Alaxandus had to personally come to the rescue with his army. For wars with Mitanni, Egypt or Assyria, the king of Wilusa had to send his troops.
According to one point, Alaxandus was obliged to fight against an enemy who might invade the country of Hatti through Wilusa. This enemy is assumed to be the Achaean Greeks, who at that time were trying to gain a foothold in Asia Minor.
Soon after the subjugation of the kingdoms of Asia Minor to the Hittite power, the famous Battle of Kadesh in Syria. The Egyptian text dedicated to this battle lists the detachments of the Hittite army. Among others, the Drdnj people are mentioned there (the supposed decoding is Dar-d-an-ja). These people are identified with the Dardans, who lived within the boundaries of Wilusa.
The Hittite monarchs' reign over Wilusa did not last long. Already a letter from the king of the Hittites to the king of Ahkhiyava, dating from the turn of the 14th – 13th centuries BC. shows a changed situation. It follows from the document that a conflict occurred between Hatti and Ahhiyawa, as a result of which the Hittites lost control over Wilusa, and the Achaeans strengthened their influence in this country.
In the 13th century BC. The country of Hatti was ruled by the warlike Tudhalias IV. He fought with a coalition of small Asia Minor states, united in Hittite documents under the common name Assuwa. Among them was Wilusa. Tudhalias IV was victorious and Wilusa again became a dependent state.
From the letter of the Hittite king to the ruler of Milavanda it follows that Tudhalias made his protege Valma the ruler of Wilusa. For some reason he fled, and the king of Hatti was going to restore him to power. Probably, the expulsion of Valmu happened before Assuwa’s speech against the Hittites, and the restoration after the victory of Tudhalias, when “the gods gave him” these lands.
Troy VII and the Legend of the Trojan War
Already in Antiquity, different dates for the Trojan War were expressed. Duris of Samos dates it to 1334 BC, Eratosthenes - 1183, Ephoros - 1136. Herodotus wrote that it was 800 years before he began work on the History, that is, in the last third of the 13th century BC.
The city of Troy VII died at the turn of the 13th and 12th centuries BC. There are different points of view on the time of his fall. L.A. Gindin and V.L. Tsymbursky attribute the fall of the city to 1230-1220 BC. This was the beginning of the so-called campaign period. "Sea Peoples"
The campaign of the Greek states against Troy was often associated with the era of prosperity Mycenaean civilization. According to the reconstruction of the researchers, the campaign took place after the beginning of the decline of the Mycenaean civilization. Greece suffered one invasion from the north, which led to the destruction of parts of the palace centers. The danger of new attacks from the north pushed the Achaeans to overseas enterprises. The flourishing of Rhodes due to settlers also dates back to this time.
Speaking about the population of Troy in period VII, the deep connections of its population with the Thracians are noted. The top of the city in this era probably adopted the culture of Mycenaean Greece, which is confirmed by the name Alaxandus, consonant with “Alexander”.
The forms of the pottery of Troy VII-a were reminiscent of the pottery of the Northern Balkans, inhabited by Thracian tribes. The Teucrians (inhabitants of Priam's Troy) were presumably dominated by early Thracian elements.
After the destruction of Troy by the Achaeans, the city was reborn. Now it was a sparsely populated settlement, which is identified with the layer Troy VII-b I. The surviving Teucrians themselves, for the most part, did not remain in their previous places, but joined the campaigns of the Sea Peoples. These campaigns destroyed the Hittite kingdom in a number of ways small states Asia Minor, and were also a threat to Egypt.
The depopulation of the Troas made it possible for the Thracians to move here, who repopulated Troy. The period is associated with settlers Troy VII-b II. But, taking into account previous contacts, the inhabitants of the city and the Thracians, their settlement of this place was peaceful.
Troy after the Trojans: another Greek city
Around 950 BC the settlement on Hisarlik ceased to exist. During the Archaic era (VIII-VI centuries BC), life resumed on the hill. In 480 BC. Xerxes At the beginning of the campaign against Greece I visited this place. The king examined the ancient acropolis and sacrificed one hundred bulls to Athena of Ilium. Its magicians poured libations in honor of the heroes who died here. In 411 BC. The Spartan navarch Mindar visited this place and made sacrifices to Athena of Ilium.
Ilium had almost no political significance and was controlled by more influential neighbors. In 360 BC. the city was captured by the mercenary adventurer Charidemus of Oreos, and again the horse played a fatal role in the fall of the city.
Haridemus persuaded a slave of one of the influential citizens to help them get into the city. This slave went outside the walls for prey and returned at night. The mercenary persuaded him to return at night on horseback. The guards opened the gates for him, and a group of mercenaries burst into Ilion. The story of this event was preserved by Charidemus’ contemporary Aeneas Tacticus. He was interested in military stratagems, so he did not write anything about the fate of the settlement after its capture by Charidemus. Probably the mercenary commander began to rule here as a tyrant - a typical case for the 4th century BC.
In 334 BC. visited the ruins of Troy Alexander the Great. As they write in the works about his campaign, he made sacrifices here in honor of the ancient heroes. At the end of his life, the ruler decided to build a new temple here. These works were completed during the reigns of his diadochi: Antigonus, Lysimachus and Seleucus.
Epigraphic sources report that during the years of the existence of the state of Antigonus One-Eyed, one of the Greek intercity associations in his lands was Ilion Union. The founding date of this interpolicy association is unknown. Both Alexander and Antigone are called the founder of the Ilion League.
The messages of the union to Antigonus are known. The Ilium League had a Sanhedrin (council of allied cities), whose representatives met on the territory of the sacred site of Athena of Ilium. Among other members of this association, two cities are known - Gargara and Lampsak.
For modern science, the relationship between the Aeolian and Ilion unions that existed during the time of Antigonus remains a mystery. They admit that it could be different names one interpolicy association. It is known that Troas was part of the Aeolis region.
Presumably, Antigonus formed two unions from the cities of Asia Minor - the Aeolian and the Ionian. The center of the Ionian League was in ancient sanctuary Panionium, the center of the Aeolian - in the temple of Athena of Ilium.
Troy again became a significant city: temples, bouleuterium (meeting place of the city council), and theaters appeared there. At the same time, the ancient burial mounds were restored. The revived city had about 8 thousand inhabitants.
Around 250 BC The walls of Troy were restored. The city was visited famous people of that time: King Antiochus III of Syria, Roman senator Marcus Livius Salinator, commander Lucius Cornelius Scipio.
In 85 BC. the city was destroyed again. The first war was coming to an end this year. Rome with Mithridates VI. In Greece and Asia Minor it was led independently by two generals: Sulla and the protege of his enemies, Fimbria. The latter crossed over to Asia Minor and began to punish the Greek cities that had previously gone over to the side of the Pontic king.
Among others, Fimbria besieged Ilium. The inhabitants of the city sent for help to Sulla. He promised them help and told them to tell Fimbria that the Ilioneans had already surrendered to Sulla. Fimbria convinced the people of Ilium to let him in as proof of his surrender.
Entering the city, the Roman commander carried out a massacre and subjected the ambassadors to his enemy Sulla to a particularly cruel execution. Fimbria ordered the temple of Athena of Ilium to be set on fire, where many residents fled. The next day, the Roman examined the city, making sure that not a single intact altar remained there.
The destruction of Ilion by Fimbria made an impression on contemporaries, because the Romans considered themselves to come from ancient Troy. The destruction of the city was compared with that carried out by Agamemnon, and the time that separated the destruction of the cities was calculated. Appian of Alexandria, citing other authors, wrote that the destruction of the city by Fimbria occurred 1050 years after the end of the Trojan War.
After defeating his rival, Sulla helped rebuild the city as a reward for his loyalty to him. The Ilioneans responded by introducing a new calendar, where counting began from 85 BC. The following years were difficult for Ilion. Five years after Fimbria, the city suffered from an attack by pirates.
When did the third war begin? Kingdom of Pontus, Ilion remained faithful to the alliance with Rome. Plutarch relates the legend that when a storm destroyed the Pontic siege engines at Cyzicus, many Ilionians saw Athena in a dream. The goddess was in a torn robe and said that she came from Cyzicus, where she fought for its inhabitants. After this, the Ilionians helped the Roman commander Lucullus, who fought against the Pontic people in Troas.
At the end of the war, the Roman commander Pompey, who ended the war, arrived in Ilion. He was hailed as a benefactor of the city and patron of the Temple of Athena of Ilium. After fifteen years of good deeds, he also rendered good deeds to Ilion. Julius Caesar. He emphasized the city's loyalty to Rome during the war with Mithridates.
In 42 BC. After the victory over the assassins of Caesar, Octavian and Antony settled the veterans of the sixteenth legion in Ilion. 22 years later, Emperor Augustus visited this city again. Descent from the Trojan hero Aeneas played an important role in his propaganda. On his orders, repair work was carried out in Ilion. On the site of the former bouleuterium, by order of the princeps, an odeon (a building for musical performances) was erected.
During his visit to Ilion, Augustus lived in the house of a wealthy citizen, Melanippus, son of Euthydippus. Eight years later, when the theater was completed, Melanippus erected a statue of the emperor there.
In the era Roman Empire Ilion lived at the expense of travelers who were interested in ancient history. Another component of its economy was the mining and export of stone. In 124 AD. Ilion was visited by the famous philhellenic emperor Hadrian. He ordered a new reconstruction of the city.
After the visit Adriana Ilion began to flourish as a Roman city: baths, a fountain, and an aqueduct were built there. New renovations to the odeon were made by order of Emperor Caracalla, who visited Ilion in 214 AD.
In 267 AD. Asia Minor The Goths devastated it, and Ilion was again destroyed. But the city continued to exist in the 4th century. Constantine the Great even considered it as a possible capital of the empire until he chose Byzantium. By 500 AD, Ilion ceased to exist.
“Whatever it is, fear the Danaans, even those who bring gifts!” - even those who are superficially familiar with the ancient Greek epic have heard this catchphrase-warning. The city of Troy was defeated through their own curiosity: the inhabitants themselves dragged warriors hidden in a wooden horse into its territory. Troy was captured and destroyed. Destroyed to the ground? How do we know about this? AND where is Troy?
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“Who from the immortal gods moved them to a hostile dispute?”
The events of those distant days are described in Homer’s poem “The Iliad” - the oldest ancient Greek work found. The poem is based on folklore tales of exploits dating back to the 9th-8th centuries BC. e. The capital of the Trojan kingdom was then called Ilion, and the songs describe the last months of the ten-year siege of Troy by the Danaans. Even the gods of Olympus were involved in the conflict that arose because of the beautiful Helen stolen by Paris. Some supported the Danaans, others helped the Trojans. The war lasted 10 years, and it seemed there would be no end to it. However, the cunning king of Ithaca, Odysseus, realized his insidious plan by building a hollow wooden horse in which he hid the best Greek warriors. The naive residents of Troy lost their vigilance and dragged the gift into the city. At night, the Danaans got out, opened the gates to their comrades and captured Troy. It would seem that this is just another myth, where there is truth and where there is fiction - it is no longer possible to find out, but in the 19th century it turned out that the city actually existed!
In Search of Troy
The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was fond of archeology and was literally obsessed with the idea of finding an ancient city and giving a clear answer to the question: where is Troy. He carefully studied the poem and, having reflected on the guesses of his predecessors, made the assumption that Troy was located somewhere near the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey. In 1870, during excavations, the ruins of a city were discovered that clearly had great significance for the unknown ancient inhabitants. Former towers, dilapidated walls of fortifications and the altar of the once luxurious temple of Aphrodite confirmed - “Troy has been excavated, and there is no second.”
Archaeologists were able to discover nine cultural layers - Troy was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Earthquakes and wars were so merciless that now it is difficult to guess whether it is a simple cobblestone or part of someone’s home. Traces of a fire were noted, which Homer also mentioned. But Schliemann found no traces of Greek attacks, nor a gift from the Danaans. So was there really a horse? According to modern calculations, the wooden giant should have exceeded seven meters in height and had a width of about three meters. In order to accommodate two dozen armed men - the minimum number of warriors mentioned in the epics - the horse had to weigh about two tons!
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This question remains relevant for researchers. It is possible that it was not even a deadly gift, but a ram captured from the enemies. The Trojans brought it into the city as a trophy, but in the confusion they did not notice that armed opponents were hiding in the belly. But be that as it may, the phraseological unit, meaning evil intent or an insidious plan, has become popular among the people and is actively used. For example, this is where the name of computer viruses – “Trojans” – comes from.
Today, tourists from all over the world come to see the ruins of the legendary city. Troy is located far from popular places recreation and, but you can get here in several ways - by water and land. The closest and most convenient place is from the port city of Canakkale. To the delight of children and adults, upon entering the territory, guests are greeted by a huge wooden horse, into which you can climb, feeling like you are part of the legendary history.
Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village
A cozy tea and coffee shop is a corner of calm and pleasant relaxation next to the noisy, crowded and cheerful Peace Street. In the midst of a walk through the houses of different peoples of Australia, Asia, Africa and Latin America look into the chamber. You will find small tables for two, a subdued atmosphere, traditional interior elements and, of course, first-class coffee prepared according to all the rules - in a Turk on a special titanium for sand! You will not only try the drink, but also learn how to prepare it correctly: on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 the cafe hosts a free master class!
In addition, at your service is a large selection of fresh, tasty, most beloved oriental sweets: sweet Turkish delight, honey baklava, juicy dates, golden halva...
