Trojan War
Legendary Greek war central to mythology and literature.
The Trojan War is a legendary conflict from Greek mythology, traditionally placed around the 13th or early 12th century BC. It was fought by the Achaeans, or Greeks, against the city of Troy after the Trojan prince Paris took Helen, the wife of Menelaus, the Spartan king, from her home. This war is a central event in Greek mythology, told through many works of literature, especially Homer’s *Iliad* and *Odyssey*. The *Iliad* focuses on just four days and two nights in the tenth year of the ten-year siege, while the *Odyssey* follows the hero Odysseus on his journey home after the war. Other parts of the story come from a cycle of epic poems, now mostly lost except for fragments, and the war also inspired Greek tragedies, Roman poets like Virgil and Ovid, and other ancient works.
The ancient Greeks believed Troy was near the Dardanelles and that the war was a real event from the 12th or 13th century BC. By the mid-1800s, most people considered both the war and the city mythical. In 1868, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced him that Troy was at Hisarlık in modern Turkey. Excavations by Schliemann and others have led most scholars to accept this location. Whether the war actually happened is still debated. Many scholars think the stories have a historical core, possibly combining memories of several Mycenaean Greek sieges and expeditions during the Bronze Age. Those who believe in a specific historical conflict often date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, sometimes using Eratosthenes’ dates of 1194–1184 BC, which roughly match archaeological evidence of a major fire at Troy VII and the Late Bronze Age collapse.
No single authoritative text tells the entire Trojan War story. It is pieced together from many sources, some contradictory. The most important are Homer’s *Iliad* and *Odyssey*, composed between the 9th and 6th centuries BC. The *Iliad* covers a short period in the war’s final year; the *Odyssey* tells of Odysseus’s return to Ithaca, with flashbacks to war episodes. Other parts come from the Epic Cycle—poems like the *Cypria*, *Aethiopis*, *Little Iliad*, *Iliou Persis*, *Nostoi*, and *Telegony*—which survive only in fragments, though their content is known from a summary in Proclus’s *Chrestomathy*. These poems were likely written down in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, based on earlier oral traditions. Even after
- Date
- Thirteenth or early twelfth century BC (traditional); 1194–1184 BC (Eratosthenes' dates)
- Location
- Troy (near the Dardanelles, modern Hisarlık, Turkey)
- Combatants
- Achaeans (Greeks) vs. Trojans
- Key Figures
- Agamemnon, Menelaus, Achilles, Hector, Paris, Odysseus
- Primary Sources
- Homer's Iliad and Odyssey; Epic Cycle fragments; later Greek and Roman works
- Historical Status
- Open question; many scholars believe a historical core exists
Lore & Background
The Trojan War arose from a sequence of events beginning with a quarrel among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, instigated by Eris. Paris, a Trojan prince, awarded a golden apple to Aphrodite, who then caused Helen, queen of Sparta, to fall in love with him. When Helen left with Paris, her husband Menelaus called upon the Greek kings to wage war on Troy. The war lasted ten years, with the Achaeans besieging the city. Key episodes include the deaths of heroes such as Achilles and Hector, and the eventual fall of Troy through the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans, desecrated temples, and few returned safely home.
Reader's Guide
The Trojan War's significance lies in its central role in Greek mythology and its enduring influence on Western literature and art. The war is primarily known through Homer's Iliad, which covers a short period in the tenth year of the siege, and the Odyssey, which recounts Odysseus's journey home. Other parts of the war were told in the Epic Cycle, though these survive only in fragments. The war provided material for Greek tragedy and Roman poets such as Virgil and Ovid. The historicity of the war remains an open question; many scholars believe there is a historical core, possibly a fusion of Mycenaean Greek sieges. Archaeological excavations at Hisarlık, Turkey, beginning with Heinrich Schliemann in 1868, have led most scholars to accept that site as ancient Troy. The war's legacy includes its use as a foundational myth for Rome through Aeneas, and its continued reinterpretation in drama, poetry, and visual art.
Did You Know?
- The Iliad describes only four days and two nights in the tenth year of the war.
- The ancient Greeks believed Troy was located near the Dardanelles.
- Heinrich Schliemann was convinced by Frank Calvert that Troy was at Hisarlık in modern-day Turkey.
- The war's traditional dates of 1194–1184 BC roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII.
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