The ruins of a small medieval fortification is not Troy.
The west coast of Turkey is full of them..
Latest excavations at the presumed city of Troy reveal that was formerly thought to be the entire city was merely the citadel. The actual newly discovered perimeter of the settlement’s circuit walls which encompassed the entire city were immense and well bear out the story as presented by Homer in the Iliad.
I just looked briefly at the critique of this book and I don;t think I’m going to read it.
Each generation interprets history and stories and epics from their own perspective. And I think this presentation of an interpretation is perhaps the worst and well reflects the ideas of liberals of our time.
War is indeed terrible at any time and place.
But there are MANY MANY things WORSE than war - like slavery and oppression. And the founding fathers of this nation JUSTLY felt that under those circumstances war is indeed justified.
I read the Iliad in the original Greek and I came away with an entirely different feeling about the story.
It is a tragedy, but it combines many feelings and motives. Its HONOR which drives Hector to accept the challenge of Achilles. He could easily have stayed behind the walls. Compassion which moved Achilles to return Hector’s body to Priam. Greed which led Agamemnon to refuse to release the daughter of the Priest of Apollo and pride which drove him to take Achilles slave girl. And on and on.
Many different emotions. The opening titles of the First Book are ANGER and PLAGUE. And the opening line is about the wrath of Achilles and how it wrought woes a thousandfold on the Achaeans.
A great book. A Great story - and I mean the Iliad. And the real war and story a continuing intriguing mystery.
And the presumed site of Troy is a Medieval site - its a bronze age site.