The Trojan War : a very short introduction / Eric H. Cline.
2013
DF221.T8 C54 2013 (Mapit)
Available at General Collection
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Details
Title
The Trojan War : a very short introduction / Eric H. Cline.
Author
Cline, Eric H.
ISBN
9780199760275 paperback alkaline paper
0199760276 paperback alkaline paper
0199760276 paperback alkaline paper
Imprint
New York : Oxford University Press, c2013.
Language
English
Description
xviii, 130 p. : ill., maps ; 18 cm.
Call Number
DF221.T8 C54 2013
Dewey Decimal Classification
939/.21
Summary
This introduction considers whether the Trojan war actually took place and whether archaeologists have discovered the site of ancient Troy.
"The Iliad, Homer's epic tale of the abduction of Helen and the decade-long Trojan War, has fascinated mankind for millennia. Even today, the war inspires countless articles and books, extensive archaeological excavations, movies, television documentaries, even souvenirs and collectibles. But while the ancients themselves believed that the Trojan War took place, scholars of the modern era have sometimes derided it as a piece of fiction. Combining archaeological data and textual analysis of ancient documents, this Very Short Introduction considers whether or not the war actually took place and whether archaeologists have really discovered the site of ancient Troy. To answer these questions, archaeologist and ancient historian Eric H. Cline examines various written sources, including the works of Homer, the Epic Cycle (fragments from other, now-lost Greek epics), classical plays, and Virgil's Aeneid. Throughout, the author tests the literary claims against the best modern archaeological evidence, showing for instance that Homer, who lived in the Iron Age, for the most part depicted Bronze Age warfare with accuracy. Cline also tells the engaging story of the archaeologists--Heinrich Schliemann and his successors Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Carl Blegen, and Manfred Korfmann--who found the long-vanished site of Troy through excavations at Hisarlik, Turkey. Drawing on evidence found at Hisarlik and elsewhere, Cline concludes that a war or wars in the vicinity of Troy probably did take place during the Late Bronze Age, forming the nucleus of a story that was handed down orally for centuries until put into final form by Homer. But Cline suggests that, even allowing that a Trojan War took place, it probably was not fought because of Helen's abduction, though such an incident may have provided the justification for a war actually fought for more compelling economic and political motives." -- Publisher's description.
"The Iliad, Homer's epic tale of the abduction of Helen and the decade-long Trojan War, has fascinated mankind for millennia. Even today, the war inspires countless articles and books, extensive archaeological excavations, movies, television documentaries, even souvenirs and collectibles. But while the ancients themselves believed that the Trojan War took place, scholars of the modern era have sometimes derided it as a piece of fiction. Combining archaeological data and textual analysis of ancient documents, this Very Short Introduction considers whether or not the war actually took place and whether archaeologists have really discovered the site of ancient Troy. To answer these questions, archaeologist and ancient historian Eric H. Cline examines various written sources, including the works of Homer, the Epic Cycle (fragments from other, now-lost Greek epics), classical plays, and Virgil's Aeneid. Throughout, the author tests the literary claims against the best modern archaeological evidence, showing for instance that Homer, who lived in the Iron Age, for the most part depicted Bronze Age warfare with accuracy. Cline also tells the engaging story of the archaeologists--Heinrich Schliemann and his successors Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Carl Blegen, and Manfred Korfmann--who found the long-vanished site of Troy through excavations at Hisarlik, Turkey. Drawing on evidence found at Hisarlik and elsewhere, Cline concludes that a war or wars in the vicinity of Troy probably did take place during the Late Bronze Age, forming the nucleus of a story that was handed down orally for centuries until put into final form by Homer. But Cline suggests that, even allowing that a Trojan War took place, it probably was not fought because of Helen's abduction, though such an incident may have provided the justification for a war actually fought for more compelling economic and political motives." -- Publisher's description.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Series
Very short introductions ; 356.
Record Appears in
On-Campus Resources > Books
All Resources
All Resources
Table of Contents
pt. I. The Trojan War. The story according to the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Epic Cycle ; The Trojan War in context: Mycenaeans, Hittites, Trojans, and Sea Peoples
pt. II. Investigating the literary evidence. Homeric questions: did Homer exist and is the Iliad accurate? ; The Hittite texts: Assuwa, Ahhiyawa, and Alaksandu of Wilusa
pt. III. Investigating the archaeological evidence. Early excavators: Heinrich Schliemann and Wilhelm Dörpfeld ; Returning to Hisarlik: Carl Blegen and Manfred Korfmann.
pt. II. Investigating the literary evidence. Homeric questions: did Homer exist and is the Iliad accurate? ; The Hittite texts: Assuwa, Ahhiyawa, and Alaksandu of Wilusa
pt. III. Investigating the archaeological evidence. Early excavators: Heinrich Schliemann and Wilhelm Dörpfeld ; Returning to Hisarlik: Carl Blegen and Manfred Korfmann.