Introduction

The Trojan War was a war between the Trojans and the Greeks and is said to have occurred in the 13^th century. It is believed that the ancient Greeks defeated the city of Troy. The cause of the war and how it actually gets started is not very clear but there exists different myths that try give an explanation as to how the war started. One of the most popular stories involves Helen. It is said that Helen left her husband Menelaus together with her daughter for a foreign seducer named Paris. This angered Menelaus and hence called upon all of Helens old suitors. Since they did not wish to go to war, then the Greek ships set off to Troy for battle. It is worth pointing out that the Greeks had trouble locating Troy. It is said that they first landed in Mysia where they prevailed against Telephus but suffered later. Although they later conquered, they did it without securing Helen. Telephus came to Greece with hope that his wounds would get healed. Achilles was the only person that could heal Telephus, so he healed him and in return informed the Greeks where Troy was. After finding Troy, the Greeks took the battle there and it’s believed to have taken nine years before the war came to an end. Besides destroying the Trojan economy, the battle also lead to the fall of Trojan hero Hector.

What the ancient sources say about Mycenae

As aforementioned, the cause and origin of the Trojan War is not very clear. Nevertheless, there are different ancient sources with different myths of what transpired and what lead to the Trojan War. One of the most common explanations towards the genesis of the war is the abduction of Queen Helen by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen’s husband, Menelaus got agitated and hence convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae to lead an expedition to retrieve her.  The sources continue to say that Agamemnon was joined by other Greek heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax. All these heroes were accompanied by a fleet of over a thousand ships from all over the Hellenic world.  They crosses the Aegean Sea to Asia and laid siege to Troy and demanded Helen’s return from Priam, the Trojan king.

The involvement of the Mycenae in the Trojan War makes them an important aspect to the history of Greece. It is considered as one of the most archeological sites of Greece. From the ancient sources, Mycenae is the largest and most important center of civilization and existed during the Bronze Age era. They have a great history amongst the Greeks due to their strong cultural presence. Besides a strong cultural presence, the Mycenaean had a centralized political system with a king at the top of the political helm. Mycenaean also had strong economic background with strong commercial ties to the rest of the Bronze Age Mediterranean centers.  In essence, the Mycenaean were the epitome of civilization amongst the Greeks.

The archaeological evidence for Mycenae

It is imperative noting that there are numerous archeological and tablet evidence that ascertain that the community really existed. Many archeological sites, cemeteries, and Tholos Tombs of the era have unearthed throughout and the discovered artifacts are a testimony of a [people with a strong cultural presence. Most of the archeological evidence suggests that the Mycenaeans dominated the area around the Aegean Sea and assimilated the diverse amalgam of local people into a homogeneous culture from the Levant to Sicily and northern Africa. The archeological evidence also indicates that Mycenaeans were a community with strong influence and power. This is evidenced by the majestic citadels and palaces, in the grand royal burials, and the extra ordinary grave goods that included weapons, luxurious jewelry and vessels of different kinds. From the Heinrich Schliemann’s excavations, the funerary artifacts unearthed that included; precious metals such as gold, silver and stones as well as precious stones were an indication of a people with strong culture. The heavy presence of weapons from the archeological sites was a good indication that the community was always engaged in wars.  Besides mercenary wars, the Mycenaeans were also involved in piracy and involved in trade of oil and ceramic vessels. The mention of the shipwreck in ‘’the Truth of Troy’’ is a good indication that the Mycenaean kings and their allies were politically and militarily involved on the Western Anatolian coast during the Bronze Age era.

Correlations between the ancient sources and the archaeological evidence

There are several parallels present in the ancient sources and archeological evidence of the Mycenaean.  From the ancient sources, the Mycenaean were a people with a strong cultural background. They also had a centralized political system that was headed by the king. Also, the people are said to have a strong economic background where they traded in oil and ceramics. It is also worth to point out that they manufactured weapons that they used to fight their enemies. All this information from the ancient sources is evidenced by the archeological evidence.  For instance, the Schliemann excavation unearthed several funerary artifacts that evidenced the strong culture of the Mycenaens. The presence of precious metals such as gold, silver and bronze was a clear indication of the economic strength of the people. Weapons found in archeological sites and the shipwreck mentioned in ‘’the Truth of Troy’’ has direct correlation with the ancient sources on the involvement of the Mycenaean’s kings and their allies to political and military actions with their rivals. In essence, the ancient sources and archeological evidence indicates that the Mycenaean were a people with strong culture and organized political and economical set up.

What do the ancient sources say about Troy

Just like the Mycenaens, Troy is a Bronze Age city that was involved in the Trojan War with the ancient Greeks.  Different ancient sources have different myths that explain the existence of the city. The city has also been recognized with other names such as Hisarlik (inTurkey), Llios (Homer) Llion (Greek) and Llium (Roman). It is imperative to note that the Troy was a city where the political system was headed by the king. The mention of the Trojan prince abducting Helen is an indication that there was a king (Priam) and his son (Paris) was involved in the abduction of Helen. Besides a centralized political system, the Troy city had people with strong cultural background. The presence of cultural competition, the one with Athena and Hera, is an indication that the people living in the city and a strong culture that they maintained throughout. Helen was abducted to fulfill the role of prize after Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in a competition. Ancient sources also describe Troy as well founded, strong built ad well walled city which is an indication that the city was well organized. It is worth noting that the walls must have been uniquely strong to withstand a ten-year siege by the Greeks. The city is also said to have been a prosperous city with strong economic background. In essence, ancient sources only describe Troy as a strong city that could withstand any form of aggression.

Archaeological findings at Troy

As aforementioned, Troy is an early Bronze Age city that existed in the 13^th century. The archeological site that is currently called Troy is 5 km from the coast but was once in the sea. The archeological findings confirms that the city was situated in a bay created by the mouth of River Skamanda and strategically positioned between Aegean and eastern civilizations. This strategic positioning has been instrumental in enabling the control of access to the black sea, Anatolia and the Balkans from both directions by land and sea. The archeological findings have also established that ancient sailing vessels stood near the city thus making the city become an important city in the Bronze Age era. The archeological evidence indicates that the city was instrumental in the Mycenaean civilization and the development of the Hittite empire.

The excavation work at the city was first done by Frank Calvert in 1863 CE. It was later continued by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870 CE until his demise in 1890 CE. The work of Heinrich Schliemann unearthed several gold and silver jewellery and vessels that seemed to vindicate that the city was actually the Troy. Nevertheless, it has been difficult to prove the existence of the city since other excavations have continued in later years and as a result there has been sever Troy labeled from I to IX after Heinrich Schliemann.

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