The Trojan War: A New History

I was put off by the subtitle -- "A New History". I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been presented as an imaginative retelling of the Trojan War rather than "history." The author relies heavily on Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and sometimes on other ancient texts. He weaves in archaeological discoveries and what can be gleaned from a few Hittite records. He suggests that Trojan practices and traditions may have resembled those in other middle eastern countries. Choosing the details that best fit his narrative, he presents a dramatic immersive view of events, describing them as they unfold. This creative collage of fact and fiction is readable and memorable, but too much is unknown and uncertain for it to have the certainty and authority of "history."I have been obsessed with the story of Troy since childhood, so some details didn't ring true to me. The evidence he presents could lead to more than one conclusion.Strauss notes that the Trojans have no navy. They have no ships whatsoever. Paris had to have ships specially built for him so he could sail to Sparta, and had them made not by a shipwright, but by a jack-of-all trades craftsman. But yet Syraus imagines a Trojan fleet encountering the invading Greek force at the beginning of the war. ("Offshore lies part of the small Trojan fleet; the rest is guarding another possible Greek landing ground. The rowers sit ready, while archers and shield-carrying spearmen prepare for the unequal battle ahead." p 50).He writes, "In Homer, Aeneas is destined to become king of Troy after the Greeks depart and the Trojans rebuild." (p. 4). But the original says that Aeneas will rule Trojans, not Troy, and there is no mention of Troy being rebuilt.He makes much over the recent discovery of ruins of a port near what is suspected to be the ruins of Troy. But there is no mention of a Trojan port in Homer. The Greeks pulled their ships onto the beach. He refers to Trojan allies from nearby islands (p. 9), but the Trojan allies listed in Book 2 of the Iliad are all on the coast or inland. He notes that the Greeks sacked cities on the islands of Scyros, Lemnos, Lesbos, and Tenedos (p. 90). But it's likely that Greeks attacked there randomly, for the plunder, not caring whether the victim was an "enemy". Scyros, where Achilles was recruited, and where his son still lived, was not a Trojan ally.Strauss presumes that the loot that Paris and Helen stole from Troy "included her dowry." (p. 20) In The Odyssey, the winning suitor paid a bride price to the bride's father. Strauss also speculates that Helen "likely" divorced Menelaus (p. 25), when there is no mention of divorce in Homer.He refers to Troy's "traditional policy of splendid isolation," before it formed an alliance with the Hittites. But Troy had dozens of allies. Its strength was based on alliances, as detailed in the Book 2 catalogue of the armies. And Homer does not mention the Hittites. The most important ally was Lycia in the south.Based on Hittite documents, Strauss speculates that Troy became a "Hittite vassal state with military responsibilities, with a promise of Hittite military protection in return." (p.18) But there is no indication in Homer that, over the course of a ten-year war, any such protection was ever expected or delivered. And Hittite written references to "Wilusa," which probably means Troy, are few, not at all what one would expect in a close relationship.Also, he makes much of recent archaeological discoveries at Hisarlik, accepting without question the common assumption that level VIi is the remains of Homer's Troy. That is the site of many cities built one on top of the other over the course of hundreds of years. But Homer's Troy was a new city, built from scratch by Priam's grandfather. Hisarlik is undoubtedly important, revealing much about life at that time. But there is no reason to presume that it is Troy and not another, older, allied city, also destroyed by the Greeks. The question should be asked. I wish the author had asked it.

This is a lovely book. Essentially, it is a retelling of the Trojan War, but in light of the conclusions (always tentative, of course) of modern history, archaeology, epigraphy, physical anthropology, and the studies of multiple classical languages. The author clarifies (to the degree possible) the actual length of the war (shorter than ten years) and the actual number of combatants (far fewer than 100,000 on each side). For example, he notes that idiomatic Greek in Homer's time may use expressions comparable to our "On a scale of one to ten, how great . . . ?" Hence, the Trojan War is a ten but not necessarily ten years in duration.We learn at length about Greek and Trojan weapons, armament, foods and attitudes toward women. We hear the hisses of arrows in the winds and the sounds of spears hitting flesh targets, and realize the threats posed by malaria-carrying mosquitoes from the standing water on the Trojan plain.The information in the Iliad is supplemented by information from other literary fragments and the military practices of the Bronze Age are utilized as background material. The book is the product of massive research but the results are delivered in lovely prose that is accessible by a lay audience. In my opinion, this is the sort of book that academics should spend a good bit more time writing—a book that utilizes the results of serious scholarly research to clarify matters of significant interest to a general audience. Just a sample of the quality of the writing:"On the mountaintop, where the goats forage in the crevices between the rocks and the only sound beside their bleating is a sudden burst of wind in the wildflowers, the sky is the same shade of pale blue and gray as the eyes of the goddess Athena" (p. 183).The quotes from the Iliad are from Pope's translation and it is very special. One of the problems in the American university is that courses are taught to large numbers within the constraints of a semester or quarter and the readings must fit within those constraints. In the 18thc, e.g., students are never exposed to some of the masterpieces of the period (Pope's Homer, Gibbon's history of Rome, Johnson's Dictionary, etc.) because their size does not fit neatly into the syllabus. Here is the chance to hear some of Pope's Homer and it is wonderful.The book also contains a very helpful set of maps of the area, a 7-page glossary of key names and a long 'note on sources' which is, in effect, a set of 'additional readings'.For readers seeking an intelligent, informative and entertaining read, look no further.

In 'The Trojan War' Barry Strauss writes a convincing and cogent text the weaves Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey together with archaeological facts, findings and extrapolations; the weave also includes diverse ancient literary references and historical events. The result is a carpet of colour that brings the war at Troy to life.The book contains a useful chronology at the front and an extensive section on sources at the end. Both are highly valuable and focus the reader on the period and it's extensive investigation. The level of knowledge and understanding about the late Bronze Age period has expanded hugely over the past 30 years. What Strauss does (and quite brilliantly) is bring much of this knowledge to the reader in a very easy but academically rigorous manner. Whether you have read a great deal or nothing at all of the increasing body of Troy-related knowledge, this book will enthuse and enlighten readers with an interest, not matter how cursory, in Tory and the Trojan war.I am delighted to have added this volume to my growing library of books on the subject.

Strauss is a good writer, and a knowledgeable historian. This book does a good job of putting the Trojan War in context with regards to the politics and warfare of Bronze Age culture around Greece, but don't expect any wild revelations about the Trojan War itself. The binding of the illustrations in my copy was very poor, but I bought it used so that could be wear and tear from the previous owner.

Expertly written using some of the new archaeology since 1990's and new discoveries in clay tablets. tremendous insights into Homer and his characterisation of key characters and into realities of the Hittite Empire and its alliances, and Mycenaen encroachment into Asia Minor.

The book is well written but jumped about a little bit too much for me. One minute we are in 380, the next 420 the 280. I found it hard to follow at times. It is worth a read but not the best.

Arrived really quickly, great gift.