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Trojan War
History of Troy
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TROY (Ilium)An ancient city
located in far northwestern Anatolia, near the southern coast of the Hellespont.
It is perhaps one of the best known Bronze-Age city states, at least in terms of
name recognition, from its role in the Iliad, Homer's account of a war
between Mycenaean Hellenes and the Trojans. The actual history of the place is
very poorly understood, although it is known that as many as nine separate
cities occupied the site between roughly 1600 BCE and about 400 CE, each being
destroyed by natural disaster or warfare, and each being built anew upon the
remains of the previous. The community which seems to be the one described by
Homer is Troy VIIa, existing in perhaps the 13th century BCE.
- Troy I (3000-2500 BCE) - featured a
rubblework wall and mud-brick houses.
- Troy II (2500-2200) - The so-called
"Burnt City" with extended towered walls and royal treasure found
by Schliemann. The royal megaron was similar to those at Mycenae and
Pylos. Pottery wheels were found for production of distinctive flaring bowls
and goblets which can be found from Bulgaria to Syria. In addition,
excavations suggest major textile production
- Original homeland of the Hittites..............c.
2300-c. 1900
- Troy III (2200-2050) - Dominated by stone
houses and ubiquitous evidence of deer as a primary source of food and other
goods. Troy III was sacked and burned in the 21st century BCE.
- Troy IV (2050-1900) - the rebuilt city was
dominated by a reconstructed citadel that covered four acres. The mud-brick
houses featured domed ovens. Cause of destruction is unknown.
- To the Luvians.................................c.
1900-c. 1600
- Troy V (1900-1800) - Roomier houses with
corner seats and clay benches. Brighter colored pottery which is more
symmetrical, suggesting greater sophistication in production methods. The
town was again demolished, possibly by earthquake 1900-1800 BC
- Troy VI (1800-1300) Middle Bronze Age -
Troy during this period had an enormous citadel and shows signs of great
wealth. During this period horses were introduced, the area of the city was
terraced, making room for large stone houses on terraces. The city was
destroyed by an earthquake.
- Troy VII (1300-1100) - Late Bronze Age
Citadel. The city was far less grand than the one described by Homer, who
seems to have borrowed elements from Troy VI in his retelling. Many houses
were merely small cubicles along fortress wall which had been repaired from
Troy VI, albeit in smaller and less grand a scale. Jars set in floors
suggests rationing. The city plaza boasted a public well. Troy VIIa
was sacked and burned c. 1260 BCE but rebuilt c. 1190 by Thracians (Troy
VIIb) who produced knobbed pottery. VIIb was destroyed by fire at
beginning of Iron Age (possibly by the Sea Peoples
?)
- ??
- DARDANID Dates are culled
from traditional sources, and may be viewed with indulgent scepticism.
- Tros (also Lord of the Dardani)...................1423-1402
- Ilos..............................................1402-1347
- Ilos was the son of Tros and the brother of
Assaracus, who ruled Dardania.
- Laomedon..........................................1347-1311
- Priam.............................................1311-1270
- Paris (Alexandros).................................mid
1200's ?
- Hittite letters refer to a kingdom called Wilusa,
which some scholars believe is a Hittite version of Ilos, the legendary
ancestor-king of Troy. A letter from the mid 1200s refers to "Alakshandu"
as king of Wilusa. Since another name for Paris, the prince of Troy in the Iliad,
was Alexandros, scholars have jumped on the possibility that the two
documents refer to the same individual.
- ?
- Site abandoned, c. 1200-c. 700
- To the
Phrygians...............................c. 1200-c. 900
- To the
Aeolians.................................c. 900-546
- Troy VIII (700-200 BC) - The site is
reoccupied by Aeolian (Thessalian Greek) settlers and becomes a cultic
center - Both Xerxes and later Alexander the Great made sacrifices at its
shrines.
- To
Persia..........................................546-333
- To
Macedon.........................................333-323
- To the Empire of Antigonus.........................323-301
- Troy IX (300 BCE to 400 CE) - Hellenistic
Ilion and Roman Ilium
- To the Seleucid
Empire.............................301-263
- To Pergamon........................................263-c.
210
- To the Seleucid
Empire..........................c. 210-197
- To Pergamon........................................197-133
- To the Roman
Republic..............................133-27
- To the Roman
Empire.............................27 BCE-395 CE
- Site abandoned once again, c. 400, and never
rebuilt.
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