Ruins of Troy City

On April 24, 1184 BC, the city of Troy fell.

city of Troy

The city of Troy, also known as Ilios, Ilion (Greek) or Ilim (Latin), is located southeast of the Hellespont Strait (the Dardanelles Strait) at the western end of the Asia Minor Peninsula. It is located at the hub of Europe and Asia. It was built by the ancient Greeks around the 16th century BC.

Troy was built around the 16th century BC for the ancient Greeks to cross the sea. It was quite prosperous from the 13th to the 12th century BC. The excavation of the ruins of the city of Troy began in the mid-19th century and continued into the 1930s. Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of the city of Troy belonging to nine periods, from 3000 BC to 400 AD, and found the Temple of Athena and the Council Hall during the Roman Empire in 400 AD. Ruins of markets and theaters, etc. Although these buildings have collapsed, judging from the remaining walls and stone pillars, they are quite majestic. There are castles dating from 2600 BC to 2300 BC, with a diameter of more than 120 meters. There are royal palaces and other buildings in the city. In a royal treasure house, many gold, silver, jewelry and bronzes were found, and the pottery was mainly red and brown. In addition, stone tools, bone tools, pottery spinning wheels, etc. were also unearthed. The City of Troy is the ruins of a burned city. Its stone wall is 5 meters long and contains a large number of painted pottery and other daily utensils with simple shapes and geometric shapes.

The "Trojan Horse" described in the epic "Iliad" by the ancient Greek poet Homer in the 9th century BC happened here. Paris, the prince of Troy, came to the palace of Menelaus, the king of Sparta in Greece, and was warmly entertained by Menelaus. However, Paris kidnapped Menelaus's wife. Menelaus and his brothers decided to crusade Troy. Due to the strong city of Troy, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack. The 10-year battle failed. Finally, the hero Odyssey offered to let the Mycenaean soldiers burn the camp tent, board the warship and leave, creating the illusion of retreating back home, and deliberately leaving a huge wooden horse under the city. The Trojans recorded the wooden horse as a victory and dragged it into the city. That night, while the Trojans were drinking vinegar to celebrate their victory, the Mycenaean soldiers hidden in the wooden horse slipped out quietly, opened the city gates, and put in the Greek army that had long been ambushed outside the city. As a result, Troy was reduced to ruins overnight. This story described in Homer's epic became a famous story in the literature and art of Western countries.

Archaeological excavation

Archaeological excavations of the site began in 1870. Archaeologists have divided the cultural stack at the site of Troy into nine layers.

From the first floor of the lowest level to the fifth floor, it belongs to the early Bronze Age, dating from about 3000 BC to 1700 BC. There are castles, royal palaces and other buildings. By then, Troy had become the cultural center of the northwestern Asia Minor region.

The sixth floor is from about 1700 BC to 1250 BC, when the northern steppe people occupied Troy, the city walls were strong, and there were many noble residences in the city. The city during this period was destroyed by an earthquake.

The seventh layer was about 1250 to 1000 BC, corresponding to the Trojan War. In the early stage, it inherited the traditions of the sixth layer culturally, but in the later stage, it changed, and the residents may have come from Europe.

The eighth floor is from 1000 BC to 85 BC, and the ninth floor is from 85 BC to 500 AD.

The sixth and seventh floors belong to the middle and late Bronze Age. Between the seventh and eighth floors, it was uninhabited for about 400 years. The top eighth and ninth floors belong to the period of Greek settlement, Hellenistic period, and Roman rule, respectively. In the 4th century AD, the city of Constantinople was established, and the city of Troy gradually disappeared.

With a history of more than 4,000 years, Troy is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavation of this site began in 1871 under the auspices of the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most important and substantial proof of the connection between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean. The siege of Troy by the Spartans and Achaeans from Greece in the 13th or 12th century BC has been passed down through the ages by Homer, and since then it has inspired many artists around the world.

Ruins of Troy City

The site of Troy is a well-known site in Turkey, Asia, listed in 1998. The discovery of this site is of great significance in the archaeological history for understanding a crucial period in the early development of European civilization, and is a testament to the entire Trojan civilization. On the other hand, it has become one of the tourist attractions in Turkey, attracting thousands of tourists.

Trojan War

The Trojan War was caused by the battle for Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. The Greek army led by Agamemnon and Achilles attacked the ten-year siege led by Paris and Hector. However, according to the "General History of the World", Troy is located on a major transportation route, has developed commerce, prosperous economy, and prosperous people's lives. The kings of Asia formed a coalition army and elected Agamemnon as commander in chief. They had long been drooling over the richest area along the Mediterranean coast and wanted to own it for themselves, so they used Helen as an excuse to launch war. This was the real purpose of the Trojan War.

Because the city of Troy was strong and easy to defend but difficult to attack, the Greek army and the Trojan warriors faced each other for 10 years. Finally, the hero Odysseus offered a clever plan to get all the Greek soldiers to board the warships, make the appearance of withdrawing troops, and deliberately leave a huge wooden horse in front of the city. The Trojans happily carried the wooden horse into the city as a trophy. That night, just as the Trojans were immersed in wine and singing and dancing, 20 Greek soldiers hidden in the belly of the wooden horse rushed out, opened the gate, and responded from the inside to the outside. Troy was immediately fell, and the entire city was destroyed by slaughter and fire. The old king was killed by Achilles, then shot to death by Paris, the city was slaughtered, and the little prince Paris and Helen hurriedly escaped through the secret passage.