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The Attack on Troy
3300 years ago Agamemnon, king of Mycenae in Greece, attacked the city of Troy in western Anatolia. The bloody siege that followed gave rise to one of the most famous legends of the ancient world, and the search for the truth behind the legend has intrigued scholars ever since. In this fascinating new investigation Rodney Castleden reconsiders all the evidence in order to establish the facts and give a historical basis to the most potent myth of ancient warfare.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 19, 2021
The ancient attack on Troy is one of the most infamous throughout all of history. But why is this so? Did the war heroes number in their tens of thousands, as dictated in The Epic Cycle, or does its notoriety remain merely due to it being the last raid of its kind? Did the attack stem from declared vengeance over the abduction of famed beauty, Helen, or was it a routine invasion to gain glory and slaves? Was Troy the teeming metropolis or a more sedate settlement? All these questions, plus many more, are explored and unpacked throughout this intriguing non-fiction.
What most impressed me about this observation of the ancient world, was the variety of lenses that Castleden used to garner some semblance of the truth about it. He combined research from archaeological digs, the events portrayed in Homer's infamous works, and more modern-day revelations and research related to the attack. These myriad insights were pieced together to form an image as close to the truth as a modern-day individual could expect to find.
This remained fascinating, accessible, and seemingly well-researched throughout and I certainly learned a lot. I would definitely recommend this to those wishing to learn a basic understanding of the events that led to the attack, a potential play-by-play of occurrences, as well as a detailed overview on a broad spectrum of related topics such as the people, warfare tactics, and battle clothing and weapons of that time.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Rodney Castleden, and the publisher, Pen & Sword Military, for this opportunity.
What most impressed me about this observation of the ancient world, was the variety of lenses that Castleden used to garner some semblance of the truth about it. He combined research from archaeological digs, the events portrayed in Homer's infamous works, and more modern-day revelations and research related to the attack. These myriad insights were pieced together to form an image as close to the truth as a modern-day individual could expect to find.
This remained fascinating, accessible, and seemingly well-researched throughout and I certainly learned a lot. I would definitely recommend this to those wishing to learn a basic understanding of the events that led to the attack, a potential play-by-play of occurrences, as well as a detailed overview on a broad spectrum of related topics such as the people, warfare tactics, and battle clothing and weapons of that time.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Rodney Castleden, and the publisher, Pen & Sword Military, for this opportunity.
March 15, 2020
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
The question of whether or not there was a Trojan War has occurred for some time. Was there a Paris, Achilles, Menelaus, or Helen? What about that horse? Was it really a horse? Alexander the Great supposedly stopped at the tomb of Achilles so the hero worship has been going on for quite a bit.
Castleden’s book, a scholarly work, offers historical evidence and context for a real Trojan war, if not quite the version that Homer recorded, though Castleden does address the areas where Homer and truth coincide, such as the place names and helmet types just to name a couple places.
The book is less a discussion of Mycenae and Hittite history and culture as well as conflicts between the two societies. There is the question of the letter to the Hittite king about a certain runaway prince with a woman.
The book is scholarly but not dry. There are discussions about siege strategies, the role of the generals on the battlefield and such. You do not have to be an expert on the ancient world or even ancient Greece for the book to be readable or concise.
It does help to have familiarity with the story of Troy itself, and to be fair, at one point there is a bit too much play by play. But this was an interesting book.
The question of whether or not there was a Trojan War has occurred for some time. Was there a Paris, Achilles, Menelaus, or Helen? What about that horse? Was it really a horse? Alexander the Great supposedly stopped at the tomb of Achilles so the hero worship has been going on for quite a bit.
Castleden’s book, a scholarly work, offers historical evidence and context for a real Trojan war, if not quite the version that Homer recorded, though Castleden does address the areas where Homer and truth coincide, such as the place names and helmet types just to name a couple places.
The book is less a discussion of Mycenae and Hittite history and culture as well as conflicts between the two societies. There is the question of the letter to the Hittite king about a certain runaway prince with a woman.
The book is scholarly but not dry. There are discussions about siege strategies, the role of the generals on the battlefield and such. You do not have to be an expert on the ancient world or even ancient Greece for the book to be readable or concise.
It does help to have familiarity with the story of Troy itself, and to be fair, at one point there is a bit too much play by play. But this was an interesting book.
May 8, 2011
Rodney Castleden aims to present the real-life account of the Trojan War, looking at Homer’s semi-fictional epic, The Iliad, and other related works from antiquity such as The Odyssey, The Kypria, The Little Iliad, and utilising the discoveries of archaeology and contemporary factual documents from both the Hittite empire and Mycenaean kingdoms to draw out the real Trojan War.
Castleden has no hesitation about diverging from The Iliad where Homer’s account is demonstrably implausible, but even then can explain convincingly how these elements in Homer tally with the evidence – for example, obviously the doings of the gods in Homer’s work are no more than fantastical fiction, but almost certainly, the warriors on both sides of the conflict would have prayed to their gods, been encouraged to think that the gods were on their side when the battle was going well, or might have fallen into despair and believed that their gods had deserted them when the battle was going badly. The plot device of the Trojan Horse is, Castleden argues, merely a clever bit of storytelling incorporating themes of being brought down from within, but amazingly probably came from a grain of truth – the use of huge wooden siege engines wheeled up to the walls of Troy and used to knock down the highest levels, to enable Mycenaean warriors to bring up scaling ladders and breach the Trojan defences – contemporary battle accounts across the Mediterranean and ancient Near East do indeed show that such siege engines were in use. Castleden fleshes out even seemingly minor details such as the landing site for the Mycenaeans and their allies, examines the literature on the topic, and is able to argue persuasively that the interpretations he gives here are indeed the most plausible and credible ones. It is this kind of attention to detail that is I loved about this book – no stone is left unturned, and Castleden produces a comprehensive examination of what the real Trojan War may have been like, from the landings to the equipment to the battle manoeuvres and aftermath.
The book is well structured and begins by clearly and coherently explaining its purpose, before using real historical and archaeological evidence to set the scene and bring to life the world and circumstances in which both Mycenaeans and Trojans moved prior to the war – and thus illuminating the possible reasons for it. The climax leads up to the full examination of the war itself and the battles described in The Iliad, and Castleden prudently offers two possible interpretations of the extent to which The Iliad tallies with history – a minimalist view, conceding the least possible correlation between fact and fiction, and a maximalist view, in which as much of Homer’s account that can be potentially supported and is indeed plausible is taken as possible. Either version, whether you believe Castleden’s minimalist or maximalist scenario, contends credibly that there was indeed, in some sort of form, a Trojan War.
On top of that, despite the thoroughness and detailed manner in which the book treats the subject material, I still found the writing style clear and accessible, and this book could be read by the layperson just as easily as the academic. I would have liked a few more diagrams of battle manoeuvres, however, as the book only includes a few and sometimes Castleden’s postulations about battle movements don’t have an accompanying diagram, and it just would have set the battle actions more clearly in my mind. I’m guessing that this book will mainly be picked up by the layperson with an interest in finding out whether or not the Trojan War was a real event, and personally I enjoyed this non-fiction examination of just that question so much that I would definitely recommend this book. The research seemed good to me, but I must add a caveat that I feel I cannot comment on this definitively - the questions surrounding the existence of the Trojan War are so many, and the amount of literature on the subject extensive, so I feel certain that as good as Castleden's work is, there must be scholars out there who have argued equally convincingly against some of his arguments.
8 out of 10.
Castleden has no hesitation about diverging from The Iliad where Homer’s account is demonstrably implausible, but even then can explain convincingly how these elements in Homer tally with the evidence – for example, obviously the doings of the gods in Homer’s work are no more than fantastical fiction, but almost certainly, the warriors on both sides of the conflict would have prayed to their gods, been encouraged to think that the gods were on their side when the battle was going well, or might have fallen into despair and believed that their gods had deserted them when the battle was going badly. The plot device of the Trojan Horse is, Castleden argues, merely a clever bit of storytelling incorporating themes of being brought down from within, but amazingly probably came from a grain of truth – the use of huge wooden siege engines wheeled up to the walls of Troy and used to knock down the highest levels, to enable Mycenaean warriors to bring up scaling ladders and breach the Trojan defences – contemporary battle accounts across the Mediterranean and ancient Near East do indeed show that such siege engines were in use. Castleden fleshes out even seemingly minor details such as the landing site for the Mycenaeans and their allies, examines the literature on the topic, and is able to argue persuasively that the interpretations he gives here are indeed the most plausible and credible ones. It is this kind of attention to detail that is I loved about this book – no stone is left unturned, and Castleden produces a comprehensive examination of what the real Trojan War may have been like, from the landings to the equipment to the battle manoeuvres and aftermath.
The book is well structured and begins by clearly and coherently explaining its purpose, before using real historical and archaeological evidence to set the scene and bring to life the world and circumstances in which both Mycenaeans and Trojans moved prior to the war – and thus illuminating the possible reasons for it. The climax leads up to the full examination of the war itself and the battles described in The Iliad, and Castleden prudently offers two possible interpretations of the extent to which The Iliad tallies with history – a minimalist view, conceding the least possible correlation between fact and fiction, and a maximalist view, in which as much of Homer’s account that can be potentially supported and is indeed plausible is taken as possible. Either version, whether you believe Castleden’s minimalist or maximalist scenario, contends credibly that there was indeed, in some sort of form, a Trojan War.
On top of that, despite the thoroughness and detailed manner in which the book treats the subject material, I still found the writing style clear and accessible, and this book could be read by the layperson just as easily as the academic. I would have liked a few more diagrams of battle manoeuvres, however, as the book only includes a few and sometimes Castleden’s postulations about battle movements don’t have an accompanying diagram, and it just would have set the battle actions more clearly in my mind. I’m guessing that this book will mainly be picked up by the layperson with an interest in finding out whether or not the Trojan War was a real event, and personally I enjoyed this non-fiction examination of just that question so much that I would definitely recommend this book. The research seemed good to me, but I must add a caveat that I feel I cannot comment on this definitively - the questions surrounding the existence of the Trojan War are so many, and the amount of literature on the subject extensive, so I feel certain that as good as Castleden's work is, there must be scholars out there who have argued equally convincingly against some of his arguments.
8 out of 10.
April 18, 2017
Troya zaman içinde destanlaşan bir yer. Daha sonra destanların fantastik dünyasından gerçeğe gelen bir şehir. Bulunmasından bu yana yapılan çalışmalar gerçekte bu şehir devletinde ne olduğunu, burada kimlerin yaşadığını açıklamaya çalışıyor. Bu açıdan kısıtlı kaynaklar olması nedeniyle okunabilecek bir eser.
Daha fazlası için;
https://goo.gl/NNJvuJ
Daha fazlası için;
https://goo.gl/NNJvuJ
January 26, 2022
3.5 stars.
My reading about "Alexander the Great" led me to this book about Trojan War and Iliads.
Being a person who does not know much about Trojan War, and just wanted to learn about, I don't feel I have a right to rate this book, but for the purpose of my own reading memo, here it is.
The book explains many (if not all) aspects of the Trojan War very carefully and thoroughly with maps and drawings. I just had to be patient to get to the short/long version of the narratives at the end. There are many more names other than Achilles and Odysseus, and even those two finally fit in the knowledge that I had before.
It tremendously fascinates me to learn what happened around 1200 BC (!!), not just as "legend" or "myth" but actually "historically proven." I am glad to have read this book to begin on this topic.
My reading about "Alexander the Great" led me to this book about Trojan War and Iliads.
Being a person who does not know much about Trojan War, and just wanted to learn about, I don't feel I have a right to rate this book, but for the purpose of my own reading memo, here it is.
The book explains many (if not all) aspects of the Trojan War very carefully and thoroughly with maps and drawings. I just had to be patient to get to the short/long version of the narratives at the end. There are many more names other than Achilles and Odysseus, and even those two finally fit in the knowledge that I had before.
It tremendously fascinates me to learn what happened around 1200 BC (!!), not just as "legend" or "myth" but actually "historically proven." I am glad to have read this book to begin on this topic.
July 27, 2020
Everyone knows the story of the fall of Troy, but this book goes into a great amount of detail. I was blown away with the amount of information on not only Troy, but many of the surrounding areas that would have had an impact on Troy.
I absolutely loved this book! I was drawn in immediately and the history presented was fabulous. I have not seen this level of detail in a long time, and this book went into more than just the fall of Troy. If you are interested in the fall of Troy, this book goes into the full breakdown of the many levels of Troy and the different changes that the city went through over its diverse history.
I absolutely loved this book! I was drawn in immediately and the history presented was fabulous. I have not seen this level of detail in a long time, and this book went into more than just the fall of Troy. If you are interested in the fall of Troy, this book goes into the full breakdown of the many levels of Troy and the different changes that the city went through over its diverse history.
August 6, 2020
This book is written in a historical sense, listing the major powers in the Bronze Age such as Hittie’s, Assyrians, Egyptians, and Mycenaeans. Not exactly written as well as it could be, but what else do you expect from a historical perspective. Rodney tries to recreate the battle with all aspects leading up to, during the battles, and after the fall of Wilusa in accordance with the Illiad. Probably wouldn’t read again, but a decent read if you want to get down into the nitty gritty of the Bronze Age.
November 19, 2023
An inspiring recreation - in a couple of different ways - of The Trojan War; the climax of a series of destabilizing campaigns by ancient Mycenae against the Troad region of Anatolia, inhabited then by the kingdom of Willusa/Ilion/Ilium, Dardanaia, Masa and many other allied "between empire" states and nations. All of this over 3,300 years ago, when chariots were the equivalent of a nuclear power and war was fought primarily at spear tip.
March 30, 2020
No matter how you feel about Homer's representation of Troy, this book is sure to be a real eye-opener. It's packed with information that is laid out in a thoroughly accessible way and is very easy to read. What we know as fact is given substance by the inclusion of HOW we know it, and any speculation is clearly that and given possible alternatives. It will be interesting to read The Iliad again having read this book.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
April 27, 2020
A decent looking bibliography (mainly 1960s to 2000) and good looking photographs. A look at the city as we know it and Homer's version in the Iliad. Get a look at Troy's location, war, and how they dealt with it. Good maps of attacks that have said to happen and more.
March 6, 2020
I got this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review available on my blog
May 29, 2020
This book is a little bit different to Michael Wood's In Search of the Trojan War, which reads like an archaeological detective story. Both books provide similar information but in a different "format". Castleden attempts to recreate what the Trojan War by comparing what is known from archeology of Bronze Age Mycenean and Ancient Near Eastern civilization (Hittites, Luwians, Egyptians etc) to the information provided in various incomplete and lost epics such as the The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Kypria, and The Little Iliad. Castleden works through the ancient epics and explains what is plausible in terms of cultural and military factors and what is probably poetic license. The writing style is clear and easy to read, with the layperson rather than academic in mind. A nicely written introduction to the archaeology and mythology of the Trojan War.
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December 3, 2015Mõõdukalt huvitav. Teistest sealkandi kuningatest (hetiidid ja Ramses jt) oli huvitav lugeda, aga kas oli ikka vaja "Iliast" nii mitu korda yle jutustada.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews