Troy: Myth and Reality

by Alexandra Villing, Victoria Donnellan, Lesley Fitton

For over 3,000 years the myth of Troy has fascinated artists and audiences alike--from the epic tales of Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid to retellings from Chaucer to Madeline Miller, and stagings from Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida to Brad Pitt's rendering of the hero Achilles. But what is it about this tale that makes it so eternally appealing, and what do we actually know about historical Troy? This richly illustrated volume tells the story of Troy and the great Trojan War through the lens of objects from the Greek Bronze Age to the twenty-first century.

Using the Classical works of art for which the British Museum is internationally known, this book considers the ancient myth through the eyes of Greek and Roman artists. Drawing on the latest research, it chronicles the search for Troy that convinced the world of the city's existence, beginning with the nineteenth-century excavations by Heinrich Schliemann. Focusing on the major characters in the story--Helen of Troy, Achilles and Hector, Aeneas and Odysseus--it illustrates how artists from Cranach and Rubens to Romare Bearden and Cy Twombly have been inspired to explore contemporary themes of war and heroism, love and beauty.

Troy sheds new light on a story that has resonated for millenia.

Genres: History, Art, Archaeology, Nonfiction, Classics, Classical Studies

312 pages, Hardcover

Published December 10, 2019

Reviews

[Sir Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wer hat nicht schon einmal vom Trojanischen Pferd gehört oder von Odysseus und seinen Gefährten oder von der schönen Helena, die von Paris entführt wurde und so den Trojanischen Krieg  ausgelöst hat. Damals hatten auch noch die Götter ihre Hand im Spiel

Homer hat der Nachwelt diese eposante Geschichte überliefert und unzählige künstlerishe Werke in Bild, Schrift,Ton und Film erzählen diese Geschehnisse bis heute fort.

Doch hat Homer tatsächlich gelebt oder gehört er in das Reich der Mythen und Sagen? Existierte Troja wirklich? Gab es überhaupt Troja und diesen Krieg?

Alle diese Fragen und Antworten und noch viel mehr könnt ihr diesem einzigartigen, gewaltigen und toll gestalteten Bildband Troia - Mythos und Wirklichkeit aus dem tollen Verlag WBG Philip von Zabern entnehmen.

Dieser mit 300 Abbildungen reich illustrierte Bildband erzählt die Geschichte Troias im Spiegel von Literatur, Archäologie und Kunst bis heute. Auf 312 sehr informativen Seiten und vier Kapitel erfährt man einiges über die Figur Homers und seine Zeit, die Entstehungsgeschichte um die Ilias und die Odyssee und ihre zahlreichen künstlerischen Fortsetzungen, über den Mythos vom Krieg um Troja, die archäologischen Überreste sowie Geschichten, die bleiben. Troja spielt bis in unsere Gegenwart eine große Rolle in der Literatur, im Theater, im Film und vielen weiteren künstlerischen Bereichen.

Wer sich dafür interessiert oder allgemein für Geschichte, ist bei diesem Verlag sehr gut aufgehoben.

Klare Empfehlung, daher 5 von 5 Sternen.

[John Isles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the catalogue of an exhibition at the British Museum that we plan to visit shortly. My review relates only to the book, which tells the legend of Troy, the story of the site's archaeology, and of its influence on later art and literature. It's extremely well illustrated, the text is very readable, and little space is wasted. I could have done without some of the most modern art, particularly Spencer Finch's 2013 so-called Shield of Achilles which is a starburst of light bulbs that in no way evokes the supposed subject.

Did the Trojan War really take place? Not exactly as in Homer, of course, but there was a city there, it did suffer destruction, and it's easy to believe that there were once characters with names such as Agamemnon, Achilles, Helen, Priam, Hector, and Paris about whom tales were told in verse for centuries until the oral tradition was eventually written down. If we knew the true story, would it capture our imagination as the legend has?

[Äffi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeder der Griechische Antike spannend finde muss es einfach lesen!! Im Louvre gekauft hab ich es innerhalb von einer Woche gelesen :))

[Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guide to the exhibition at the British Museum in 2019/20 that I was fortunate enough to visit. This is both an excellent reminder of the exhibition, but also provides copious details of:
1. The original story as most famously recorded in Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey, but also other ancient Greek and Latin texts. Ancient vase paintings, sculptures and other works of art illustrate the story.
2. The archaeological rediscovery of Troy/Illium/Hissarlik, most famously by Heinrich Schliemann, but also explaining his predecessors and the largely forgotten assistance provided by Frank Calvert to Schliemann, and the more academic rigour provided by subsequent archaeologists.
3. The continuing use of different aspects of the story by artists throughout the ages, with plenty of illustrations and references to and excerpts from literary works. Although I was aware of many of these artistic works, bringing them together makes me realise how much art has used and reused this story as a framework for contemporary concerns. In the book, it is this section that I found most interesting.
An excellent book, well worth reading even if you didn’t attend the exhibition.

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really engrossing record of the Myths about the Trojan War and its participants and the archaeology that it generated to establish where the citadel actually stood and any evidence to prove the Trojan War was a real event. It certainly held an important and key position in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years before being lost to the modern era. This book is an enthralling analysis of the subject of these myths, the interest they have held for society and how they have been changed to this day to embrace our own explanations and ideals of life, its heroes and villains. The archaeology is also enthralling and takes the development of the different excavations step by step, including the competitiveness of the different diggers and their different conclusions. There are some good illustrations, particularly of lovely pottery found at different levels. I, for one, believe that the Trojan war did happen, probably along with many others in the Troad and I regret that I did not see the exhibition that generated this book.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about the power of story. The story of Troy is reflected here through art history, archaeology and, of course, the writings of Homer and others. The range is broad, covering some of the antecedents of the battle and many of the consequences including the voyages of Odysseus and Aeneas. The place of the latter in the Latin/Christian world of the Middle Ages and of the former to the modern age are very well argued and interesting. The book is a beautiful object in itself, well illustrated and accessible.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since I went to the exhibition it was published to accompany. It is an in-depth exploration of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey as well as Virgil’s Aeneid, whether Schliemann’s Hissarlik was Troy. It looks at various interpretations of the Troy story during the medieval period. There is a fascinating section at the end examining the reactions women who are caught up in the fall of Troy. Highly recommended.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that shows off the richness of the artistic responses to the myth of Troy from the Classical period up to modern day. It also explores the possible Bronze Age background to the myth and the nineteenth century search for the location of Troy.
Totally deserving of a place on my Keep Shelf!

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Only thing wrong with it is it's too heavy to hold during a long reading session

[Jan Peter van Kempen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit the exhibition at the BM, but this catalogue more than compensates my loss. A wonderful and lavishly illustrated book. Get it, read it and enjoy it.

[Charles Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful overview of Troy: in literature (predominantly, the Iliad), history, archaeology, and art.

[Dries Van Den Elzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazing. I especially enjoyed the critical evaluation of Homer’s description of a great city, compared to the archaeological finds.