Ancient Troy on a modern world map. Where is Troy? How to get to Troy
Troy (Turkish Truva), second name - Ilion, ancient city in the northwest of Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea. It was known thanks to the ancient Greek epics and was discovered in the 1870s. during G. Schliemann's excavations of the Hissarlik hill. The city gained particular fame thanks to the myths about the Trojan War and the events described in Homer’s poem “The Iliad,” according to which the 10-year war of the coalition of Achaean kings led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, against Troy ended with the fall of the fortress city. The people who inhabited Troy are called Teucrians in ancient Greek sources.
Troy is a mythical city. For many centuries, the reality of Troy's existence was questioned - it existed like a city from legend. But there have always been people looking for a reflection in the events of the Iliad real story. However, serious attempts to search for the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, while excavating the mountain village of Gissrlik on the Turkish coast, came across the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing excavations to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures that belonged to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of Homer's famous Troy. It is worth noting that Schliemann excavated a city that was built earlier (1000 years before the Trojan War); further research showed that he simply walked right through Troy, since it was built on the ruins of the ancient city he found.
Troy and Atlantis are one and the same. In 1992, Eberhard Zangger suggested that Troy and Atlantis are the same city. He based his theory on the similarity of the descriptions of cities in ancient legends. However, this assumption did not have a widespread and scientific basis. This hypothesis did not receive widespread support.
The Trojan War broke out because of a woman. According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out because one of the 50 sons of King Priam, Paris, kidnapped the beautiful Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. The Greeks sent troops precisely to take Helen away. However, according to some historians, this is most likely only the peak of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Before this, there were supposedly many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast of the Dardanelles.
Troy survived for 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, Agamemnon's army camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. King Priam of Troy took advantage of this, establishing close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which provided him with assistance during the war. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.
The Trojan horse actually existed. This is one of the few episodes of that war that has never found its archaeological and historical confirmation. Moreover, there is not a word about the horse in the Iliad, but Homer describes it in detail in his Odyssey. And all the events associated with the Trojan horse and their details were described by the Roman poet Virgil in the Aeneid, 1st century. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, for example, a ram. Others claim that Homer called the Greeks that way. sea vessels. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of the gullible Trojans.
The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a cunning trick by the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse stood within the walls of Troy, it could forever defend the city from Greek raids. Most of the city's residents were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. The priest Laocoon suggested burning the horse or throwing it off a cliff. He even threw a spear at the horse, and everyone heard that the horse was empty inside. Soon a Greek named Sinon was captured and told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for many years of bloodshed. Tragic events followed: during a sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon, two huge snakes swam out of the water and strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll the horse into the city. He was so huge that he couldn’t fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be dismantled.
The Trojan Horse caused the fall of Troy. According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released the warriors hiding inside from its belly, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which had fallen asleep after the riotous festivities, did not even offer strong resistance. Several Trojan soldiers led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who smashed the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.
Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy and amassed a huge fortune during his life, was born into a poor family. He was born in 1822 into the family of a rural pastor. His homeland is a small German village near Polish border. His mother died when he was 9 years old. My father was a harsh, unpredictable and self-centered man who loved women very much (for which he lost his position). At the age of 14, Heinrich was separated from his first love, the girl Minna. When Heinrich was 25 years old and already becoming a famous businessman, he finally asked Minna's hand in marriage from her father in a letter. The answer said that Minna married a farmer. This message completely broke his heart. Passion to Ancient Greece appeared in the boy’s soul thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to the children in the evenings, and then gave his son a book on world history with illustrations. In 1840, after a long and grueling job in a grocery store that almost cost him his life, Henry boarded a ship bound for Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship was caught in a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea; he was saved from death by a barrel, which he held on to until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages and made a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavations of the great Troy.
Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy due to unsettled personal life. This is not excluded. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had many affairs in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be completely empty for him. Being a passionate man by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold towards him. As a result, he almost found himself on the verge of madness. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring happiness to Schliemann. Out of desperation, he made another fortune by selling indigo dye. In addition, he became closely involved Greek. An inexorable thirst for travel appeared in him. In 1668, he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he went towards Constantinople, to the places where Troy was located according to the Iliad and began excavations on the Hissarlik hill. This was his first step on the path to the great Troy.
Schliemann tried on jewelry from Helen of Troy for his second wife. Heinrich was introduced to his second wife by his old friend, 17-year-old Greek Sofia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold objects) in 1873, he moved them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious tiaras. Having placed one of them on Sophia’s head, Henry said: “The jewel that Helen of Troy wore now adorns my wife.” One of the photographs actually shows her wearing magnificent antique jewelry.
The Trojan treasures were lost. There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemanns donated 12,000 objects to the Berlin Museum. During World War II, this priceless treasure was moved to a bunker from which it disappeared in 1945. Part of the treasury unexpectedly appeared in 1993 in Moscow. There is still no answer to the question: “Was it really the gold of Troy?”
During excavations at Hisarlik, several layers of cities from different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. Everyone calls them Troy.
Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Troy II was explored by Schliemann, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was highest point development of the city, its inhabitants traded profitably with the Greeks, but this city seems to have been severely destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scientists believe that the found Troy VII is the true city of Homer's Iliad. According to historians, the city fell in 1184 BC, being burned by the Greeks. Troy VIII was restored by Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. I would like to note that excavations have shown that Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.
Popular myths.
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Troy, Türkiye: description, photo, where it is on the map, how to get there
Troy- an ancient settlement in Turkey off the coast of the Aegean Sea. This landmark was sung by Homer in his Iliad. The Trojan War brought Troy its greatest fame. This ancient greek city included in the 1000 best places in the world according to our website.
Many tourists are interested in this archaeological site of modern Turkey. In order to get to Troy, you must first get to Canakalle. From there, buses leave hourly for Troy. The journey will take about half an hour. In turn, you can come to Canakalle by bus from Izmir or Istanbul. In both cases, the distance is about 320 km.
The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was the first to become interested in the excavations of Troy in the second half of the 19th century. It was under his leadership that the ruins of nine cities around the Hissarlik hill were found. Moreover, many ancient artifacts and one very ancient fortress were found. Schliemann's many years of work were continued by one of his colleagues, who excavated a vast area dating back to the Mycenaean era.
Excavations are still ongoing at this site.
Today there is little to attract the traveler's eye in Troy. However, the atmosphere of the world's greatest fairy tale invariably hovers in this city. At the moment, the restoration of the famous Trojan Horse has been completely completed. This attraction is located on a panoramic platform.
Photo attraction: Troy
Troy on the map:
Where is Troy? - monument on the map
Troy is located in modern Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, southwest of Istanbul. In ancient times, Troy was apparently a powerful fortified city, whose inhabitants were most famous for allowing into their city a wooden horse left behind by the Greeks. According to legend, Greek soldiers were hiding inside the souvenir, who killed the Trojan guards and opened the city gates for the Greek army.
Coordinates:
39.9573326
northern latitude
26.2387447
east longitude
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Troy
Troy is an ancient Greek city on the western tip of Asia Minor. In the 8th century BC, Homer spoke about it in his poems. It was a blind wandering singer. He sang about the Trojan War, which took place in the 13th century BC. e. That is, this event occurred 500 years before Homer.
For a long time it was believed that both Troy and the Trojan War were invented by the singer. It is still not even known whether the ancient poet actually existed or whether he was a collective image. Therefore, many historians were skeptical about the events sung in the Iliad.
Troy on the map of Turkey, indicated by a blue circle
In 1865, the English archaeologist Frank Calvert began excavations on the Hisarlik hill, located 7 km from the Dardanelles Strait. In 1868, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann also began excavations at the other end of the same hill, after a chance meeting with Calvert in Canakkale.
The German was lucky. He excavated several fortified cities that were built in different eras. To date, 9 main settlements have been excavated, located one above the other. They were built in a time period that spans 3.5 thousand years.
Model of the city of Troy on the eve of the Trojan War
The excavations are located in northwestern Anatolia at the southwestern end of the Dardanelles Strait (in ancient times the Hellespont) northwest of Mount Ida. It is about 30 km southwest of the city of Canakkale (the capital of the province of the same name).
Not far from the ruins is a small village that supports the tourism industry. This object was included in the list in 1998 World Heritage UNESCO. It should be noted that during the Roman Empire Troy was called Ilion. The city flourished until it was eclipsed by Constantinople. During the Byzantine era it fell into decay.
The famous Trojan horse. Hiding in such a horse,
the treacherous Achaeans entered the city
Main archaeological layers of Troy
1 layer- a settlement dating back to the Neolithic period. This is the 7th-5th centuries BC. e.
2 layer- covers the period 3-2.6 thousand years BC. e. It is from this settlement that Troy begins. It had a diameter of no more than 150 meters. The houses were built from clay bricks. All houses were destroyed by fire.
3 layer- covers the period 2.6-2.25 thousand years BC. e. More developed settlement. Precious jewelry, gold vessels, weapons, and gravestones were found on its territory. All this pointed to a highly developed culture. The settlement was destroyed as a result of a natural disaster.
4 and 5 layers- covers the period 2.25-1.95 thousand years BC. e. Characterized by the decline of culture and material wealth.
6 layer- 1.95-1.3 thousand years BC e. The city grew in size and wealth. It was destroyed around 1250 BC. e. strong earthquake. However, it was quickly restored.
7 layer- 1.3-1.2 thousand years BC e. This particular archaeological layer dates back to the period of the Trojan War. The area of the city at that time occupied 200 thousand square meters. meters. At the same time, the area of the fortress was 23 thousand square meters. meters. The urban population reached 10 thousand people. The city fortress was a powerful wall with towers. Their height reached 9 meters. The siege and destruction of the city occurs approximately in 1184 BC. e.
8 layer- 1.2-0.9 thousand years BC e. The settlement was captured by wild tribes. No cultural development was observed during this period.
9 layer- 900-350 BC e. Troy turned into the ancient Greek city-state - polis. This had a beneficial effect on the culture and well-being of citizens. The period is characterized by good relations with the Achaemenid power. Persian king Xerxes in 480 BC. e. visited the city and sacrificed 1000 bulls to the sanctuary of Athena.
10 layer- 350 BC e. - 400 AD e. characterized by the era of Hellenistic states and Roman rule. In 85 BC. e. Ilion was destroyed by the Roman general Fimbria.
Sulla then helped rebuild the settlement.
In 20 AD e. Emperor Augustus visited Troy and allocated money for the restoration of the sanctuary of Athena. The city flourished for a long time, but then, as already mentioned, fell into decline, thanks to the heyday of Constantinople.
Archaeological excavations
After Schliemann, excavations were carried out by Wilhelm Dörpfeld in 1893-1894, and then in 1932-1938 by Karl Blegen. These excavations showed that there were 9 cities, built one on top of the other. At the same time, 9 levels were divided into 46 sublevels.
Resumed archaeological excavations in 1988 under the guidance of professors Manfred Korfmann and Brian Rose. During this period, the ruins of late Greek and Roman cities were discovered. In 2006, Ernst Pernik led the excavations.
In March 2014, it was announced that further research would be sponsored by a private Turkish company, and the work would be led by Associate Professor Rustem Aslan. It was stated that Troy will contribute to the growth of tourism in Canakkale and may become one of the most visited historical places Turkey.
Troy. Story
Troy, otherwise called Ilion, Dardania and Scamander, is an ancient fortified settlement in Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea, near the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. This is the city glorified in the poem “Iliad”, the author of which is considered to be Homer. The events described by Homer, in the current understanding of historians, belong to the Cretan-Mycenaean era. The people who inhabited Troy are called Teucrians in ancient Greek sources.
History of the city of Troy
Türkiye is a country with many attractions. The ancient city of Troy is among the world famous. This mythical city was located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, on the Hissarlik hill near the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. The second name of the city of Troy is Ilion. There is a legend about the origin of the ancient city of Troy. The Phrygian king gave Ilu a cow and ordered to found a city in the place where the cow would lie down to rest. It happened on Ata Hill. Zeus himself approved of Il's action and threw down the statue of Triton's daughter to the ground.
The city has a centuries-old history, but its exact location was discovered just over a hundred years ago. Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann conducted excavations in the mountain village of Gissrlyk, and discovered the ruins of the ancient city of Troy, this was in 1870. His surprise was even greater when he discovered not just the ruins of one city, but nine, located in layers one under one. All of them date back to different centuries and were conventionally numbered from one to nine.
The lowest layer was named Troy I and dates back to 3000 - 2600 BC. BC e. It was a small settlement with a diameter of no more than 100 meters. It was a fortress with massive walls and gates, as well as defensive towers. Two of which were discovered during excavations. This settlement existed for quite a long time and, most likely, was destroyed by fire.
Troy II (2600-2300 BC) was erected on the ruins of a former fortress and occupied an area of 125 meters. In the center there was a palace surrounded by a courtyard with warehouses and residential buildings. It was in this layer that Schliemann found a treasure containing jewelry, weapons and various trinkets.
Troy III - IV - V are already larger settlements that existed from 2300-1900. BC e. In these settlements there are already groups of houses separated by small streets.
Troy VI. Settlements 1900--1300 BC uh, testified to wealth, prosperity and power. It was about 200 meters in diameter, the wall thickness was 5 meters, and there were four gates and three towers along the perimeter. Large buildings, palaces, terraces. There is evidence of the presence of horses. A strong earthquake destroyed everything.
Troy VII. (1300-900 BC) After the earthquake, life began to emerge again at the site of the destroyed settlement; the remaining blocks and columns were used. Houses were built on a smaller scale than before, and stood closely together. It is this Troy that refers to the events mentioned by Homer in the Iliad and the Trojan War. After the war, the city of Troy was sacked and destroyed by the Greeks, and then captured by the Phrygians.
Troy VIII. (900--350 BC) The city already belonged to the Greeks and was considered quite comfortable. There was a temple to Athena on the premises, as well as a sanctuary for sacrifices. However, it had no political significance, and after part of the population left the city, it fell into decay.
Troy IX (350 BC - 400 AD). It was during this era that the city of Troy was called Illion. The Roman emperors from the Julio-Claudian dynasty did everything for the large-scale reconstruction of the city. The top of the hill was leveled, a sacred site was made near the temple of Athena, a theater was erected on the slope, and public buildings were erected on the level ground. Constantine the Great even wanted to make the city a capital, but this idea lost its significance with the rise of Constantinople. The city of Troy was captured by the Turks and destroyed. Now the ancient city of Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For the historian and archaeologist, Troy is a Bronze Age settlement, first discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the 19th century.
The area described by Homer and other ancient authors who mentioned Troy is located near the Aegean Sea not far from the entrance to the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles). Ranges of low hills adjoin the coast here, and behind them stretches a plain along which two small rivers flow, Menderes and Dumrek. About 5 km from the coast the plain turns into a steep slope with a height of approx. 25 m, and further to the east and south the plain stretches again, beyond which rise more significant hills and mountains in the distance.
The German businessman Heinrich Schliemann, an amateur archaeologist, was fascinated by the story of Troy from childhood and became passionately convinced of its truth. In 1870, he began excavating a hill located on the edge of a escarpment near the village of Hisarlik, a few kilometers from the entrance to the Dardanelles. In the overlapping layers, Schliemann discovered architectural details and many objects made of stone, bone and ivory, copper and precious metals, which forced the scientific world to reconsider ideas about the heroic age. Schliemann did not immediately recognize the layers of the Mycenaean era and the late Bronze Age, but in the depths of the hill he came across a much more ancient fortress, chronologically second, and with full confidence called it the city of Priam. After Schliemann's death in 1890, his colleague Wilhelm Dörpfeld continued the work and in 1893 and 1894 discovered the much larger perimeter of Troy VI. This settlement corresponds to the Mycenaean era and therefore it was recognized as the Troy of the Homeric legend. Now most scientists believe that the hill near Hisarlik is the real historical Troy, glorified by Homer.
IN ancient world Troy occupied a key position from both a military and economic point of view. A large fortress and a small fort on the seashore allowed her to easily control both the movement of ships through the Hellespont and the routes connecting Europe and Asia by land. The leader who ruled here could impose duties on transported goods or not let them pass at all, and therefore conflicts in this region, which we know about in relation to a later time, could begin in the Bronze Age. For three and a half millennia, this place was inhabited almost constantly, and throughout this period, cultural and economic ties connected Troy not with the East, but with the West, with the Aegean civilization, of which the culture of Troy was to a certain extent a part.
Most of Troy's buildings had mud brick walls built on low stone foundations. When they collapsed, the rubble was not cleared, but only leveled out so that new buildings could be erected. There are 9 main layers in the ruins, each with its own subdivisions. The features of settlements from different eras can be briefly described as follows.
Troy I.
The first settlement was a small fortress with a diameter of no more than 90 m. It had a massive defensive wall with gates and square towers. In this settlement, ten successive layers are distinguished, which proves the duration of its existence. Pottery from this period is sculpted without a potter's wheel, and is gray or black in color and has a polished surface. There are tools made of copper.
Troy II.
On the ruins of the first fortress, a larger citadel with a diameter of approx. 125 m. It also has high thick walls, protruding towers and gates. A ramp paved with well-fitted pieces of flagstone led into the fortress from the southeast. The defensive wall was rebuilt twice and expanded as the power and wealth of the rulers grew. In the center of the fortress, a palace (megaron) with a deep portico and a large main hall has been partially preserved. Around the palace there is a courtyard, smaller living quarters and warehouses. The seven stages of Troy II are represented by layers of overlapping architectural remains. At the last stage, the city was destroyed in such a powerful flame that the heat caused the brick and stone to crumble and turn to dust. The disaster was so sudden that the inhabitants fled, leaving behind all their valuables and household items.
Troy III–V.
After the destruction of Troy II, her place was immediately taken. Settlements III, IV and V, each larger than the previous one, show traces of continuous cultural tradition. These settlements consist of groups of small houses separated from each other by narrow alleys. Vessels with molded images of a human face are common. Along with local products, imported goods characteristic of mainland Greece of the Early Bronze Age are found, as in earlier layers.
Troy VI.
The first stages of settlement VI are marked by the appearance of the so-called. gray Minya pottery, as well as the first evidence of horses. After going through a long period of growth, the city entered its next stage of exceptional wealth and power. The diameter of the citadel exceeded 180 m; it was surrounded by a 5 m thick wall, skillfully built of cut stone. There were at least three towers and four gates along the perimeter. Inside, large buildings and palaces were located in concentric circles, rising along terraces to the center of the hill (the upper layers of the top no longer exist, see Troy IX below). The buildings of Troy VI were built on a larger scale than the earlier ones, with pillars and column bases found in some. Ended an era strong earthquake, which covered the walls with cracks and collapsed the buildings themselves. Throughout the successive stages of Troy VI, gray Minyan pottery remained the main form of local pottery production, supplemented by a few vessels imported from Greece during the Middle Bronze Age and many vessels imported during the Mycenaean era.
Troy VII.
After the earthquake, this area was repopulated. The large perimeter wall was reused, as were the surviving parts of the walls and many of the building blocks. The houses became smaller, they were crowded closer to each other, as if many more people were seeking shelter in the fortress. Large jars for supplies were built into the floors of houses, most likely for hard times. The first phase of Troy VII, designated VIIa, was destroyed by fire, but part of the population returned and re-settled on the hill, at first in the same composition, but later these people were joined (or temporarily conquered) by another tribe, bringing with them crude manufactured (without pottery) circle) pottery, which became a characteristic feature of Troy VIIb and, apparently, indicates connections with Europe.
Troy VIII.
Now Troy has become Greek city. It was well-maintained in the first periods, but by the 6th century. BC, when part of the population left it, it fell into decay. Be that as it may, Troy had no political weight. In the sanctuary on the southwestern slope of the acropolis, sacrifices were made - most likely to Cybele; there may also have been a temple to Athena at the summit.
Troy IX.
In the Hellenistic era, the place called Ilion played no role, except for the memories of the heroic past associated with it. Alexander the Great made a pilgrimage here in 334 BC, and his successors also revered this city. They and the Roman emperors from the Julio-Claudian dynasty carried out a program of large-scale reconstruction of the city. The top of the hill was cut off and leveled (so that layers VI, VII and VIII were mixed). A temple to Athena with a sacred site was erected here, public buildings, also surrounded by a wall, were built on the hill and on a flat area to the south, and a large theater was built on the northeastern slope. During the time of Constantine the Great, who at one point intended to make the city his capital, Ilion flourished, but lost its importance again with the rise of Constantinople.
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Excerpt describing Troy“I didn’t even know!” exclaimed Stella. “I was just thinking yesterday about those dead people you helped, and asked my grandmother how they could come back.” It turned out that it is possible, you just need to know how to do it! So I came. Aren't you glad?..– Oh, well, of course, I’m glad! – I immediately assured, and I myself was panickingly trying to come up with something so that it would be possible to communicate with her and all my other guests at the same time, without giving anything away to her or myself. But then an even bigger surprise suddenly occurred, which completely knocked me out of the already quite complicated rut.... “Oh, how many lights!... And how cool,aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatly, squealed in complete delight, with a lisp, a three year old child squeaked, spinning like a top on his mother’s lap. . - And the barefoot boots!... And the barefoot boots are so big! I stared at him, dumbfounded, and sat there for a while, unable to utter a word. And the baby, as if nothing had happened, happily continued to babble and break free from his mother’s tightly holding hands in order to “feel” all these “beauties” that had suddenly fallen from somewhere, and were also so bright and so multi-colored.... Stella, realizing that someone else had seen her, out of joy began to show him various funny fairy-tale pictures, which completely enchanted the baby, and he, with a happy squeal, jumped on his mother’s lap from the wild delight that flowed “over the edge”... - Girl, girl, who are you girl?! Oh, ba-a-tyuski, what a big mi-i-ska!!! And completely lame! Mom, mom, maybe I can take him home?.. Oh, and how shiny the little ones are!... And the golden fangs!.. His wide-open blue eyes delightedly caught every new appearance of the “bright and unusual”, and his happy face beamed with joy - the baby accepted everything that was happening childishly naturally, as if this was exactly the way it was supposed to be... The situation was completely out of control, but I didn’t notice anything around, thinking at that moment only about one thing - the boy saw!!! He saw the same way I saw!.. So, after all, it was true that such people exist somewhere else?.. And that means - I was completely normal and not at all alone, as I thought at first!. So, this really was a Gift?.. Apparently, I was too stunned and looked at him closely, because the confused mother blushed very red and immediately rushed to “calm down” her son so that no one could hear what he was talking about... and She immediately began to prove to me that “he’s just making everything up, and that the doctor says (!!!) that he has a very wild imagination... and you don’t need to pay attention to him!..”. She was very nervous, and I saw that she really wanted to leave here right now, just to avoid possible questions... – Please, just don’t worry! – I said quietly pleadingly. – Your son doesn’t invent – he sees! Same as me. You must help him! Please don't take him to the doctor again, your boy is special! And the doctors will kill all this! Talk to my grandmother - she will explain a lot to you... Just don’t take him to the doctor again, please!.. - I couldn’t stop, because my heart ached for this little, gifted boy, and I wildly wanted what it would be It’s not worth it to “save” it!.. “Look, now I’ll show him something and he’ll see - but you won’t, because he has a gift and you don’t,” and I quickly recreated Stella’s red dragon. “Oh-oh, whoa-oh is this?!..” the boy clapped his hands in delight. - This is a dakonsik, right? As in a cap - dlakonsik?.. Oh, how red he is!.. Mommy, look - dlakonsik! “I had a gift too, Svetlana...” the neighbor whispered quietly. “But I won’t allow my son to suffer the same way because of this.” I have already suffered for both of them... He should have a different life!.. I even jumped in surprise!.. So she saw?! And she knew?!.. – here I just burst out with indignation... “Haven’t you thought that he might have the right to choose for himself?” This is his life! And if you couldn’t cope with it, that doesn’t mean he can’t either! You have no right to take away his gift from him even before he realizes that he has it!.. It’s like murder - you want to kill a part of him that he hasn’t even heard of yet!.. - he hissed indignantly it’s me, but inside me everything just “stood on end” from such terrible injustice! I wanted to convince this stubborn woman at all costs to leave her wonderful baby alone! But I clearly saw from her sad, but very confident look that it was unlikely this moment I will be able to convince her of something at all, and I decided to leave my attempts for today, and later talk with my grandmother, and perhaps the two of us can come up with something that could be done here... I just looked at the woman sadly and also once asked: – Please don’t take him to the doctor, you know he’s not sick!.. She just smiled tensely in response, and quickly took the baby with her and went out onto the porch, apparently to breathe fresh air, which (I was sure of this) she really lacked at the moment... I knew this neighbor very well. She was quite a nice woman, but what struck me most once was that she was one of those people who tried to completely “isolate” their children from me and poisoned me after the unfortunate incident with “lighting the fire”! .. (Although her eldest son, we must give him his due, never betrayed me and, despite any prohibitions, still continued to be friends with me). She, who, as it now turned out, knew better than anyone else that I was a completely normal and harmless girl! And that I, just like she once did, was simply looking for the right way out of that “incomprehensible and unknown” into which fate so unexpectedly threw me... Without a doubt, fear must be a very strong factor in our lives if a person can so easily betray and so simply turn away from someone who so badly needs help, and whom he could easily help if not for the same fear settled so deeply and reliably in him... Of course, we can say that I don’t know what once happened to her, and what an evil and merciless fate forced her to endure... But, if I knew that someone at the very beginning of life had the same gift , who made me suffer so much, I would do everything in my power to somehow help or guide this other gifted person on the right path, so that he would not have to “wander in the dark” just as blindly and suffer greatly... And she, instead of helping, on the contrary, tried to “punish” me, as others punished me, but at least these others did not know what it was and tried to honestly protect their children from what they could not explain or understand. And so, as if nothing had happened, she came to visit us today with her little son, who turned out to be exactly the same “gifted” as me, and whom she was wildly afraid to show to someone, so that God forbid, someone... then I didn’t see that her sweet baby was exactly the same “curse” that, according to her “ostentatious” concept, I was... Now I was sure that it didn’t give her much pleasure to come to us, but she wouldn’t refuse either she very much could, for the simple reason that her eldest son, Algis, was invited to my birthday, and on her part there was no serious reason not to let him in, and it would have been too rude and “not appropriate.” -neighborly” if she would go for it. And we invited her for the simple reason that they lived three streets away from us, and her son would have to return home in the evening alone, so, naturally realizing that the mother would worry, we decided that it would be more correct to invite her along with her for my little son to spend the evening at our festive table. And she, “poor,” as I now understood, was just suffering here, waiting for the opportunity to leave us as soon as possible, and, if possible, without any incidents, to return home as soon as possible... -Are you okay, honey? – Mom’s affectionate voice sounded nearby. I immediately smiled at her as confidently as possible and said that, of course, I was completely fine. And I myself, from everything that was happening, felt dizzy, and my soul was already beginning to sink into my heels, as I saw that the guys were gradually starting to turn around at me and, like it or not, I had to quickly pull myself together and “establish “Iron control” over my raging emotions... I was thoroughly “knocked out” of my usual state and, to great shame, completely forgot about Stella... But the baby immediately tried to remind herself. “But you said that you don’t have friends, and how many of them are there?!..” Stella asked, surprised and even a little upset. - These are not the real friends. These are just guys I live next to or study with. They are not like you. But you are real. Stella immediately began to shine... And I, “disconnectedly” smiling at her, feverishly tried to find some way out, absolutely not knowing how to get out of this “slippery” situation, and was already starting to get nervous, because I didn’t want to to offend my best friend, but I probably knew that soon they would definitely start to notice my “strange” behavior... And again stupid questions would start pouring in, which I didn’t have the slightest desire to answer today. – Wow, how delicious you have here!!! - looking at it in delight festive table, Stella chattered. - What a pity, I can’t try anymore!.. What did they give you today? Can I have a look?.. – as usual, questions rained down from her. – They gave me my favorite horse!.. And a lot more, I haven’t even looked at it yet. But I will definitely show you everything! Stella simply sparkled with happiness to be with me here on Earth, and I became more and more lost, unable to find a solution to this delicate situation. – How beautiful it all is!.. And how delicious it must be!.. – How lucky you are to have something like this! During the Dark Ages (XI-IX centuries BC), which began, wandering singers wandered along the roads of Greece. They were invited to houses and palaces, treated to a table next to the owners, and after the meal, the guests gathered to listen to stories about gods and heroes. The singers recited hexameters and played along with themselves on the lyre. The most famous of them was Homer. He is considered to be the author of two epic poems - the Iliad (about the siege of Troy) and the Odyssey (about the return of the king from the campaign Greek island Ithaca Odyssey), while many literary scholars agree that the poems themselves were created over many centuries and bear traces of different eras. Even in ancient times, almost nothing was known about Homer. They said that he came from the island of Chios and was blind. they argue for the right to be called his homeland. Scientists believe that Homer lived around 850-750. BC e. By this time, the poems had already developed as integral literary works. Homer told how the city of Troy was destroyed by the Achaeans after many years of siege. The cause of the war was the abduction of the wife of the Spartan king Minelaus Helen by the Trojan prince Paris. It so happened that three goddesses - Hera, Athena and Aphrodite - turned to the young man with the question of which of them was the most beautiful. Aphrodite promised the prince the love of the most beautiful woman in the world if he named her. Paris recognized Aphrodite as the most beautiful, and Hera and Athena harbored a grudge against him. The most beautiful woman lived in Sparta. She was so beautiful that all the Greek kings wanted to take her as their wife. Helen chose Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. On the advice of Odysseus, all of Helen's previous suitors vowed to help Menelaus if anyone tried to take his wife away from him. After some time, Paris went to Sparta on trade matters. There he met Helen and became passionate, and Aphrodite helped him capture the queen’s heart. The lovers fled to Troy under the protection of Paris's father, King Priam. Remembering the oath, the Mycenaean kings, led by Agamemnon, gathered on a campaign. Among them was the bravest Achilles and the most cunning Odysseus. Troy was a powerful fortress, and it was not easy to storm it. For ten years the Achaean army stood under the walls of the city without achieving victory. The defense was led by Priam's eldest son Hector, a brave warrior who enjoyed the love of his fellow citizens.
Finally, Odysseus came up with a trick. They built a huge wooden horse, in whose belly the warriors hid. They left the horse at the walls of the city, and they themselves defiantly sailed home on ships. The Trojans believed that the enemy had left and dragged the horse into the city, rejoicing at such an unusual trophy. At night, the warriors hiding inside the horse got out, opened the city gates and let their comrades into Troy, who, as it turned out, quietly returned to the city walls. Troy has fallen. The Achaeans destroyed almost all the men, and took the women and children into slavery. Modern scholars believe that the Trojan War occurred in 1240-1230. BC e. Its real reason could have been trade rivalry between Troy and the alliance of Mycenaean kings. In ancient times, the Greeks believed in the truth of the myths about the Trojan War. And indeed, if we remove the deeds of the gods from the Iliad and Odyssey, the poems look like detailed historical chronicles. Homer even conveys long list ships that went on a campaign against Troy. Historians of the 18th-19th centuries looked at the matter differently; for them, the Iliad and the Odyssey were literary works, the plot of which was fictional from beginning to end. This preconceived opinion was only able to be overturned by the excavations of the German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. He was convinced that Homer's characters were real historical figures. Since childhood, Schliemann deeply experienced the tragedy of Troy and dreamed of finding this mysterious city. The son of a pastor, he was engaged in business for many years, until one day he saved enough money to start excavations. In 1871, Schliemann went to the north-west of the Asia Minor peninsula, to an area that in ancient times was called Troas, where, according to Homer’s instructions, Troy was located. The Greeks also called it Ilion, which is where the name of the poem came from - “The Iliad”. In the 19th century these lands belonged Ottoman Empire. Having agreed with the Turkish government, Schliemann began excavations on the Hissarlik hill, geographical position which matched Homer's description. Luck smiled on him. The hill hid the ruins of not one, but nine cities that succeeded each other over twenty centuries. Schliemann led several expeditions to Hisarlik. The fourth was decisive. The archaeologist considered Homer's Troy to be a settlement located in the second layer from the bottom. In order to get to it, Schliemann had to “demolish” the remains of at least seven more cities that stored many valuable finds. In the second layer, Schliemann discovered the Scaean Gate, the tower on which Helen, sitting, showed Priam the Greek generals. Schliemann's discoveries shocked the scientific world. There was no doubt that Homer told about the war that actually took place. However, continued excavations by professional researchers yielded an unexpected result: the city that Schliemann mistook for Troy is a thousand years older than the Trojan War. Troy itself, if, of course, it was it, Schliemann “threw away” along with the seven upper layers. The amateur archaeologist’s assertion that he “looked into the face of Agamemnon” also turned out to be erroneous. The graves contained people who lived several centuries before the Trojan War. But most importantly, the finds showed that it is far from the Greek archaism well known from the Iliad and Odyssey. It is older, much higher in level of development and much richer. Homer wrote his poems five or six centuries after the destruction of the Mycenaean world. He could not even imagine palaces with water pipes and frescoes in which thousands of slaves worked. He shows the life of people as it became in his time, after the invasion of the barbarian Dorians. Homer's kings live little better than ordinary people. Their wooden houses, surrounded by a palisade, have an earthen floor and a soot-covered ceiling. At the threshold of Odysseus's palace there is a fragrant dung heap on which his beloved dog Argus lies. Penelope's suitors slaughter and skin the animals themselves during feasts. The king of the fabulously rich people of the Phaeacians, Alcinous, has “fifty involuntary needlewomen” who grind flour, and fifty weavers. His daughter Navsekaya and her friends wash their clothes on the seashore. Penelope spins and weaves with her maids. The life of Homer's heroes is patriarchal and simple. Odysseus's father Laertes himself worked the land with a hoe, and Prince Paris tended his flocks in the mountains, where he met three arguing goddesses... There is still controversy surrounding the excavations of Troy. Did Schliemann find the right city? Thanks to the discovery and reading of documents from the archives of the Hittite kings, it is known that this people traded with Troy and Ilion. they knew them as two different cities in Asia Minor and called them Truisa and Wilusa. Be that as it may, as a result of the excavations of a hasty and not very attentive amateur, the world first became acquainted with the Mycenaean culture. This civilization eclipsed with its brilliance and wealth everything that was previously known about the early history of Greece. Related publications
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