Troy

Author: Alexandra Villing
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780500480588
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
Troy is familiar to us from the timeless and epic tales of Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid. These have been retold over the centuries by writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare to Madeline Miller and Rick Riordan, and enacted by stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brad Pitt. But how much do we really know about the city of Troy; its storytellers, myth, actual location or legacy? In this richly illustrated book, the story of Troy is told through a new lens. Published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, it introduces the storytellers and Classical artists inspired by the myths of Troy, then examines the tales themselves - from the Judgment of Paris to the return of Odysseus - through the Classical objects for which the museum is internationally known. The third section focuses on Heinrich Schliemann's excavations at Hissarlik, introducing the nineteenth-century search for the location of Troy that convinced the world that this city did once exist. Also explored is the possible Bronze Age background for the myth of the Trojan War, the historicity of which remains unresolved today. The final section delves into the legacy of Troy, and the different ways in which its story has been retold, both in literature and art, from Homer to the present day. Focusing on the major characters - 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 by this archetypal tale to reflect on contemporary themes of war and heroism, love and beauty.

Troy on Display

Author: Abigail Baker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1350114294
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Book Description
This book explores what visitors saw at the Trojan exhibition and why its contents, including treasure, plain pottery and human remains captured imaginations and divided opinions. When Schliemann's Trojan collection was first exhibited in 1877, no-one had seen anything like it. Schliemann claimed these objects had been owned by participants in the Trojan War and that they were tangible evidence that Homer's epics were true. Yet, these objects did not reflect the heroic past imagined by Victorians, and a fierce controversy broke out about the collection's value and significance. Schliemann invited Londoners to see the very unclassical objects on display as the roots of classical culture. Artists, poets, historians, race theorists, bankers and humourists took up this challenge, but their conclusions were not always to Schliemann's liking. Troy's appeal lay in its materiality: visitors could apply analytical techniques (from aesthetic appreciation to skull-measuring) to the collection and draw their own conclusions. This book argues for a deep examination of museum exhibitions as a constructed spatial experience, which can transform how the past is seen. This new angle on a famous archaeological discovery shows the museum as a site of controversy, where hard evidence and wild imagination came together to form a lasting image of Troy.

The Iliad

Author: Homer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Book Description

Troy

Author: Naoise Mac Sweeney
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472522516
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 208

Book Description
From the palaces of Homeric epic to the ancestral seat of Roman emperors, Troy in antiquity was a place couched in myth. But for nearly four millennia, Troy was also a living city, inhabited by real people. Troy today is therefore a site of major archaeological and historical significance. In the modern world, however, Troy has become as much a symbol as a site. From movies to computer viruses, from condom branding to reggae records, Troy is a word to conjure with. This book explores the significance of Troy in three areas: the mythic, the archaeological, and the cultural, and highlights the continuing importance of the site today. Including a survey of the archaeological remains of Troy as they are currently understood, the volume presents an all-inclusive overview of the site's history, from the Troy of Homer to Classical Antiquity and beyond. The modern day cultural significance of the Trojan War is also discussed, including re-tellings of the stories or representations of the site and myth, and the more abstract use of Troy as a symbol – as a brand for consumer goods, and as a metaphor for contemporary conflicts.

The Plains of Troy

Author: Henry Wentworth Acland
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Troy (Extinct city)
Languages : en
Pages : 158

Book Description

The Complete World of Greek Mythology (The Complete Series)

Author: Richard Buxton
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500776407
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 601

Book Description
A full, authoritative, and wholly engaging account of these endlessly fascinating tales and of the ancient society in which they were created. Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed—their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape. "Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater. "Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities. "The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities. "Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes. "Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines. "A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld. "Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century. Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks.

Helen of Troy

Author: Bettany Hughes
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 184413329X
Category : Civilization, Mycenaean
Languages : en
Pages : 532

Book Description
As soon as men began to write, they made Helen of Troy their subject; for close on three thousand years she has been both the embodiment of absolute female beauty and a reminder of the terrible power that beauty can wield. Because of her double marriage to the Greek King Menelaus and the Trojan Prince Paris, Helen was held responsible for an enduring enmity between East and West. For millennia she has been viewed as ane xquisite agent of extermination. But who was she?

Greek Mythology: A Traveler's Guide from Mount Olympus to Troy

Author: David Stuttard
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500773319
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262

Book Description
A hands-on traveler's guide to the enthralling tales of Greek mythology, organized around the cities and landscapes where the events are set The Greek myths have a universal appeal, beyond the time and physical place in which they were created. But many are firmly rooted in specific landscapes: the city of Thebes and mountain range Cithaeron dominate the tale of Oedipus; the city of Mycenae broods over the fates of Agamemnon and Electra; while Knossos boasts the scene of Theseus’ slaying of the Minotaur. Drawing on a wide range of classical sources, newly translated by the author, and illustrated with specially commissioned drawings, this book is both a useful read for those visiting the sites and a fascinating imaginative journey for the armchair traveler. The itinerary includes twenty-two locations, from Mount Olympus to Homer’s Hades, recounting the myths and history associated with each site and highlighting features that visitors can still see today. Scholarly text, supported by quotes from primary sources and contemporary research, as well as the enticing stories of gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, enrich the reader’s literal or simply literary experience of these sites, whose significance still resonates today.

The Secrets of Troy

Author: Izabela Miszczak
Publisher: ASLAN Publishing House
ISBN: 8395313098
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 125

Book Description
The tale of mighty Troy has tempted the travellers for thousands of years. The tragic fate of the powerful city of King Priam, sung by the semi-legendary bard called Homer, has been one of the most frequently retold dramas of all times. Even in the ancient times, when Asia Minor was colonised by the Greeks and later controlled by the Romans, the site of Troy was a great tourist attraction. When visiting this World Heritage Site, you will be following in the footsteps of the Persian ruler Xerxes, Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Roman Emperor Hadrian, and the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror. Even if it is difficult to say with certainty that the archaeological site first excavated in the 19th century is the location of the Trojan War, the visit here brings many emotions and evokes the scenes from the Homer's story. By following this guidebook, you will be able to imagine brave Achilles chasing the Trojan prince Hector around the mighty fortifications of Troy. The book will also help you to understand the geography of the site and the surrounding countryside. On a bright day, you will see the remote Aegean Islands where the Greek ships had been hidden before the fall of the city. Looking in another direction, you will glimpse the distant outlines of Mount Ida - the favourite location of the Olympian gods who had played with the mythical heroes' fates like a game of chess. Moreover, this guidebook offers you a tour of the archaeological site that is, admittedly, quite difficult to understand with its multiple layers. All significant locations are described in great detail to add more satisfaction to the experience. Before you come to Troy, make sure to read the chapters devoted to the site's archaeology and history. Finally, the newly opened Troy Museum, located not far from the site, has been thoroughly presented in this book and you might want to visit it before taking a tour of the site. In this guidebook you will find a detailed plan of the site of Troy, showing all the main stops of the tour. The map of the region of Troad will assist you in putting Troy in the wider geographical context. It should be also helpful during the visit to the Troy Museum where the presented exhibits include not only the objects from Troy, but also from other nearby sites. The book provides practical information for the visitors such as ticket prices and opening hours as well as the transportation options from the city of Çanakkale. If all of this is not enough, there is a bibliography to satisfy the needs of the most inquiring readers.

The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman

Author: Grayson Perry
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780714118208
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Catalogue of exhibition combining Grayson Perry's own work with objects from across the British Museum's collection.