Troy myth, city, icon

Author / Creator

Mac Sweeney, Naoíse, 1982- author

Available as

Online

Physical

Summary

"As one of the earliest and most intensively excavated sites of the pre-Classical period in Anatolia and the Aegean, Troy is of major archaeological and historical significance. But it is also of w...

"As one of the earliest and most intensively excavated sites of the pre-Classical period in Anatolia and the Aegean, Troy is of major archaeological and historical significance. But it is also of wider cultural significance, beyond the confines of archaeology and ancient history. Stories of the Trojan War and abstract metaphors relating to Troy abound in the present day, as they have since antiquity. 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 archaeological, the disciplinary, 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 survey of the site's history, from the Troy of Homer to the Bronze and Iron Ages, and that of Classical Antiquity. The modern day cultural impact of the site and 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."--Bloomsbury Publishing

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

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