Beware of Greeks. Even When They Bear Gifts.

This is the Trojan Horse from the movie Troy. Emily said it looked tiny. Can you spot her?

Nearly everyone knows at least part of the Iliad. If anything, they know the 2004 movie, Troy, starring Brad Pitt. We were able to visit what is believed to be the sight of the real Troy. Homer's poem, the Iliad, gives many hints as to where the city might be. When they first began excavating the sight in the mid-1800s, they were looking for gold. Instead of carefully excavating, they carved up the land carelessly until they found it. Only afterward did someone realize that there were 9 layers to the Trojan city. The first layer was built around 2500BC, and the last city ceased to exist in 500AD. Each layer represents a different time period when Troy existed as a city.

This is a model Trojan Horse they had at the excavation site.

For the next 140+ years there has been an effort to carefully excavate the sight and reconstruct the nine layers of cities. On the tour of Troy, you can see that the city began as a small village and developed into a powerful and wealthy walled city on the Aegean over 3000 years. No one is 100% sure that the sight is actually Troy, but the strong walls and location make a very good argument.

You start the tour looking at walls from Homeric (Troy six and seven) and Roman (Troy eight and nine) Troy. You move from there to the temple of Athena, which was built during Alexander the Great's time. Next, you move much farther back in time to the foundations of cities one and two. Most of the parts that have already been excavated center around cities six and seven, because these cities were most likely the ones in Homer's poems. Current excavation is being done to uncover the much larger (20,000 citizens) Roman city, and Troy one and two (2500BC Troy). As the site is layered one Troy city over another, the Roman Troy is actually 200m higher than Troy one.

Overlooking the excavation site.

Walls from Homeric times, Roman times, and pre-Homeric times.

A Roman wall where I am waiting for Emily as usual.

They have already uncovered an amphitheater, which you can sit in,and the remains of a Roman senate building. For anyone who isn't familiar with the complete story, the Aeneid is an extension of the story of Troy. According to Roman legend, Aeneas escaped the city after the Trojan War, and founded Rome. Troy became a holy city for the Romans. It only makes sense that they would have built on top of its ruins once they conquered most of the known world. There is a lot of evidence to point to the fact that this Troy is the real deal.

This is a ramp where treasure was discovered. They originally thought it was the treasure from Homeric Troy, because of the amount. It was later discovered that this treasure was only from the second Trojan city. The amount in Homer's Troy would have been much greater. They still aren't sure what exactly happened to that gold.

The amphitheater.

It is a lot of fun to see the speculation on where Achilles killed Hector and where Priam and Andromache may have watched from the walls. They even think they know where the Trojan horse was brought in. If it's all true, it gives credence to at least some of Homer's work. It was an enjoyable experience and a must for anyone that liked reading the Iliad or Odyssey.