In the next few episodes, I will be talking about Homer, the Iliad and Troy, or at least, what we can say about the reality of it archaeologically. Homer is a tricky source to work with, and it's unwise to take anything he says literally. He tells us far more about the nature and culture of his own time period in the 8th century Archaic Age than he does about anything genuinely Bronze Age.
Overview of topics in this episode:
🏛️ Analysing Troy in literature Vs the archaeological site of Hisarlik/Wilusa
🔍 The history and motive of excavation at Hisarlik under Schliemann & Cavet
📜 Homeric Archaeology -the debate over using Homer’s texts as historical sources and the implications for classical archaeology
🏺 The nature of Epic Poetry - How oral tradition works, and how Homer’s works were composed and performed in the context of bardic culture
📚 Dating the Epic -The work of scholars like Susan Sherratt in dating Homer’s compositions and understanding the mix of historical periods in his narratives
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the impact of Homer’s epics in the comments. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more deep dives into archaeology!
Sources & Bibliography:
Sherratt, E. S. 1990: Reading the texts: archaeology and the Homeric question, Antiquity 64, 807‑24.
Bennet, J. 1997: Homer and the Bronze Age, in I. Morris & B. Powell (eds.) A New Companion to Homer, 511‑34.
Mac Sweeney, N. 2018: Troy: Myth, City, Icon, London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Morris, I. 1986: The use and abuse of Homer, Classical Antiquity 5, 81‑138
Whitley, A. J. M. 2013: Homer's entangled objects: narrative, agency and personhood in and out of Iron Age texts. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 23(3), pp. 395-416.
Stocker, S. R.; Davis, J L. 2017: The Combat Agate from the Grave of the Griffin Warrior at Pylos. Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 86 (4): 583-605.
Meagher, R E. 2002: The Meaning of Helen: In Search of an Ancient Icon. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. pp. 46.
Jackson, P. 2002: Light from Distant Asterisks. Towards a Description of the Indo-European Religious Heritage. Numen. 49 (1): 61-102.
E. Laroche, 1966: Les noms des Hittites. 325, 364; cited in Watkins, C. 1984: The Language of the Trojans: Troy and the Trojan War: A Symposium Held at Bryn Mawr College.
Gunderman, R. 2021: Heinrich Schliemann. archeological pioneer. Indianapolis Business Journal. 42 (7): 13A.
Korfmann, M, O. 2007: Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood epic. Winkler, Martin M (ed.). Blackwell Publishing Limited.
Jablonka, P. 2011: Troy in regional and international context. In Steadman, S; McMahon, G (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia. Oxford University Press.
Aslan, C. 2011: A Place of Burning: Hero or Ancestor Cult at Troy. Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 80. 381-429.
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