Trojan War or Trade War

China Jim

New member
Recently finished my class in Ancient Greek Civilization, was required to do a book review x2 and a research paper. I decided to do the review on The War That Killed Achilles, after reading the book and posting the review I included a question to my Prof. " Has anyone ever put forth the possibility that the battle between the Acheans and Ilians was not over a women named Helen but the main trade artery into the black sea known as Hellespont? If this be so then Homers tale was a parable about the stupidity of total war. " My Prof. replied that he had never hear of such a thing, has any one on the list? If so either way get back with me might be a way of doing a bit of nosy historian research via books and the net
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
I smell a dissertation coming on. I'd read that book too. And, The title of the thread made me think of today's current headlines.

I hope this thread takes off!
 

China Jim

New member
I will do my best

Pale Horse got your reply, once I get a bit more feedback I will see what will happen on the subject I am no Indiana Jones but I do search for facts that will lead to the truth.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
It's been many years since I did Classical Civilization, but we read Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and looked at the Trojan War.

The Hisarlik site that Schliemann found and claimed as Troy was pretty small, especially seven (?) settlements down at the period thought to coincide with the war.

The opinion when I was studying was that the 'war' was a small affair, maybe a piratic raid. When Homer composed the Iliad he blew the war up into an epic, which has stayed with us through the years. His list of the ships sent by the various states was a method of appealing to the various audiences who would hear the poem retold. And the inclusion of Helen the woman was most likely a fanciful and romantic idea.

Therefore, the idea that the conflict was over trade access is a very interesting one: a rise in tension as opposed to all-out war. That could well have lasted for ten years, during which time pirates might have launched raids, not only against vessels but on land as well.

Finding the evidence for the causes of a conflict is going to be somewhat of a challenge, though.
 
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