Windy Troy
I’ve walked many ancient sites, but Troy is different. Homer writes of ‘windy Troy’, and when I stood upon the ruined battlements, looking out toward the sapphire sea, it was constant and strong. I thought of exhausted sailors rowing past Cape Sigeion, and their relief pulling into the Bay of Troy.
I took the picture, above, looking down from the citadel. This is the Scamander Plain, where the story tells us Trojans and Greeks fought. I felt as though I was Hector, my scarf fluttering in the wind, looking down upon Achilles, furious at Hector for having killed his loyal friend Patroclus. And then the same wind that would have brought the screams of rage from Achilles to Hector suddenly brought me the sounds of two armed Turkish F16s shrieking above and across the sky…
Surely, you may be thinking, “Come now Nigel, the rage of Achilles is just a story. The Greeks just got tired of paying tolls, so they got together and burnt the place down”.
But I tell you, if you were to come to see, and to feel, this place, you wouldn’t remember your trip as a pile of stones on a hill. You might first think about the story of the Iliad, the revenge of a wronged husband, who called upon his brother to gather an army of the Achaeans’ cities, to launch a mighty fleet against one city. You will then begin to ponder why this war took upon itself a life of its own over ten long years – and only ended through trickery. You will be thinking that it was fought by brave and noble men, amongst cowards and by deceit, by powerful gods and goddesses, who were filled with spite and childish motives; a tale of death, honour, rage, betrayal and hopeless causes, devoid of mercy. You will be thinking the Trojan War is a great epic, filled with characters both good and bad.
But it is much more than that. You will begin to see your trip is not about the Trojan War, or even the ten cities and 4,000 years of history on the site: it is about the human condition. The human condition is replete with resonances and echoes of interwoven themes that contrast and conflict. It is timeless and universal.
Its themes are of duty, honour, love, and most often power and of who wields the power. It is about how we suffer, and cause suffering to others. The story involves selflessness and selfishness, and the labyrinthine consequences of our actions. The fact that the gods are immortal, and do not suffer for their lies, adulteries and mistakes allows them to mess with humans’ lives time and time again.
The greatest of the Greek warriors, Achilles, is flawed: he throws a temper tantrum and refuses to fight when his bedroom toy, a pretty Trojan princess, is taken by his boss, King Agamemnon. In all conflicts, for who, and for what, do we fight for?
The ruins of Troy stand outside time.
A visit here permits a reflection upon our own lives and purposes. It is a time to consider your own myths. The story of Troy is a lament for the failure of Mankind to live – or even to reach for – its potential. It is a sobering and educational tool. It is the purpose of serious storytelling.
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Now, off the soapbox!
The juicy bits: Originally Troy was called Wilusa. The place will make your heart pound. Besides the well-known stories of Troy, newly translated – but tantalizingly fragmentary – Hittite records reveal another, earlier, thousand years of wars, confederations, political manoeuverings and intrigues. Human nature clearly has not changed! And recent excavations by archaeologists trained on Turkish sites (rather than Greek sites) has enriched our knowledge in recent years.
Cross section of the citadel, showing the growing city, in different colours, over 4,000 years
Excavations showing the different cities over the years
A clearer picture of the Luwian, Hittite, Arzawan and Achaean (Greek) civilizations and their interrelationships and how oral traditions shaped the Iliad and subsequent Western culture is now evolving. Archaeologists think Troy VI is the one of noble Hector and fair Helen, the egotistical Ajax and the cowardly Paris. (It was Paris’ own brother Hector who told him he was a coward. Paris could have stopped the war and the killing! Where have we heard this before?)
Nearby museums explain and illustrate. As I have found out myself, the guides and curators want to share their knowledge – whether it be on how broken pots go back together, or more interestingly, stories of horse-taming by the Trojans and the importance of horses to their culture, running wild on the wide Anatolian plain – no wonder clever Odysseus chose a horse! Oh, the irony! (You knew I couldn’t resist).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/travellingrunes/2949254926/
The Mykonos Vase – the first known representation of the Trojan Horse
One of the more fascinating aspects is that there is still so much more to learn – a city of 10,000 souls situated on an impregnable hill, incredibly wealthy, famed for its trade and military prowess as far away as Ancient Egypt – and yet its language is unknown and undeciphered. Perhaps Luwian is Linear A, (below), found at Knossos and Phaistos on Crete?
Mysteries are part of the world of Troy, beckoning to be explored and discovered, all these years later.
If you visit Troy – and you should:
o Perhaps the greatest Turkish character trait is the reticence to browbeat you with their superiority over other cultures. They are, well, nice. Just like us!
o Turkish Airlines has impressed me for over 25 years. They have convenient flights into Istanbul and other Turkish cities. The airports are new, and security is professional.
o Fast ferries from Istanbul reduce the driving time to Troy and the environs.
o I’ve found car rentals and driving in Türkiye easy, inexpensive and worry-free.
o Food is unquestionably divine, and the accommodation selection wide and of good value.
o There are unlimited historical sites in Türkiye – from Neolithic Çatalhöyük (the first city of Mankind) to museums recording the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1923…
o If you want beaches and resorts, the Aegean coastline has an unlimited supply in all price and amenity ranges…
o Türkiye is easy, affordable, tolerant, respectful, and its people will welcome you with open arms. Come and see where legends once walked!
