1. The Trojan War: Fact or Fiction?
The truth behind mythology

2. Fact or Fiction?
When reading The Odyssey it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between what is historically accurate and what details have been embellished or invented. The purpose of this PowerPoint is to answer your burning questions: is it fact or fiction?

3. Did the city of Troy really exist?
Fact or Fiction:
Did the city of Troy really exist?
Fact!
We have scientific evidence that Troy did exist. According to Manfred Korfmann, professor of archeology at the University of Tübigen and director of excavations at Troy, the city appears to have been destroyed around 1180 B.C.E.

4. Where was the city of Troy located?
Troy was located in current day northwestern Turkey. Its site is almost universally accepted as the mound now named Hissarlik, about 4 miles from the mouth of the Dardanelles.

5. Map of Ancient Greece

6. Current Map of Odysseus’ Odyssey

7. Did the Trojan War really happen?
Fact or Fiction:
Did the Trojan War really happen?
Fact!
Archaeological and historical findings suggest that there were several armed conflicts around Troy.
According to Manfred Korfmann, the most current knowledge suggests that Homer “should be taken seriously, that his story of a military conflict between Greeks and the inhabitants of Troy is based on a memory of historical events.”

8. What caused the Trojan War?
The probable cause was economic.
Troy’s location (Turkey) enabled it to control all trade and shipping, giving it the ability to limit trade for Sparta and Ithaca (Greece)

9. What caused the Trojan War?
The Legendary Cause:
Helen, King Menelaus of Sparta’s wife, was kidnapped by Paris, a young Trojan prince.
King Menelaus built an army to bring Helen back
Achilles and Odysseus joined this effort.

10. Works Cited
Great Books: The Odyssey. Discovery Channel School unitedstreaming. 5 March <
unitedstreaming.com/>.
Korfmann, Manfred. “Was There a Trojan War?” Archaeology. Archaeology Institute of America March 2006 <
troy.html>.