The Trojan War: A New History

Whether it be Helen’s prestigious dowry and violated marital ties to Menelaus, or the allies responsible for propping up Troy’s resistance to the invading Greeks, bonds and rifts are central to both the fictional and the historical Trojan War. Geographically located at the juncture between two cultures, Troy is representative and exemplary of relations between abutting ancient states.

The impetus of Homer’s story also relies on the equality between opposing forces. Tension is sustained throughout his epic poems in much the same way it is during a match between two strong tennis players, or perhaps ancient gladiators. While this narrative device propels the retelling of an actual conflict in The Iliad, The Odyssey wages a far more psychological or metaphysical war between the will of the gods and that of a mere mortal, Odysseus. Matches between heroes are a fixture of the former epic, and their often contrasting and also complimentary nature locks them ever more firmly into battle. The leading warriors, Hector and Achilles, embody this reciprocity. Where Achilles is hot-headed and delights in killing, Hector is conservative and kills only in pursuit of honor.