In Greek mythology, the Trojan War is an event that connects some of the most iconic characters in stories like the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid in how they’re affected by the supposed ten-year siege of Troy by the Greek army. The historical basis of such a war, however, is highly contested, demonstrating the struggle of historians in separating fact from fiction. Particularly in cultures lacking in reliable written history, historians often have to settle for extracting whatever information available to them through surviving oral traditions. While these oral traditions are often riddled with contradictions and less than objective accounts of its region’s history, they reveal much about the values and customs of those who first told them, as well as provide historians a basis for discovery.
Without definitive timelines, mythology has at times been adopted into a region’s accepted history. Presumably due to their close geographic locations, beyond modeling their pantheon after the ancient Greek gods, ancient Roman history is seemingly based on Roman founding myths, created by Greek writers. Rome’s founding date of April 21st, 753 B.C. wasn’t set until the first century B.C.—an overly precise estimate by scholar Marcus Terentius Varro based on the legend of founders Romulus and Remus and the subsequent kings that expanded the city into an empire.
Though there’s no evidence to suggest a direct relationship between the early founders of Rome and the descendants of the city of Troy, the Aeneid illustrates Greek speculation that the displaced survivors of the destruction of Troy—believed to have been in modern-day Turkey—settled in modern-day Italy and founded the city of Rome. Furthermore, the legendary twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were said to be direct descendants of the epic hero Aeneas—cementing the belief that Romans were descended from Trojans.
Until the 1860s, there was a lot of skepticism around the very existence of Troy; Many historians dismissed it as an element of a purely fictional story. In 1863, however, Frank Calvert began excavating a 20-meter-high mound near modern-day Turkey, which he believed to house the ancient city of Troy. Guided by Homer’s descriptions of Troy in the Iliad, nine connected cities were discovered, labeled Troy I through Troy IX. Of these, Troy VI best fits the descriptions of Troy’s fortifications in that prosperous era and carbon dating matches it to the time period the Trojan War would have taken place.
Further evidence of Troy was discovered in the form of ancient clay tablets belonging to the Hittite empire. These tablets referred to a nearby place similar in name to the Greek word for Troy, “Ilion”, in conflict with people from across the Aegean Sea—who historians and linguists believe were the Achaeans (Greeks). Though the Iliad was transcribed over 400 years after the fall of Troy, it’s widely believed that the story had been passed down orally—likely through bards’ songs—from the time of the supposed war until written down in the 8th century B.C.—corresponding with the early development of the phonetic Greek alphabet. While the basis for much of the specifics illustrated in the epic poem is difficult to trace, Homer’s accounts proved to be factual enough to guide these incredible discoveries.
As cultural values, such as heroism and obeying the gods, are reflected in Greek mythology, the myths and fables around the world give invaluable insight into their history and culture. Creation myths in particular say a lot about how a culture views their own humanity by answering what their perceived origin and purpose is. The Aztec society relied heavily on agriculture, as well as warfare as they expanded their empire across modern-day Mexico. Their creation myth reflects these values as the two gods accredited with the creation of humanity were Quetzalcóatl—god of wind, rain, and agriculture—and his brother Huitzilopochtli—god of the sun and war. In Yoruba—an ethnic group from West Africa—tradition, the god accredited with creating humans is best known for their compassion. Unlike many belief systems, Obatala and the Yoruba pantheon are flawed and self-aware. Notably, Obatala is also genderless and regarded as the god of persons with special needs, reflecting the regard for people and the concept of gender in pre-colonial West Africa.
Though much of what we know about ancient history is shrouded in myth, and undeniably some regions are better documented than others, the mythological stories that were once the driving force of ancient societies allow us to understand the inner workings of ancient peoples beyond historical dates. Whether out of fear of the almighty Zeus or modeled after Obatala’s compassion, ancient belief systems shaped how people lived their lives. Simple questions such as “Were their gods egalitarian? Were they flawed? Were they inherently benevolent? etc.” can reveal a lot about the culture in which they were revered and allow us in the modern age to piece together history otherwise lost to us.
Works Cited
Archaeological Institute of America. “Introduction: Interactive Map Troy.” Introduction | Interactive Map Troy, www.archaeology.org/travel/interactivemap-troy/intro.html.
Britannica. “Rome's Foundation Myth.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Oct. 2020, www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Rome/Romes-foundation-myth.
Cartwright, Mark. “Huitzilopochtli.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 27 Aug. 2013, www.worldhistory.org/Huitzilopochtli/?visitCount=1&lastVisitDate=2021-4-10&pageViewCount=1.
Cartwright, Mark. “Quetzalcóatl.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 1 Aug. 2013, www.worldhistory.org/Quetzalcoatl/?visitCount=1&lastVisitDate=2021-4-10&pageViewCount=1.
Cartwright, Mark. “Troy.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 11 May 2018, www.worldhistory.org/troy/.
Khan, Liaquat Ali. “Obatala - The Sweetest God from Africa.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 6 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/obatala-the-sweetest-god-_b_9817068.
Mineo, Liz. “Unearthing the Secrets of the Aztecs.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 9 Apr. 2018, www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/unearthing-the-secrets-of-the-aztecs/.
National Geographic Society. “The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome.” National Geographic Society, 3 July 2018, www.nationalgeographic.org/article/gods-and-goddesses-ancient-rome/.
“Rome Founded.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 24 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rome-founded.
Tiffany. “How Creation Myths Define Culture.” Owlcation, Owlcation, 29 Dec. 2016, www.owlcation.com/social-sciences/Creation-Myths-The-How-When-and-Why-that-Define-Culture.
Violatti, Cristian. “Greek Alphabet.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 5 Feb. 2015, www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Alphabet/?visitCount=1&lastVisitDate=2021-4-10&pageViewCount=1.
“Yoruba: Gender in Their Culture.” UKEssays.com, Nov. 2018, www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/yoruba-gender-in-their-culture.php.
Comments