Troy facts for kids

The legendary walls of Troy. The Troy Homer wrote about is called Troy VII today.

The main building stages of ancient Troy.

A map of Homeric Greece.

Troy was an ancient city located in what is now northwest Turkey. It is famous for being the setting of the Trojan War, a legendary conflict described in ancient Greek poems. The most famous of these poems are the Iliad and the Odyssey, written by a poet named Homer.

Today, Troy is an important archaeological site called Hisarlik. It is located near the coast in the Çanakkale province of Turkey, close to the Dardanelles strait.

UNESCO has recognized the archaeological site of Troy as a World Heritage Site. This means it's a very special place that needs to be protected for everyone. UNESCO says Troy is important for understanding how European civilization developed. It's also culturally important because Homer's Iliad has influenced art for over 2,000 years.

What Was Homer's Troy Like?

Homer's stories about Troy are probably partly true, but they are not exact history. They are epic poems, which means they are grand stories, not history books. Still, they give us an idea of what people believed about Troy.

Troy was a powerful kingdom in the Mediterranean Sea. It was ruled for a long time by King Priam. His sons, like the brave and strong Hector and the passionate Paris, are well-known characters in the Troy myth.

In Greece, there was a kingdom called Mycenae, ruled by King Agamemnon. He wanted to gather the Greek cities and kingdoms to attack Troy and capture its riches. Many kings joined him, including Odysseus (also known as Ulysses) from Ithaca and King Idomeneus from Crete.

The Greeks attacked Troy for ten years. Finally, Troy fell because of a clever plan by Odysseus. He suggested building a giant wooden horse, known as the Trojan Horse. Greek soldiers hid inside the horse. The Trojans brought the horse into their city, thinking it was a gift. Once inside, the soldiers came out and opened the city gates, allowing the rest of the Greek army to enter and conquer Troy.

The Alliance That Failed

Before the war began, King Priam of Troy tried to make an alliance with the strong kingdom of Sparta in Northern Greece. His sons, Hector and Paris, traveled to Sparta to form this alliance.

However, on their way back, Paris fell in love with Princess Helen, the wife of the King of Sparta, and took her with him without her husband's permission. This act ended the alliance. Instead, Sparta joined King Agamemnon and the other Greek kingdoms in fighting against Troy.

King Aeneas, also known as Helikaon, who was the King of Dardanos, was a good friend of Hector and King Priam. He and his people sided with the Trojans during the war.

Images for kids

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  The Troy ridge in 1880, sketched from the plain below. This view shows the west end of the ridge, with "Schliemann's Trench" at the top.

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  Map of the Troad, which includes the site of Troy.

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  Alexandria Troas, another ancient city in the region.

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  Frank Calvert in 1866, at age 38. He was an important early archaeologist at Troy.

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  Frank Calvert's sketch showing the location of Thymbra Farm.

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  Heinrich Schliemann, a famous archaeologist who excavated Troy.

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  Sophia Schliemann wearing the "Jewels of Helen," a famous collection of treasure.

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  Priam's Treasure, which Heinrich Schliemann claimed to have found at Troy.

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  Wilhelm Dörpfeld, another archaeologist who worked at Troy.

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  Carl Blegen, an archaeologist who continued the work at Troy.

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  The west side of Troy Ridge.

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  A wooden Trojan Horse monument in the plaza near the ancient city.

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  Inside the Troy Museum.

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  An artist's idea of what House VI M, part of a palace, might have looked like.

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  The view from Schliemann's Trench at Hisarlık, looking towards the Aegean Sea.

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  Anatolian Grey Ware, a type of pottery found at Troy.

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  Troy VI wall on the left, Troy IX wall on the right.

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See also

In Spanish: Troya para niños