The Possible Causes Of The Trojan War

The Trojan War is believed to have been a war fought between the Trojans and Greeks in around 1250 BC, but there is a level of uncertainty over if a war actually did occur. There are a number of sources providing evidence that reveal the probable causes and likelihood of the Trojan War as a historical event. These sources include ancient epics such as Homer’s Iliad, the Cypria, historical tablets such as the Hittite records and more archaeological findings from excavations. Through archaeological excavations at Hisarlik, the site believed to be Troy, and other ancient sites, there is considerable evidence that reveal the potential causes of the Trojan War and that support its likelihood.

Ancient Greek mythology conveys the story and causes
of the Trojan War through the lost epic, the Cypria. The Cypria is at the beginning of the Epic Cycle and explains the events leading up to the Trojan War, and everything that happened before the beginning of the Iliad.
In the Cyrpia, which has been attributed to the ancient Greek poet, Stasinus, the Greek God, Zeus plans with his wife Themis to bring about the Trojan War. In a fragment from the Cypria, the cause of the Trojan War from the perspective of the ancient Greeks is revealed. The Cypria states that when Zeus looked down at Earth he “had pity and in his wise heart resolved to relieve the all-nurturing earth of men by causing the great struggle of the Ilian war…” This fragment illustrates that the cause of the Trojan War was due to Zeus, the king of the Gods, starting the war in order to reduce the world’s population. Another apparent cause of the war was the abduction of Helen by the Trojan Prince, Paris. In a vase painted in around 490
BC by the ancient Greek vase painter, Makron, the abduction of Helen is shown. This source is based of the Cypria and depicts Paris grasping Helen by the wrist, Eros flying above to indicate a love interest and Aphrodite and Peitho behind Helen. It highlights how Paris’ vanity and greed resulted in him whisking Helen away from her husband Menalaus, which is thought to be a prime cause for the Trojan War. This is because when Menelaus discovered that Helen left, he and his wealthy brother, Agamemnon, led troops overseas to wage war on Troy. Thus, through the Greek epic the Cypria, the causes of the Trojan War can be seen to be caused by the actions of the Greek gods and the abduction of Helen.

Archaeological findings indicate that there are alternate origins for the Trojan War, such as Troy’s primary location. Troy standing at the entrance to the Dardanelles, leading straight to the Black Sea, led it to control trade in the area, thus being a liable motive for the cause of the Trojan War. Because of Troy’s strategic position, Greek trading interests may have been threatened by the Trojans, therefore causing a conflict. Archaeological findings of imported Greek pottery excavated from Troy VI, indicate trade occurring during the late bronze age. This source supports Troy’s central location as a cause for the Trojan War as it displays the power Troy possessed from being able to control trade between the Aegean and Black Seas, thus making it a target. An article written by John Noble Wilford also supports Troy’s location as a cause for the Trojan War. Willard describes archaeologists Korfmann’s own conclusions of Troy as being a “prosperous and powerful centre of commerce, because it could control shipping and collect duties on all goods passing through the Dardanelles.” This reveals that Troy’s strategic and prime location at the centre of trade made the city flourish in wealth, therefore making it a tempting target for invaders. This is because a city would want to take control over Troy to reap the economic benefits that Troy’s location has to offer and to gain the power of controlling all maritime traffic between the Aegean and Black Seas. Therefore, a major cause of the Trojan War can be seen through analysing Troy’s location, which led it to become a wealthy city from being able to control all maritime traffic between the Aegean and Black Seas.

There have been many findings from the archaeological excavations at Troy that support the likelihood of the Trojan War as a historical event.
A team led by Korfmann, excavated slingshots and Greek, bronze spearheads lodged in the fortification walls of Troy VI, which is dated to be around 1250 BC. These slingshots and spearheads excavated at Troy highlight and point to military action and confirm that a conflict did exist in Troy during the right time to be considered to be the Trojan War. However it does not completely confirm or deny that the war was the Trojan War described by Homer in the Iliad. Photographic evidence of a subdivided house excavated by Blegen from Troy VII suggests that Troy was becoming an overcrowded city. This reveals that people had to cramp into the city and live in the same house because of the increased population in the citadel. Thus, this confirms the likelihood of a Trojan War as it proposes that civilians living in villages outside of Troy’s walls sought protection inside the cities walls because of a threat. The further evidence of large storage jars excavated from beneath the floors of these houses indicate an adopted siege mentality by the citizens of Troy. This confirms the likelihood of the Trojan War as it highlights the thought for the need of surplus and the state of fear that the citizens developed during this time. It displays how citizens attempted to bring enough provisions inside Troy’s walls so that they would be able to subsist
within the protection of the walls for a long period of time. The likelihood of the Trojan War as a historical event is strengthened through archaeological excavations performed at Hissarlik, which revealed substantial evidence of conflict and siege mentality.

Throughout the years of excavating at ancient sites, extensive amounts of evidence has emerged that support the likelihood of the Trojan War. Although many historians such as Finley suggest there was no motive for the Trojan War as Troy VIIa was a “pitiful poverty-stricken little place”, other historians such as Wood have other beliefs. Wood concludes from analysing evidence, that an attack on Troy “seems so obvious that if we had no tale of Troy we would have to postulate it”. This confirms the likelihood of the Trojan War as it demonstrates that there is enough circumstantial evidence that suggests that even a snippet of Homer’s Iliad is reflecting a real event which occurred in the Bronze Age. Hittite records, shown on clay tablets also confirm the likelihood of the Trojan War. Hawkins now understands from examining the Hittite records that “the Arzawa land Wilusa, identified with the archaeological site of Troy, was a point of conflict between the Hittites and the Ahhiyawa (Mycenaean Greeks)”. The Hittite records also confirm that there was a point of military and political conflict involving the Greeks at Troy during the Late Bronze Age, which is the supposed time of Homer’s Trojan War. Therefore, through analysing Hittite records and other evidence, the Trojan War’s likelihood as a historical event is strengthened.

The historicity of the Trojan War is complex, but through examining evidence, its likelihood and probable causes are presented. Through analysing ancient Greek epics such as the Cypria and studying Troy’s valuable location the prominent causes of the Trojan War are highlighted. Copious amounts of archaeological findings, such as pottery, bronze spearheads, sub-divided houses, storage jars and Hittite records all support the likelihood of a siege occurring during the Bronze Age. Although there are many opinions about the causes and likelihood of the Trojan War, the one major conclusion that can be drawn is that there is every possibility of the occurrence of a war, but it is uncertain whether it is the romanticised Trojan War presented in Homer’s Iliad.