The Maritime History Programme – 17: Black ships on Trojan shores

The Trojan War. The Homeric epic poem The Iliad is now one of the most well-known Greek myths. Before the discoveries of Mycenae and Troy around the turn of the century, almost no one believed that the Trojan War had actually happened. Now, archaeological evidence from Troy and other Anatolian coastal cities, combined with letters and treaties found in Hittite archives give us a glimpse at a what may be the historical basis of the Trojan War. Homer tells us of black ships on Trojan shores and of epic clashes between heroes who were aided by the gods. The Hittite archives tell us of Mycenaean raiders on the Anatolian coast and of a Hittite king who moved in to quell a Mycenaean backed rebellion. Listen to this latest episode to see what is now known about the state of the Bronze Age world at the time Herodotus thought the Trojan War had been fought. Another wonderful edition of this terrific history series from Brandon Huebner.