Like many of the recent Troy books, this latest, Horses of Fire, focuses on women. It consciously departs from Homeric tradition and historical accuracy in ways that may please readers or irritate them. Have a look at my review.
In the annals of archaeology one man stands out as a particularly egregious villain. Like various contemporary “visionary” businessmen today, Heinrich Schliemann used his abundant cash to do whatever he wanted and ignored the scientific, expert advice of his day. That didn’t work out well for the archaeological remains of Troy.
When I visited the site in Turkey that archaeologists generally agree is Homer’s Troy, I felt a sizzle of excitement to be surrounded by the remains of a place so dear to my heart. But, I’ll confess, imaging Troy in its grandeur isn’t easy when you visit. It’s a complicated joy that can benefit from knowing the history of the site, which makes me welcome this enjoyable introduction in the Smithsonian’s recent article “In Search of Troy.”
My roundup of archaeology and history: Archaeology lecture for Phoenix area, Urusula LeGuin’s “remarkable spirit”, info about BBC/Netflix show Troy: Fall of a City, Reese Witherspoon on “female heroes that have always been in the shadows and now are coming into the light,” and the earliest ochre “crayon” found under a peat bog/ancient lake
Here is my roundup of archaeology and history: Variations on the myths of Ishtar, the original goddess of love and war and a mysterious Luwian tablet, now translated, tells of a Trojan prince and his naval battle with Ashkelon, and I include photos from Madrid’s National Archaeology Museum’s extraordinary collection
My weekly roundup of archaeology and historical fiction: excavation at Carchemish dug by Lawrence of Arabia seeking tourists, new mosaic at Antalya Turkey depicting Iphigenia’s sacrifice, Netflix casts creatively for Troy: Fall of a City, can historical fiction be feminist without messing with history (yes, it can!).
My weekly roundup of posts I enjoyed: website of films set in ancient Egypt, a new pyramid found, a lecture on the historical basis of the Trojan War and another on Hellenistic temples in the Peloponnese.
Here’s my weekly roundup: Mycenaean shaft grave creates a new view of Mycenaean/Minoan relations, Hagia Sophia’s acoustics, Menorah carved into cave indicates a 2nd Temple hideout, Troy gets a museum, 2016 dig finds at Paphos Cyprus
Review of Emily Hauser’s For the Most Beautiful, a novel of the women of Troy.
Some posts I enjoyed around the web this week: a critique of Kolb on Troy’s location, a collection of 4 novels of ancient times by Stephanie Dray, Libbie Hawker, Rebecca Lochlann, Cheri Lasota, Analyzing skeletons found near Athens to reveal ancient politics and websites most helpful for writers.
