Trojans and Their Neighbours: An Introduction (Peoples of the Ancient World) [Paperback]

Trevor Bryce (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415349559 | ISBN-13: 978-0415349550 | Publication Date: December 14, 2005 | Edition: 1

A central figure in both classical and ancient near Eastern fields, Trevor Bryce presents the first publication to focus on Troy’s neighbours and contemporaries as much as Troy itself. With the help of maps, charts and photographs, he unearths the secrets of this iconic ancient city.

Beginning with an account of Troy’s involvement in The Iliad and the question of the historicity of the Trojan War, Trevor Bryce reveals how the recently discovered Hittite texts illuminate this question which has fascinated scholars and travellers since the Renaissance.

Encompassing the very latest research, the city and its inhabitants are placed in historical context - and with its neighbours and contemporaries – to form a complete and vivid view of life within the Trojan walls and beyond from its beginning in c.3000 BC to its decline and obscurity in the Byzantine period.

Documented here are the archaeological watershed discoveries from the Victorian era to the present that reveal, through Troy’s nine levels, the story of a metropolis punctuated by signs of economic prosperity, natural disaster, public revolt and war.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

University of Queensland, Australia

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (December 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415349559
• ISBN-13: 978-0415349550
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Level-headed, clear, and informative, October 2, 2009

By 

Petrushka (NZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trojans and Their Neighbours: An Introduction (Peoples of the Ancient World) (Paperback)

Many of the other customer reviews for this book use the word "cautious". It may not be obvious, though, that Bryce has very strong reasons for caution.

The first reason is that Bryce is keenly aware of a tremendous controversy that erupted in 2001-2002 (still ongoing in some quarters) over the importance of Troy VI/VII in the late Bronze Age. On one side, figures like Korfmann, Pernicka, Jablonka (the excavators), and Latacz (a philologist) argued that it was a significant trade centre and the most important political force in its region; on the other side figures like Kolb and Hertel (ancient historians) argued that there was no evidence that Troy VI/VII was anything more than a village of minor importance. In some ways this seems to have been more a political debate than an archaeological one. So, although the archaeological debate has been very firmly settled -- excavations continue to find fortifications around a large area, indicating that the population was closer to 10,000 than to Kolb's figure of 1000 -- the topic is still a bit of a hot potato.

The second reason is that there was a need for a book to act as a counterbalance to J. Latacz's very exuberant book "Troy and Homer". Latacz's and Bryce's books are far and away the most important books in the 2000s decade that have outlined the status of Troy in the late Bronze Age. Latacz, the Homerist, is tremendously optimistic about what he thinks the archaeological evidence can prove about the relationship between Bronze Age Troy, and the poetic/mythical Troy of the Homeric epics. Bryce, the Hittitologist, is less carried away, and sticks to what can actually be securely demonstrated.

As a result, probably the best way to go about it is to read both books. I'd suggest reading Latacz first, to get interested in the subject and see why the subject is so exciting (why not get carried away a little!); and then Bryce, to make sure that your feet are still attached to the ground. The net result will be an extremely well-informed critical view of what is and is not known, and what can and cannot be concluded on the basis of the evidence.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable work but too cautious., November 25, 2006

By 

Mrs. Cheryl A. Bullock "Fernwoods" (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trojans and Their Neighbours: An Introduction (Peoples of the Ancient World) (Paperback)

This work contains a thorough discussion of Troy's history both before and after the time attributed to the Trojan war. There is also a valuable treatment of the peoples who inhabited the area and its surrounds. However the author is reluctant to draw many conclusions and in my opinion is far too cautious. One point he makes is that Homer may have made the Iliad favourable to both the Greeks and the Trojans as by Homer's time the descendants of both were living in Homer's region. I would have thought pandering to both sides (whose past was involved) was a strong indication that there was some truth in a story about the war. The book is also a little too detailed for the casual reader.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Careful and up-to-date, September 12, 2006

By 

Thomas Shydler (NV, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Trojans and Their Neighbours: An Introduction (Peoples of the Ancient World) (Paperback)

Trevor Bryce is cautious about over-romanticising Troy and its related issues. This book is a careful examination of the latest archaeological evidence (including comments on the recent dispute about Troy's "Lower City")but also covers the overall history of attitudes towards Troy. At least as interesting, however, is Bryce's coverage of the Aegean and Anatolian neighbors of "Priam's" Troy. Bryce is a competent writer, although parts of the book are a bit dry. All in all, a very good near total (but general) coverage of Troy and the Bronze Age Aegean. Recommended.