This prince and the Trojan War are widely known in Greek mythology and archaeologists say there is reason to believe this is a true historical story.
The French during the monarchy period considered the J checkered in the Western deck to be the prince of Troy, Hector . Not much is known about the historical Hector, but Western historians agree that Troy was a real place and that the war with the Greeks was more than just a myth.
In Greek and Roman mythology, Hector is portrayed as one of the greatest warriors in the Trojan War against the Greeks. Hector and his soldiers and allies destroyed “31,000 Greeks” , but ultimately lost their lives to Achilles, Greece’s greatest warrior.
Image of Prince Hector in the 2004 movie Troy.
Troy in Greek mythology is a citadel besieged for 10 years, finally subdued by the Greek army led by King Agamemnon. The Iliad, the ancient Greek epic, states that the reason for the Troy-Greek war was that Paris, son of King Troy, Priam, kidnapped Helen, queen of Sparta.
The Illiad epic refers to the gods intervening, helping the characters on both fronts.
The gods had destined a dark future for Troy, but Prince Hector did not run away. Hector led the Trojan army to fight the Greeks.
In the Illiad, Hector kills the Greek hero Protesilaus in the very first days of the Troy-Greek war. In the oracle of the gods, the Greek warrior who first set foot on Troy would forever leave his body on the battlefield.
All three Greek warriors, Protesilaus, Ajax and Odysseus , hesitated to volunteer. Odysseus threw his shield and jumped first, but it was Protesilaus who was the first hero to be subdued by Hector. The second person to become a victim of Hector is the hero Ajax.
Ajax pierced Hector’s armor with a spear, causing the prince of Troy to bleed. But in the end Ajax still died by Hector’s blade. At this point, Hector expressed his willingness to give the Greeks time to bury the dead warriors. The Greeks took this opportunity to build ramparts, preparing for a protracted war.
Overcoming the victory, Hector led the Troy army to attack the Greek camp, burning many ships. King Agamemnon himself had to go to battle. Hector had his soldiers camped right on the battlefield, waiting for morning to continue to push back the Greeks.
Hector could defeat any Greek warrior except Achilles.
The Troy’s attack was repelled when Patroclus, Achilles’ cousin, clad in his cousin’s armor, led his army into battle. Hector thought it was Achilles, so he killed the enemy, and when he took off his helmet, he realized he had killed the wrong person.
The balance of the war changes when Achilles goes to war to avenge his cousin. According to the oracle of the gods, once Achilles appeared, no force could stop it.
The battle between Achilles and Hector was truly unequal. Achilles is an invincible warrior, supported by the god of war Athena. In one fight, Hector skillfully dodged Achilles’ spear, but was distracted by Athena’s transformation into Paris, Hector’s brother. Achilles seized the opportunity to stab Hector to death.
Hector’s body was dragged around the city gates by Achilles, and was later returned to Troy.
According to the Greek geographer Pausanias, who lived in the 2nd century, the Greek city of Thebes had the tomb of Hector and the bones of the prince of Troy were brought here to be buried.
The Trojan War is recorded as a real event in history.
Present-day Troy is located at the archaeological site of Hisarlik, in northwestern Türkiye. Traces of Troy date back to 4,000 BC. This city has been destroyed many times, but then bustling again.
“There’s not just one Troy, there are at least 10, layer upon layer on top of each other,” said researcher Gert Jan van Wijngaarden at the University of Amsterdam.
In 1873, archaeologists discovered many valuable possessions believed to belong to King Priam. Treasures include gold, silver, jewelry, bronze, gold rings and artifacts made from precious metals.
pray. Alexander the Great did the same thing in the 4th century, because the city was home to a temple of Athena, wrote Strabo, who lived 2,000 years ago, according to Live Science.
Troy disappeared forever in the 13th century.
Troy continued to thrive in Roman times. The Romans believed that Aeneas, the warrior of Troy, was of Roman origin. “So the Roman city of Troy is increasingly famous for its myths, as a destination for pilgrims and tourists,” writes researcher Trevor Bryce from Queensland State University, Australia.
Bryce emphasized that Troy was most prosperous when it became a popular tourist center. In the Middle Ages, Troy gradually fell into disrepair. In the 13th century, the city was nothing more than a farming community.
Today, Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination in Türkiye.
Historians also agree that the Trojan War was real, closest to the reality described in the Illiad. Archaeologist Manfred Korfmann said: “As far as we know, the Illiad is based on real historical events, meaning that the Trojan War was essentially in the past.”
Bryce also concurs, saying that many ancient poets have described the Trojan War and this is clearly no coincidence.