ancient settlement off the coast of the Aegean. This landmark was sung in his "Iliad" by Homer. Troy was most famous for the Trojan War. This ancient Greek city is included in the version of our site.

Many tourists are interested in this archaeological site of modern Turkey. In order to get to Troy, you must first get to Chanakalle. Buses to Troy leave every hour from there. The journey will take about half an hour. In turn, you can come to Canakalle by bus from Izmir or Istanbul. In both cases, the distance is about 320 km.

The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was the first to become interested in the excavations of Troy in the second half of the 19th century. It was under his leadership that the ruins of nine cities around the Hissarlik hill were found. Moreover, many ancient artifacts and one very ancient fortress were found. Schliemann's many years of work was continued by one of his colleagues, who unearthed a vast area dating back to the Mycenaean era. Excavations are still ongoing at this site.

Today in Troy, there is little that can attract the traveler's eye. However, the atmosphere of the greatest fairy tale in the world invariably hovers in this city. At the moment, the restoration of the famous Trojan horse is fully completed. This attraction is located on a panoramic platform.

Photo attraction: Troy

“Whatever it is, be afraid of the Danes, even those who bring gifts!” - this catchphrase-warning was heard even by those who are superficially familiar with the ancient Greek epic. The city of Troy was defeated through its own curiosity: the inhabitants themselves dragged the soldiers hiding in a wooden horse into its territory. Troy was captured and destroyed. Ruined to the ground? How do we know about this? And where is Troy?

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“Who, among the immortal gods, led them to a hostile dispute?”

The events of those distant days are described in Homer's poem "The Iliad" - the oldest ancient Greek work found. The poem is based on folklore stories about exploits dating back to the 9th-8th centuries BC. e. The capital of the Trojan kingdom then had the name of Ilion, and the last months of the ten-year siege of Troy by the Danaans are described in the songs. Even the gods of Olympus were involved in the conflict that arose because of the beautiful Helen stolen by Paris. Some supported the Danaans, others helped the Trojans. The war lasted 10 years, and it seemed that there would be no end to it. However, the cunning king of Ithaca, Odysseus, realized his insidious plan by building a hollow wooden horse, in which he hid the best Greek warriors. The naive inhabitants of Troy lost their vigilance and dragged the gift into the city. At night, the Danaans got out, opened the gates to their comrades and captured Troy. It would seem that this is another myth, where the truth is, where the fiction is - it is no longer possible to find out, but in the 19th century it turned out that the city actually existed!

Looking for Troy

The German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was fond of archeology and was literally obsessed with the idea of ​​finding an ancient city and giving a clear answer to the question, Where is Troy. He carefully studied the poem and, having comprehended the guesses of his predecessors, made the assumption that Troy was somewhere near the Dardanelles in Turkey. In 1870, during the excavations, the ruins of the city were discovered, which clearly had great importance for unknown ancient inhabitants. Former towers, dilapidated walls of fortifications and the altar of the once luxurious temple of Aphrodite confirmed - "Troy has been excavated, and there is no second one."

Archaeologists managed to discover nine cultural layers - Troy was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Earthquakes and wars were so merciless that now it is difficult to guess whether it is a simple cobblestone or part of someone's home. Traces of a fire were noted, which Homer also mentioned. But Schliemann did not find any traces of Greek attacks - as well as a gift from the Danaans. So was there really a horse? According to modern calculations, the wooden giant should have exceeded seven meters in height and had a width of about three meters. To accommodate two dozen armed men - the minimum number of warriors mentioned in the epics - the horse had to weigh about two tons!

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This question remains relevant for researchers. It is possible that it was not even a deadly gift, but a ram recaptured from enemies. The Trojans brought it into the city as a trophy, but in the confusion they did not notice that armed opponents were hiding in the belly. But be that as it may, the phraseological unit, meaning an evil intent or an insidious plan, went to the people and is actively used. For example, this is where the name of computer viruses comes from - "Trojans".

Today, tourists from all over the world come to see the ruins of the legendary city. Troy is located far from popular holiday destinations and, but you can get here in several ways - by water and land. The closest and most convenient way is from the port city of Canakkale. To the delight of children and adults, at the entrance to the territory, guests are greeted by a huge wooden horse, inside which you can climb, feeling like a part of the legendary history.

Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

A cozy tea and coffee shop is a corner of calmness and pleasant rest next to the noisy, crowded and cheerful Peace Street. In the midst of a walk through the houses of different peoples of Australia, Asia, Africa and Latin America look into the chamber. Small tables for two, subdued atmosphere, traditional interior elements and, of course, first-class coffee prepared according to all the rules are waiting for you - in a Turk on a special titanium for sand! You will not only taste the drink, but also learn how to prepare it correctly: on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00, a free master class is held in the cafe!

In addition, a large selection of fresh, delicious, most beloved oriental sweets is at your service: sweet Turkish delight, honey baklava, juicy dates, golden halva ...

It took the ancient Greek hero Odysseus 10 years to sail from Troy to Greece. She must be this Troy, damn far away! At least that's what I always thought. And I was surprised once! My husband and I were traveling along the coast of Turkey and suddenly found that Troy - very close to Istanbul! That is, to the homeland of Odysseus - the Greek island of Ithaca - within easy reach. Through the sea. And it took him 10 years. Wonders.

Many faces of Troy

First, let's define the concepts. Troy is an ancient city. Once it was destroyed by the Greeks. The very first poem that has come down to us, the Iliad, was written about this. Written by Homer. Even then it - this Troy - was destroyed. And no such city exists now.. But we can see its ruins. So, in order not to get confused, you need to know that this city was called differently:

• Troy;
• Ilion(hence the name of the ancient poem by Homer "Iliad");
• Dardania;
• Scamander;
• Canakkale.

Now we have an idea of ​​where Troy was. Thank you for this Heinrich Schliemann. True, he is not our compatriot (as someone said above), but a German.

About Schliemann is a completely different story. She always inspires me. He was not an archaeologist. He was a wealthy businessman and upstart. In the world of science, he was despised. But he was passionate about Ancient Greece and history of the Trojan War. He put all his strength into digging the hills of the Greek and Ottoman coasts. Professional archaeologists laughed at him and looked down on him. And once this Schliemann, this passionate dilettante ... indeedfound the ruins of Troand!

Where Troy Once Was

So, Troy was in the territory of modern Turkey. This is the northwestern part of the country, coast of the straitDardanelles. The ruins are located north of Istanbul. By the way, there is a bus from here. The journey takes 5-6 hours.

Here, on the coast Asia Minor, and flared up once Trojan War. If you are coming from Istanbul, you should follow this route:

• Istanbul - Canakkale(the district center, from where you can already move on);
• Canakkale - Tevfikiye(about 30 kilometers, this is a village next to the excavations);
• Tevfikiye - excavations.

So why did Odysseus swim for so long? Well, along the way, he lived for seven years with the beautiful nymph Calypso, then for another year with the sorceress Kirka, got stuck at the feast of the god of the winds Eol, walked out of interest into the kingdom of the dead. In general, the guy was in no hurry to go home. And so it would have swum in a couple of weeks.

In general, if you are going to Troy, do not be distracted from the indicated route. Otherwise, get lost like Odysseus.

In the Dark Ages (XI-IX centuries BC), which came, wandering singers wandered along the roads of Greece. They were invited to houses and palaces, treated at the table next to the hosts, and after the meal, the guests gathered to listen to stories about gods and heroes. The singers recited hexameter verses and played along on the lyre. The most famous of them was Homer. He is considered to be the author of two epic poems - the Iliad (about the siege of Troy) and the Odyssey (about the return from the campaign of the king of the Greek island Ithaca Odysseus), while many literary scholars agree that the poems themselves were created for more than one century and are traces of different eras. Even in ancient times, almost nothing was known about Homer. It was said that he came from the island of Chios and was blind. argue for the right to be called his homeland. Scientists believe that Homer lived around 850-750. BC e. By this time, the poems had already taken shape as integral literary works.

Homer told how the city of Troy was destroyed by the Achaeans after many years of siege. The reason for the war was the abduction of the wife of the Spartan king Minelaus Helena by the Trojan prince Paris. It so happened that three goddesses - Hera, Athena and Aphrodite - turned to the young man with the question of which of them was the most beautiful. Aphrodite promised the prince the love of the most beautiful woman in the world if he named her. Paris recognized Aphrodite as the most beautiful, and Hera and Athena held a grudge against him.

The most beautiful woman lived in Sparta. She was so beautiful that all the Greek kings wanted to take her as their wife. Helen chose Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. On the advice of Odysseus, all the former suitors of Helen swore to help Menelaus if anyone tried to take his wife from him. After some time, Paris went to Sparta on business. There he met Elena and caught fire with passion, and Aphrodite helped him capture the heart of the queen. The lovers fled to Troy under the protection of Paris's father, King Priam. Remembering the oath, the Mycenaean kings, led by Agamemnon, gathered on a campaign. Among them was the bravest Achilles and the most cunning Odysseus. Troy was a powerful fortress, and it was not easy to storm it. For ten years, the Achaean army stood under the walls of the city, without achieving victory. The defense was led by Priam's eldest son Hector, a brave warrior who enjoyed the love of fellow citizens.

Finally, Odysseus came up with a trick. built a huge wooden horse, in the belly of which the warriors hid. The horse was left at the walls of the city, while they themselves defiantly sailed home on ships. The Trojans believed that the enemy had left, and dragged the horse into the city, rejoicing at such an unusual trophy. At night, the soldiers hiding inside the horse got out, opened the city gates and let their comrades into Troy, who, as it turned out, quietly returned to the walls of the city. Troy fell. The Achaeans destroyed almost all the men, and took the women and children into slavery.

Modern scholars believe that the Trojan War took place between 1240 and 1230. BC e. Its real reason could be the trade rivalry between Troy and the alliance of the Mycenaean kings. In ancient times, the Greeks believed in the veracity of the myths about the Trojan War. Indeed, if the deeds of the gods are removed from the Iliad and the Odyssey, then the poems look like detailed historical chronicles.

Homer even conveys long list ships that went on a campaign against Troy. The historians of the 18th-19th centuries looked at the matter differently; for them, the Iliad and the Odyssey were literary works, the plot of which is fictional from beginning to end.

Only the excavations of the amateur German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann were able to turn this preconceived opinion over. He was convinced that Homer's characters were real historical figures. From childhood, Schliemann deeply experienced the tragedy of Troy and dreamed of finding this mysterious city. The son of a pastor, he ran a business for many years until one day he saved enough money to start excavations. In 1871, Schliemann went to the north-west of the peninsula of Asia Minor, to the area, which in ancient times was called Troad, where, according to Homer's instructions, Troy was located. The Greeks also called it Ilion, hence the name of the poem - "Iliad". In the 19th century these lands belonged Ottoman Empire. Having agreed with the Turkish government, Schliemann began excavations on the Hissarlik hill, geographical position which matched the description of Homer. Luck smiled on him. The hill hid the ruins of not one, but nine cities that succeeded each other for twenty centuries.

Schliemann led several expeditions to Hissarlik. The fourth was decisive. Homeric Troy, the archaeologist considered the settlement located in the second layer from the bottom. In order to get to it, Schliemann had to "demolish" the remains of at least seven more cities that kept many valuable finds. In the second layer, Schliemann discovered the Skeian Gate, a tower, sitting on which Helen showed Priam the Greek generals,.

Schliemann's discoveries shocked scientific world. There was no doubt that Homer was talking about a real war. However, the continuation of excavations by professional researchers gave an unexpected result: the city, which Schliemann took for Troy, is a thousand years older than the Trojan War. Troy itself, if, of course, it was she, Schliemann "dropped" along with his family upper layers. The amateur archaeologist's claim that he "looked in the face of Agamemnon" also turned out to be erroneous. The graves contained people who lived several centuries before the Trojan War.

But most importantly, the finds showed that, far from the Greek archaic, well known from the Iliad and Odyssey. It is older, much higher in development and much richer. Homer wrote his poems five or six centuries after the death of the Mycenaean world. He could not even imagine palaces with plumbing and frescoes, in which thousands of slaves worked. He shows the life of people as it became in his time, after the invasion of the barbarian Dorians.

Homer's kings live little better than simple people. Their wooden houses, surrounded by a palisade, have an earthen floor, the ceiling is covered with soot. At the threshold of the palace of Odysseus, a dunghill smells fragrant, on which his beloved dog Argus lies. The suitors of Penelope during the feasts themselves slaughter and skin the animals. The king of the fabulously rich people of the feaks Alkina has "fifty involuntary needlewomen" who grind flour, and fifty weavers. His daughter Navsekaya and her friends do laundry by the sea. Penelope spins and weaves with the maids. The life of Homeric heroes is patriarchal and simple. Odysseus' father Laertes cultivated the land himself with a hoe, and Prince Paris grazed herds in the mountains, where he met three arguing goddesses...

Around the excavations of Troy, disputes still do not subside. Did Schliemann find the right city? Thanks to the discovery and reading of documents from the archives of the Hittite kings, it is known that these people traded with Troy and Ilion. they were known as two different cities in Asia Minor and were called Truis and Wilus. Be that as it may, as a result of the excavations of a hasty and not too attentive amateur, the world first became acquainted with the Mycenaean culture. This civilization eclipsed with its brilliance and wealth everything that was previously known about the early history of Greece.

“Discovery of Troy In the mass consciousness, the discovery of the legendary city is associated with the name of enthusiastic archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. He was able, contrary to the opinion of skeptics, to prove the historicity of Homer's Iliad.

Although in modern times stories about Trojan War were considered legends, scientists and amateurs tried to find the legendary city. In the XVI and XVII centuries in Troad visited by two explorers and travelers - Pierre Belon and Pietro della Valle. Each of them concluded that the legendary Troy is the ruins of the city of Alexandria of Troy, which were located 20 kilometers from Hissarlik.

AT late XVIII century another traveler and archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Lechevalier visited these places and wrote the work Notes on a Journey to Troas. Lechevalier argued that the ancient city was located near the town of Pinarbazi, five kilometers from Hissarlik. For a long time this theory was dominant.

In 1822 a Scottish journalist Charles McLaren published in Edinburgh a dissertation on the topography of the Trojan Plain. A hundred years later, Karl Blegen wrote that this work would have deserved more attention than it received. Maclaren collected all the information from the Iliad that had topographical significance and compared it with the maps of his time. Then the Scot tried to restore the appearance of the landscape as it was in antiquity. McLaren's conclusions were agreed by some British scientists and several German Homer researchers.
Charles Maclaren was the first to suggest that the legendary city was located on the Hissarlik hill. The basis of his conclusion was the assumption that the city of Homer was located in the same place as the Greek city of the Classical and Hellenistic eras.

The last of Schliemann's predecessors was Frank Calvert, Englishman, British Consul in Turkey. He was an amateur archaeologist and was fond of the history of Troy all his life. Frank, like Schliemann, believed that Troy was a real city, contrary to the skepticism of many contemporaries.
Frank's brother purchased a small piece of land in the Troad, part of which covered the territory of the Hissarlik hill. Calvert excavated "his" part of the hill, but they yielded modest results. Later, it was Frank Calvert who shared his thoughts with Heinrich Schliemann, who decided to conduct his own research on the hill.

In the 1860s Heinrich Schliemann already explored Ithaca, where he discovered, as it seemed to him, monuments associated with the names of Laertes and Odysseus. In 1868, an archaeologist decided to excavate in Turkey. It took Schliemann and his friends in Constantinople three years to obtain permission from the Turkish government to excavate. The firman (permission) was handed over to Schliemann on the condition that half of the finds be handed over to the Turkish museum.

October 11, 1871 Heinrich Schliemann with his wife Sophia and several workers, he arrived at the Hissarlik hill and immediately began excavations. The workers were Greeks from Asia Minor from the surrounding villages, sometimes joined by Turks.

Schliemann excavated on the hill until June 1873. During this time, the archaeologist was able to excavate seven archaeological layers of the city. He himself believed that Troy Priam is the Troy-II layer. Toward the end of the excavations, Schliemann discovered a large hoard of gold objects, which he called "Priam's Treasure". After leaving Turkey, Schliemann continued to study the monuments in Orchomenus and Mycenae, published the work "Troy and its ruins".

In 1878 Heinrich returned to Troad and continued his excavations. After them, he returned twice more for excavations to the Hisarlyk hill, and now he was accompanied by professional archaeologists. In 1882 he joined Schliemann in Troy Wilhelm Dörpfeld, second secretary of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens.

Schliemann died in 1890, and Dörpfeld continued the excavations. The archaeologist in 1893-1894 discovered the fortifications of Troy-VI. The German archaeologist considered them to be the city of Priam.

Forty years after Dörpfeld's work, excavations ceased. From 1932 to 1938, the Hissarlik hill was explored by an archaeologist Carl Blegen, director of the University of Cincinnati. The American proved that there were nine settlements on this site, one after another. These nine levels of Troy he divided into 46 sublevels.

The next stage of research of the archaeological site was associated with the expedition Manfred Korfman. His excavations refined the data of his predecessors and made it possible to create a modern chronology of Troy.

Early Bronze Age (Troy-I - Troy-V)

The first five archaeological layers of the settlement show a continuous history of the city, which lasted until the 17th century. BC.
Troy-I existed for about 400 years from 300 to 2600. BC. It had common features with the culture of central Anatolia, but was quite independent. The city had external connections with the islands and the north of the Balkans.

Troy II arose on the ruins of the previous city. Presumably Troy-I died from a strong fire. This settlement was the successor of the previous one in terms of culture. The city had a mighty fortress wall with a diameter of about 110 meters. The fortification was a citadel from where its masters exercised power over the territory of the Troad.

The standard of living of the Trojans has become higher: the houses have become more spacious and comfortable. The fortress housed a majestic megaron. The Trojans of this time were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. Archaeologists have found many terracotta whorls. Weaving also developed. Trade contacts with the Cyclades continued to develop. The Trojans supplied their neighbors with grain and pottery.

Troy-II again destroyed by fire, but soon the settlement was occupied by the same people around 2250 BC. The ceramics of the third city practically did not differ from the ceramics of the previous era. Reasons that killed Troy-III unclear. It seems that there was no fire that destroyed the entire settlement, but the houses were destroyed.

Troy-IV existed in the period 2100 - 1950 BC. The territory of this city occupied about 17 thousand kilometers. The new settlement had strong fortifications. The houses of this Troy were built close to each other, forming complexes that were separated by narrow streets. Pottery of this time continues the traditions of past eras of the settlement. But the number of products created using the potter's wheel has grown.

Period Troy-V began with the remodeling of the entire settlement. Residents built a new wall for protection. The city existed until the 18th century BC. The reason for its destruction is unclear. Again, there are no traces of the devastating fire. But the builders of the city Troy VI created a completely different city, which did not take into account the location of the buildings of its predecessor. The city of Troy-VI presumably perished around 1300 BC. as a result of an earthquake. It was replaced by a settlement Troy-VII. It had four periods of existence until the middle of the 10th century BC.

King Alaxandus and the Hittites

During the period Troy-VII the inhabitants of this city were in close contact with neighboring states - the Hittite state, the kingdoms of Asia Minor and the Greeks of Akhkhiyava. It is believed that the Hittites knew Troy under the name Wilus states.

In the XVII century BC. the Hittite king Labarna subjugated Artsava and Vilusa. The latter after a certain period of time became independent, but maintained neutral relations with Hittite kingdom. In the XIV century BC. the state of Wilus came to the attention of the rulers of the Hittite state.

An ally of the Hatti kings of the XIV century. BC. Suppiluliumas I and Mursilis was king of Vilusa Kukunnis. It is known that he helped Mursilis during his campaign against Artsava.

Kukunnis, under the changed name "Kykn", entered the cycle of legends about the Trojan War. Legends made him a side branch representative royal house, who ruled one of the cities of the Troad. He was the first to meet the Greeks who landed and died at the hands of Achilles.
At the end of the XIV century BC. The king of Vilusa was the son of Kukunnis Alaksandus. His reign is known thanks to the treaty between Alaksandus and King Muvattalis of Hatti.

The treaty states that Koukunnis adopted and made Alaxandus his heir. The population of Vilusa grumbled against the new king. They said that the inhabitants of the country would not accept the son of Alaksandus as a new sovereign. Ibid in question about the "children of the king", who claimed the throne, inherited by Alaksandus.

Muvattalis promised the ruler of Wilusa and his heirs protection. In exchange, Alaxandus became a dependent king. He was supposed to inform the overlord about possible rebellions in the west of Asia Minor. In the event of a war between Hatti and the states of Asia Minor, Alaksandus had to personally come to the rescue with his army. For wars with Mitanni, Egypt or Assyria, the king of Wilusa had to send his troops.

According to one clause, Alaxandus was obligated to fight an enemy who might invade the land of Hatti through Wilusa. This enemy is supposed to be the Achaean Greeks, who at that time were trying to gain a foothold in Asia Minor.

Soon after the submission of the Hittite power of the kingdoms of Asia Minor, the famous battle of kadesh in Syria. The Egyptian text dedicated to this battle lists the units of the Hittite army. Among others, the people of Drdnj are mentioned there (probable decoding - Dar-d-an-ja). This people is identified with the Dardanians who lived within the Vilusa.

The dominance of the Hittite monarchs over Vilusa did not last long. Already the letter of the king of the Hittites to the king of Ahkhiyava, dating from the turn of the XIV - XIII centuries BC. shows the situation has changed. It follows from the document that a conflict occurred between Hatti and Ahkhiyava, as a result of which the Hittites lost control over Vilusa, and the Achaeans strengthened their influence in this country.

In the XIII century BC. the land of Hatti was ruled by the militant Tudhaliyas IV. He fought with a coalition of small states of Asia Minor, united in Hittite documents under the common name Assuva. Among them was Wilusa. Tudhaliyas IV won and Vilusa again became a dependent state.

From the letter of the Hittite king to the ruler of Milavanda, it follows that Tudhaliyas made his protege Valma the ruler of Vilusa. For some reason, he fled and the Hatti king was going to restore him to power. Probably, the expulsion of Valmu happened before Assuva's speech against the Hittites, and the restoration after the victory of Tudhaliyas, when "the gods gave him" these lands.

Troy VII and the legend of the Trojan War

Already in Antiquity, different dates for the Trojan War were expressed. Duris of Samos refers it to 1334 BC, Eratosthenes - 1183, Ephorus - 1136. Herodotus wrote that she was 800 years before he began work on the "History", that is, in the last third of the XIII century BC.

The city of Troy-VII-a perished at the turn of the 13th and 12th centuries BC. There are different points of view on the time of its fall. L.A. Gindin and V.L. Tsymbursky date the fall of the city to 1230-1220 BC. This was the beginning of the so-called campaign period. "peoples of the sea".

The campaign of the Greek states against Troy was often associated with the heyday of Mycenaean civilization. According to the reconstruction of the researchers, the campaign took place after the beginning of the decline of the Mycenaean civilization. Greece was subjected to one invasion from the north, which led to the destruction of part of the palace centers. The danger of new attacks from the north pushed the Achaeans to overseas enterprises. The flourishing of Rhodes at the expense of immigrants is also attributed to this time.

Speaking about the population of Troy in period VII, the deep ties of its population with the Thracians are noted. The top of the city in this era probably adopted the culture of Mycenaean Greece, which confirms the name Alaksandus, consonant with "Alexander".

The forms of ceramics of Troy VII-a resembled the ceramics of the Northern Balkans inhabited by the Thracian tribes. The composition of the Teucres (inhabitants of Priam Troy), presumably, was dominated by early Thracian elements.

After the destruction of Troy by the Achaeans, the city was reborn. Now it was a sparsely populated settlement, which is identified with the layer Troy VII-b I. The surviving Teucers themselves, for the most part, did not remain in their former places, but joined the campaigns of the peoples of the sea. These campaigns destroyed the Hittite kingdom of a number of small states of Asia Minor, and were also a threat to Egypt.

The depopulation of Troad made it possible for the Thracians to move here, who re-populated Troy. The period is associated with the settlers Troy VII-b II. But, given the previous contacts, the inhabitants of the city and the Thracians, their settlement of these places was peaceful.

Troy after the Trojans: another Greek city

Around 950 B.C. the settlement on Hissarlik ceased to exist. In the Archaic era (VIII-VI centuries BC), life resumed on the hill. In 480 B.C. Xerxes at the beginning of the campaign to Greece visited this place. The king examined the ancient acropolis and sacrificed a hundred bulls to Athena of Ilion. Its magicians made libations in honor of the heroes who died here. In 411 BC. this place was visited by the Spartan navarch Mindar, who made sacrifices to Athena of Ilion.

Ilion had almost no political significance and was under the control of more influential neighbors. In 360 B.C. the city was captured by the mercenary adventurer Haridem of Oreos, and again the horse played a fatal role in the fall of the city.

Haridem persuaded a slave of one of the influential citizens to help them pass into the city. This slave went outside the walls for prey and returned at night. The mercenary persuaded him to return at night on horseback. The guards opened the gates for him, and a group of mercenaries broke into Ilion. The story of this event was preserved by Aeneas Tacticus, a contemporary of Haridem. He was interested in military tricks, so he did not write anything about the fate of the settlement after its capture by Haridem. Probably the commander of the mercenaries began to rule here as a tyrant - a typical case for the 4th century BC.

In 334 BC. ruins of Troy visited Alexander the Great. As they write in the writings about his campaign, he made sacrifices here in honor of the ancient heroes. At the end of his life, the ruler decided to build a new temple here. These works were completed in the reigns of his Diadochi: Antigonus, Lysimachus and Seleucus.

Epigraphic sources report that during the years of the existence of the state of Antigonus the One-Eyed, one of the Greek interpolis associations in his lands was Ilion Union. The date of foundation of this interpolis association is unknown. Both Alexander and Antigone are called the founder of the Ilion League.

The messages of the union to Antigonus are known. The Ilionian Union had a Sanhedrin (council of allied cities), whose representatives met on the territory of the sacred site of Athena of Ilion. Among the other members of this association, two cities are known - Gargara and Lampsak.
For modern science the ratio of the Aeolian and Ilionian unions that existed in the time of Antigonus remains a mystery. It is assumed that these could be different names of one interpolis association. It is known that Troad was part of the Aeolis region.
Presumably, Antigonus formed two unions from Asia Minor cities - Aeolian and Ionian. The center of the Ionian Union was in the ancient sanctuary of Panionius, the center of the Aeolian was in the temple of Athena of Ilion.

Troy again became a significant city: temples, a bouleuterium (a meeting place for the city council), and theaters appeared there. At the same time, ancient burial mounds were restored. The revived city had about 8 thousand inhabitants.

Around 250 B.C. the walls of Troy were restored. City visited famous people of that time: the king of Syria Antiochus III, the Roman senator Mark Livius Salinator, the commander Lucius Cornelius Scipio.

In 85 BC the city was destroyed again. This year was the end of the first war Rome with Mithridates VI. In Greece and Asia Minor, it was led independently by two commanders: Sulla and the protege of his enemies, Fimbria. The latter crossed over to Asia Minor and began to punish the Greek cities that had previously gone over to the side of the Pontic king.

Among others, Fimbria laid siege to Ilion. The inhabitants of the city sent for help to Sulla. He promised them help and told them to tell Fimbria that the Ilions had already surrendered to Sulla. Fimbria persuaded the inhabitants of Ilion to let him in as a confirmation of surrender.

Entering the city, the Roman commander massacred and subjected the envoys to his enemy Sulla to a particularly cruel execution. Fimbria ordered to set fire to the temple of Athena of Ilion, where many residents fled. The next day, the Roman inspected the city, making sure that not a single altar was left intact.

The destruction of Ilion by Fimbria made an impression on contemporaries, because the Romans considered themselves to be from ancient Troy. The destruction of the city was compared with the one arranged by Agamemnon, and the time that separated the destruction of the cities was calculated. Appian of Alexandria, citing other authors, wrote that the destruction of the city by Fimbria happened 1050 years after the end of the Trojan War.

After defeating a rival, Sulla helped rebuild the city as a reward for his loyalty to him. The Ilionians responded by introducing a new calendar, where the account was kept from 85 BC. The years that followed were difficult for Ilion. Five years after Fimbria, the city suffered from pirate attacks.

When did the third war begin? Kingdom of Pontus, Ilion remained faithful to the alliance with Rome. Plutarch relates the tradition that when a storm destroyed the Pontic siege engines near Cyzicus, many Ilionians saw Athena in a dream. The goddess was in a torn robe and said that she came from Cyzicus, where she fought for its inhabitants. After that, the Ilionians helped the Roman general Lucullus, who fought against the Pontics in the Troad.

At the end of the war, the Roman general Pompey, who ended the war, arrived in Ilion. He was proclaimed the benefactor of the city and the patron of the temple of Athena of Ilion. Fifteen years later, he rendered good deeds to Ilion and Julius Caesar. He emphasized the loyalty of the city to Rome during the war with Mithridates.

In 42 BC. after defeating Caesar's assassins, Octavian and Antony settled the veterans of the sixteenth legion in Ilion. After 22 years, Emperor Augustus again visited this city. Descent from the Trojan hero Aeneas played an important role in his propaganda. By his order, repair work was carried out in Ilion. On the site of the former bouleuterium, on the orders of the princeps, an odeon (a building for musical performances) was erected.

During his visit to Ilion, Augustus lived in the house of a wealthy citizen Melanippus, son of Euthydippus. Eight years later, when the theater was completed, Melanippus erected a statue of the emperor there.

In the era Roman Empire Ilion lived off travelers who were interested in ancient history. Another component of its economy was the extraction and export of stone. In 124 AD Ilion was visited by the famous philhellenic emperor Hadrian. He ordered a new reconstruction of the city.

After the visit Adriana Ilion began to flourish as a Roman city: baths, a fountain, an aqueduct were built in it. A new repair of the odeon was made by order of the emperor Caracalla, who visited Ilion in 214 AD.

In 267 AD Asia Minor the Goths devastated, and Ilion was again destroyed. But the city continued to exist in the IV century. Constantine the Great even considered it as a possible capital of the empire, until he chose Byzantium. By 500 AD, Ilion ceased to exist.