Troy- Fact and Fiction

Brad Pitt got $20 million to make the movie Troy, so you'd think Hollywood wouldn't sway too much off history. Well, I was somewhat dismayed when I visited this ancient city to see the real deal.

The city Troy is a real-life archaeological site about 6 hours south of Istanbul. In legend, Troy was besieged for 10 years and eventually conquered by a Greek army led by King Agamemnon. The reason for the “Trojan War” was, according to Homer's "Iliad," the abduction of Helen, a queen from Sparta. In the movie, Orlando Bloom plays the prince who stole Helen, Brad plays Achilles who is the best warrior against the Troy army and the city itself is impenetrable until the deadly Trojan horse with hundreds of hidden warriors gets dragged into the city.

Here's the real truth on the history of Troy:

True or False- Brad, I mean Achilles, was the main warrior in taking the city of Troy....

False- scholars believe that Homer's Iliad/ stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by the Greeks during the Bronze Age. In particular, Achilles is folklore and was the son of a god Thetis and a mortal Peleus. So Brad playing Achilles is all false (but the $20 million is true).

True or False- Troy was a city with an impenetrable wall that no army could get past the gates...

True- historians believe there were 10 years of war among the Greeks but no army could get into this walled city. These walls still stand today.

True or False- A trojan horse strategy actually got past the city walls.

False- think about it. How could hundreds of warriors get packed together without making a sound and with no smells that would give them away? Plus, do you think they'd have windows like the one you see here? Like really?

True or False- Troy was near the Agean Sea and a perfect spot for trading in the region:

True- the picture above is a view from the walled city. In the picture, you can see the islands in the background. Troy was a major trading hub for several centuries. In fact, the walls of Troy were rebuilt 9 times since 1300 BC. In reality, the city was about 10 miles closer to the Agean however 3,400 years of time, sediment and winds have created beautiful farmland before hitting the sea.