Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-245) and index.

The Trojan War is one of the most famous conflicts in history, the subject of Homer's Iliad, one of the cornerstones of Western literature. Although many readers know that this literary masterwork is based on actual events, there is disagreement about how much of Homer's tale is true. Drawing on recent archeological research, historian and classicist Barry Strauss explains what really happened in Troy more than 3,000 years ago. Strauss shows us where Homer nods, and sometimes exaggerates and distorts, as well. He puts the Trojan War into the context of its time, explaining the strategies and tactics that both sides used, and compares the war to contemporary battles elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean. With his reconstructions of the conflict and his insights into the famous characters and events of Homer's great epic, Strauss tells the story of the fall of Troy as history without losing the poetry and grandeur that continue to draw readers to this ancient tale.

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